Ardsmore House & Gardens - Princeton, Kentucky

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The Adsmore House & Gardens in Princeton, KY. Located just one block north of historic downtown Princeton, KY, the Adsmore House & Gardens spread across a vast, four acre estate.  Adsmore is considered to be the only living house museum in existence in Kentucky.  First built in 1854 by a merchant named John Higgins, it is believed the museum’s name was derived from the fact that numerous additions and remodeling projects have taken place on the property over the past one-hundred and fifty years.  The home was property of a prominent southern family for several years, the last member of which was Katherine Garrett, who lived there until her passing in 1984. Ms. Garrett left the entire Adsmore estate, including the historical furnishings and many original textile dressings, as an endowment worth over $1,000,000 for the opening of the museum.

The grounds contain the house, which serves as the museum, a 19th century carriage house operated currently as a gift shop, and a rustic log cabin called “Ratliff’s Gun Shop”.  The gun shop is a completely functioning 1840s gunsmith business.  The Adsmore grounds are known for its intricate seasonal decoration and celebrations.  Furnishings in the museum remain the same year-round, but the detailed, themed decorations attract tourists from around the world.  Some of the “special events” and dates celebrated on the grounds include Adsmore’s Attic (1901-1984), celebrated from January 2 through February 10, Ladies Valentine Luncheon (1907) from February 12 to March 2, Easter & Katherine’s Birthday from March 4 to March 30, Selina’s Engagement (1907) April 1 to May 11, Selina Smith’s Wedding to Governor John Eugene Osborne (1907) May 13 to June 29, Home from Washington, D.C. (1914) July 1 to August 17, Black Patch War (1906) August 19 to October 5, Princeton Collegiate Institute (1901) October 7 to November 9, and the Concert on the Lawn every August as well as the Christmas Fantasies Open House every December.

Wrought iron fences surrounding the grounds, coupled with the completely restored furnishings and buildings, make many visitors feel as though they have truly traveled back in time to visit the Victorian influences and lifestyles of the southern rich and famous.  The grounds are open for public visits Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Adsmore is closed for tours and viewing on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Adsmore Museum
304 N Jefferson St
Princeton, KY 42445
(270) 365-3114