TWO KENTUCKY SPOTS LAND ON SOUTHERN LIVING'S TOP 25 PLACES TO GO IN 2025 LIST

Two Kentucky destinations have landed on Southern Living's Top 25 Places to Go in 2025 list.

Bernheim Forest and Arboretum in Clermont, Kentucky gets a big shout-out as one of the top five places to visit in the South. The publication ranks the Kentucky location high on its list of must-see locations because of its larger-than-life wooden sculptures of giants resting in the middle of a lush forest. Southern Living also highlights Bernheim Forest's latest development, L+A+N+D, which represents the intersection of landscape, art, nature, and design through a series of ever-changing and immersive outdoor installations.

Coming in at No. 21 is Come Home Month in Lexington, Kentucky, which includes a series of events to celebrate Kentucky's second largest city's 250th anniversary.

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To compile its list, the publication scoured the South for what’s new, notable, and next in 2025. From have-to-see-to-believe natural wonders to milestone theme park openings to luxury, experiential stays, these are the 25 best places to visit in the South this year.

The top five include stargazing domes in Terlingua, Texas (No. 1), mid-century train cars outfitted for a cozy night stay in Chattanooga, Tennessee (No. 2), a bluegrass festival at an innovation museum in Bentonville, Arkansas (No. 3), Bernheim Forest and Arboretum (No. 4), Royal Caribbean's newest ship, and Star of the Seas Cruise based out of Cape Canaveral Florida (No. 5).

As you make your travel plans for the new year, check out the January/February issue of Southern Living and read the full list online.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Two Kentucky spots land on Southern Living's Top 25 Places to Go in 2025 list

2025-01-16T14:40:45Z