While Lexington and Louisville might be two of the more well-known cities in Kentucky, you don’t want to sleep on Bowling Green. This is a vibrant city of about 70,000 people not far from the Tennessee border.

In this post, we’re going to explore Bowling Green, Kentucky and give you some tips on our favorite things to see and do. Ready to take a look?

What to See and Do

Headed to Bowling Green? Check out some of these popular attractions.

National Corvette Museum

National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky

Perhaps Bowling Green’s best-known attraction is the National Corvette Museum. If you’re a lover of these cars, you don’t want to miss this museum. They have over 75 different styles of Corvettes, from vintage to modern, plus the history of the car too. For an additional fee, you can get behind the wheel and take a spin around the museum’s track.

Lost River Cave

Lost River Cave in Bowling Green Kentucky

Hidden beneath Bowling Green, you’ll find Lost River Cave. You can take a flat-bottomed boat tour through the cave where the tour guide will give you a bit of history on both the caves and the region. You might be interested to find out the caves have been home to everything from Civil War campsites to nightclubs.

Mammoth Cave National Park

If Lost River Cave catches your fancy, hop in your car and drive the 30 minutes to Mammoth Cave National Park. This National Park is relatively unknown and a secret gem. It has nearly 400 miles of underground caverns to explore hidden under over 50,000 acres of beautiful forest. 

Aviation Heritage Park

The Aviation Heritage Park puts an interesting spin on your typical aviation-style museum. This is considered more of a living park where aircraft from local flyers and heroes display the planes they flew into battle or on top-secret missions. It’s open daily and free to the public, so be sure to check out these planes up close and personal.

Historic Railpark and Train Museum

Bowling Green is home to the L&N Depot, which was built in the 1920s to connect train service between Nashville and Louisville. Today, the Depot is now the Historic Railpark and Train Museum. You can take a self-guided tour of the museum and some painstakingly restored railway cars to explore and learn about the history of rail in this region.

Riverview at Hobson Grove

Riverview at Hobson Grove, also known as the Hobson Estate, is a very fancy Italian style mansion that was built between 1850 and 1872. Construction had to stop during the Civil War. The home has been restored, inside and out, to its glory and visitors can tour the building and the grounds.

Getting There

Bowling Green sits at the intersection of Routes 65 and 165. It’s easily accessible from all directions.

If you’re thinking about a road trip through the region, it’s a great stopping point. Bowling Green is just over an hour from Nashville, Tennessee, two hours from Louisville, Kentucky and under four hours from both Cincinnati, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana.

As you can see, there’s plenty to enjoy in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Make sure to stop by and enjoy it!