Courtesy Visit Frankfort
Where is Frankfort, Ky.?
Kentucky’s capital is in central Kentucky, 25 miles west of Lexington and 55 miles east of Louisville. The city of 30,000 is 90 miles from Cincinnati; 125 miles from Nashville, Tenn.; and 165 miles from Indianapolis.
How do we get there?
Frankfort is on Interstate 64 and about 20 miles west of Interstate 75. Blue Grass Airport in Lexington is a 40-minute drive; Louisville International Airport is about an hour’s drive. Several cab companies serve the city.
Tell me about the city’s meeting venues.
Frankfort has just over 800 guest rooms. The Frankfort Convention Center and adjacent 189-room Capital Plaza Hotel have more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space and can handle dinners for up to 800 and plenary sessions for up to 5,000.
There are also a number of limited-service hotels, clustered at two interstate exits. Among them are the 90-room Fairfield Inn Frankfort, the 98-room Best Western Parkside Inn, the 123-room Hampton Inn Frankfort and the 70-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Frankfort.
Tell me about some interesting off-site venues.
• Bourbon has become Kentucky’s most fashionable export, and Buffalo Trace Distillery, with roots to 1787, is a good place to learn the liquid’s long history. Thousands visit for a free tour and tasting; groups can arrange for special behind-the-scenes tours that incorporate a multicourse meal. The distillery’s Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse, a two-story cabin made from 200-year-old logs, has 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The Kentucky Historical Society makes its headquarters at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. In addition to exhibits and programming, the center has meeting and event spaces. Its 4,000-square-foot Brown-Forman Room can seat 200 or up to 160 for a sit-down reception. The lobby, with its grand staircase and its green terrazzo floor map of the state, is popular for dinners.
