I’m a lover of old buildings and beautiful craftsmanship. Perhaps that’s why I immediately fell in love with Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.
This wasn’t my first visit to the historic site near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, but I was likely a preteen or teenager the last time I was there, so obviously my memories of it were pretty faded. I was surprised at the sheer size of the place, but impressed with the beauty of it, too.
I wanted to heed my own advice and take an October field trip, and so we drove an hour from home and took advantage of Shaker Village’s homeschool days discount and got admission for $5. Talk about a bargain!
We really couldn’t have visited at a more beautiful time of year, or enjoyed more perfect weather the day we visited…
Many of the 34 surviving structures on the property are open to the public, and we loved wandering through them at our own pace, though there were tours available. The Centre Family Dwelling above was massive, bright, and beautifully constructed.
Even many of the buildings that include guest rooms are open for wanderers like ourselves, though there were signs around encouraging quiet in respect of guests. The stairways were amazing. And dizzying.
There are multiple shops to visit, a restaurant, and a working farm. And for an extra $5 per person we were able to take an hour-long riverboat cruise down the nearby Kentucky River. The weather was ideal and I found it so relaxing. Too bad they didn’t offer hammocks on board, because I’m pretty sure I could have enjoyed one of the most amazing naps of my life…
It was just a beautiful place and a wonderful day and I’m anxious to go back!
**If you’re interested in visiting Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, check out their website here.
