Things to Do in Kentucky

Tucked away near the banks of the Ohio River stands the other Sin City. Or at least it used to be, during the days when bootlegging formed a powerful underground economy. When a group of teachers and history buffs needed money for school service projects in Central America, they decided to raise funds by starting tours that explored this seamy history, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. A few years and many local accolades later, knowledgeable guides continue expounding upon the town’s rich history of mobsters, gamblers, and ladies of the night.

Tours stroll down Newport blocks littered with buildings once occupied by speakeasies, brothels, and the site of Al Capone’s failed early restaurant career, Al Calzone. Along the way, guides tie the rich past to the rise of the modern-day gaming industry and Newport’s connections to famous crime figures.

While its performances of A Christmas Carol and A Christmas Story have few reviews, five Yelpers give Actors Theatre a 4.5-star average, and four TripAdvisors give an average of four owl eyes. The theatre has more than 6,000 Facebook fans:

Discovered by brothers Squire and Daniel Boone in the late 1700s, Squire Boone Caverns is a vast network of underground caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, all formed by the gritty sands of time. Rushing rivers and waterfalls carry more than a million gallons of water through the caverns each day, often accompanied by disoriented surfers and bewildered penguins. A trained tour guide leads visitors through the nearby woods and into a man-made entrance to the caverns, where lighted walkways take visitors through the same enchanted labyrinth discovered by the brothers Boone, winding past natural formations, the coffin of Squire Boone, and a goblin king played by David Bowie.

The first Funny Bone location opened in 1982 and has spread infectious laughter ever since. Established stars such as Drew Carey and Jerry Seinfeld have graced the stage, as well as up-and-coming talents with fresh faces, fresh routines, and that fresh pine scent. The venue also plays host to a full-service bar, where patrons may steep their sorrows in calming brews, then ingest them triumphantly.

Paul Miller has been laughed at for most of his life. Not in the sad, pity-inducing way, but as a touring member of the Ringling Bros. Circus where he steered the clown car and strode upon stilts, charming audience members with his comedic exploits. Eventually, however, he wanted to extend the circus's reach—not only to those who yearned for a chance to fly on the trapeze, but to people who, by virtue of their age, background, or disability, doubted their capacity to do so. He created Circus Mojo as a noncompetitive venue for absolutely anyone interested in the big-top arts to discover and showcase their own “mojo,” conducting lessons with a joint emphasis on physical feats and creativity.

Circus Mojo's staff boasts the equipment and expertise to lead classes on plate spinning, clowning, and acrobatics, among several other performance styles. In addition to holding workshops and summer camps at their studio space, they parade their comedic and aerial talents at special events, such as birthday parties and protest rallies against gravity. In keeping with Paul's vision of circus outreach—a goal that has earned the circus considerable press coverage—they travel to hospitals and incorporate residents into the act through the Mojo Medicine program. Paul also works with struggling youth from high schools and detention centers, striving to impart the sense of accomplishment and inspiration that stems from owning the spotlight.

Residing in the restored 1925 L&N Depot, where Bowling Green–bound trains tenaciously chugged toward, The Historic Railpark and Train Museum educates rail revivalists on the train cars and culture of a departed, but still kicking, era. Toot your own horn if you can correctly identify five subtly different sounds of passenger cars during an aurally pleasing exhibit, or ask an interactive conductor mannequin if passengers groggily tucked their own handlebar mustaches into their eardrums to quietly rest in the sleeping car. Although entry for children 4 and younger is free, a family membership to The Historic Railpark and Train Museum makes for an economically priced getaway, where children can expend energy excitedly pointing at cabooses and parents can relax watching informational railroad films. Put on the old conductor hat, brush up on railroad lingo, and learn about the monorail's supremely cooler uncle at The Historic Railpark and Train Museum.