If you enjoy outdoor theatre and are looking for a fun, different vacation idea for your family this year (or even next), check out Bardstown, Kentucky! Bardstown is a historic town with lots of unique things to see and do and is only about a 9 hour drive from Green Bay, Wisconsin. My personal favorite in Bardstown is their outdoor ampitheater where you can see “The Stephen Foster Story” at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. My parents took me there when I was a child…probably when I was in third or fourth grade…and I loved it! In fact, seeing that show sparked an interest in theatre that has stayed with me to this day. I especially enjoyed the costumes and the outdoor evening setting. I was excited to be able to take my daughters to see the show and watch their enjoyment of it. The show was just as good as I remembered and the girls loved it. Here are a few pictures from our experience:
In addition to their annual staple, “The Stephen Foster Story”, they run another production each summer as well. This summer it is “Beauty & The Beast”.
Showtimes & ticket prices are as follows:
Stephen Foster Story
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Sundays at 8PM through August 4th
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8PM from August 6th through August 12th
Indoor Matinees at Bardstown High School on Saturdays at 2PM through August 5th
Ticket Prices: $18, $20 or $25 for ages 13 & up, $11 or $13 for kids ages 6-12 and FREE for kids ages 5 & under.
Indoor Matinee Prices: $14 ages 13 & up, $11 kids ages 6-12, FREE for kids ages 5 & under.
*NOTE: Free tickets for kids ages 5 & under are not available online. You must call to reserve these. There is a $2 per ticket processing fee for purchases made over the phone or at the box office. There is a $4.50 per ticket processing fee for purchases made online.
Beauty & The Beast
Thursdays & Saturdays at 8PM through August 5th
Ticket Prices: $18, $20 or $25 for ages 13 and up, $11 or $13 for kids ages 6-12 and $5 for kids ages 2-5.
NOTE: A seat is not required for children under age 2 and they may sit on an adult’s lap. If you wish to purchase a seat for your child under 2, you may purchase a $5 ticket. There is a $2 per ticket processing fee for purchases made over the phone or at the box office. There is a $4.50 per ticket processing fee for purchases made online.
You may purchase tickets online here or by calling 800-626-1563.
In addition to seeing one of these great shows, there are many other fun and interesting things to do in historic Bardstown. You can eat lunch and get a shake at an old-fashioned drugstore counter, visit the oldest western stagecoach stop in America (The Old Talbott) where the likes of Andrew Jackson, King Louis-Pillippe and Jesse James stayed, tour a historic jail and take in the beauty and paintings of The Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral. Saint Joseph was the first Catholic cathedral built west of the Allegheny Mountains and is home to many master paintings which were gifts from King Louis-Phillippe, King Francis I and Pope Leo XII including:
The Crucifixion by Pillippe Van Bree
Descent of the Holy Ghost by Van Eyck
The Winged St Mark by Van Dyck
St Peter in Chains by Van Dyck
St John the Baptist by Van Dyck.
The Coronation in Heaven of the Mother of God by Murillo
The Annunciation by Van Eyck
The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew by Mattia Preti
Find out more info about these and other places to visit in Bardstown at visitbardstown.com.
