La Grange Trains on Main Trip Idea

Most first-time visitors to historic downtown La Grange are astounded as they watch a freight train roll right down the center of Main Street! Up to 23 freight trains a day come through this historic shopping and dining district of La Grange! Although the CSX freight train is not a passenger train and doesn’t run on a schedule, La Grange draws many visitors from those watching us LIVE on the Virtual Railfan street cam!

Book your Stay by the Tracks

If you are looking for a special place to stay for 2 in your Oldham Trains Getaway, you’ll want to reserve your room at the Brakeman’s Cottage, Oldham’s ONLY vacation rental ON Main Street in historic downtown La Grange! If a bed and breakfast is your jam, just a very short drive from Main Street and train watching in La Grange is Pillow and Paddock B&B and Bluegrass Country Estate B&B, gorgeous working horse farms…right here in the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky! You will also find 5 hotels, plenty of spots to rest your head and hooves in Oldham County!

La Grange was the ONLY Kentucky city chosen for an episode on the Spring 2022 HGTV spin-off series of Ben & Erin Napier’s Home Town Kickstart by People magazine. HGTV hosts, Alison Victoria of HGTV’s “Windy City Rehab” and Joe Mazza of HGTV’s new series “Home Inspector Joe,” were revealed to be the hosts for La Grange. You can see this “kickstart” project, AlleyLoop, taking shape in the alley behind Cheeky Museum and Curious Buzz.

Shop by the Tracks

Our quaint, walkable Main Street is filled with unique boutiques, awesome restaurants, and museums & art galleries on both sides of the street, so enjoy an afternoon being mesmerized by the train as it passes by each storefront! Visit our Trains page for more specific train information or for shopping and dining information, visit their website at La Grange Main Street. You can also visit our Shop Oldham page for a complete list of shops throughout the county. Stop in to see Jenny Pfanenstiel, featured millinery of the Kentucky Derby, and her new shop Judith M.

NEW to the Tracks

The newest addition to Main Street is Cheeky Museum. The Cheeky Museum is a place-based, contemporary art museum centered on celebrating the people, curiosities and culture of La Grange. The Cheeky investigates how infusing the contemporary arts in the center of a small town can help to combat loneliness. 

NEW!  Emerge Escape Rooms on Main Street allows you to step into a life-sized game of puzzles and clues, where your team collaborates to search for hints, solve challenges, and accomplish your mission before time runs out. Immerse yourself into 60 minutes of adrenaline pumping entertainment. Raid a Jungle Temple, survive an apocalypse, and create unforgettable memories with friends, colleagues and loved ones. Embark on your adventure at Emerge!  Whether it’s a birthday party, team-building event, or a fun night out for couples, escape rooms offer the perfect adventure for all. 305 E Main St, but by appointment (502) 724-1496.

Learn by the Tracks

A visit to our La Grange Railroad Museum on Main Street is a must if you’re interested train cars and historic train artifacts! Outdoors you’ll find a Steam Engine, 1929 Dining Car, L & N Caboose, and a train-yard jitney. The steam engine was constructed in England and was initially used to move coal for the Meaford Power Generating Station prior to its replacement by more modern diesel-driven engines.

Our Oldham County History Museum is awesome! Interactive exhibits have been designed so as to include overhead speakers that sense your presence and start their story! The Kentucky State Reformatory designed an exhibit educating the public about the workings inside of a state prison. Learn about notable Oldham Countians such as DW Griffith, father of the motion picture; Annie Fellows Johnston, author of The Little Colonel book series that spawned the movie of the same name, The Little Colonel, starring Shirley Temple. Visit our Oldham’s Famous People page to learn more about these and others!

Rob Morris, founder of the Order of the Eastern Star (freemasons), Shirley Temple as The Little Colonel, and Henry Bibb – Underground Railroad slave – are featured in their own unique exhibits! Events are held weekly for adults and kids alike. Notably, we celebrate our two new Underground Railroad Designations by the National Park Service Network to Freedom – 2 designations of only 9 in the state! Our museum is within walking distance of our Trains on Main shopping & dining district. You can also learn more about the Underground Railroad here! Now open next to the Oldham County History Center is La Grange Springs Park.

You will want to “hop on” the Road Warrior for a selfie, a bronze life-sized statue of Oldham Countian and WWII Veteran and National Spokesperson, Dr. Bruce Heilman (1926-2019), on his Marine issue Harley Davidson as he has traveled across the United States bringing attention to the sacrifices of WWII veterans and their contribution to the democracy that we enjoy today in our nation.

Popular Events by the Tracks

La Grange Main Street hosts several popular events each year, kicking off with the La Grange Chocolate Crawl in February, and ending the year with Light Up La Grange in December. They also host La Grange ArtsFest arts & crafts show the first weekend in June and Blue Hydrangea Tea, a progressive tea benefiting OAK. Many special events promoting the lining of streets of downtown La Grange. Check our Calendar of Events for upcoming events! You certainly don’t have to be a train enthusiast to appreciate this unique destination that can only be found in one place in America – ONLY in Oldham County, Kentucky!

During your excursion through downtown La Grange, you will not want to miss the view from the Train Observation Tower located in front of the Main Street Bourbon & Ale House (opens for dinner). While you’re there, you must try their locally-made garlic knots with beer cheese, and sit outside on the deck by the railroad tracks! They also have great daily specials such as Guinness fish and chips and gourmet flatbread pizzas! Main Street Bourbon & Ale opens for dinner only. All of the shops in the Main Street District are great, and visitors especially love these unique shops: Picked N’ Painted, Blooms, Friends & Fiber, and Mercantile on Main. Visitors also love our locally-owned coffee shop that roasts their own beans onsite, LaGrange Coffee Roasters! When you love their coffee, grab a bag of beans for your suitcase!

Dine by the Tracks

We love the grilled Chicken Pancha Wrap and loaded potato salad or oriental bow tie pasta at Red Pepper Deli, and their monster cookie or white chocolate cranberry cookie is a MUST! I am not a vegetarian, but we also love their Valley Veggie Wrap (no olives for me) with a cup of homemade tomato artichoke or loaded potato soup! You honestly can’t go wrong with anything on their menu! Oh, and their Chef Joe’s Salad is also fabulous (minus the olives for me!) if you are looking for a low-carb option with plenty of meat and cheese – you don’t need dressing because it’s so juicy with diced veggies!

We recommend the Kentucky Haute Brown at One Nineteen West Main restaurant or what our guests have called the BEST fish tacos they’ve ever had. I personally love their reuben wontons and have been known to order a double batch for lunch. Ernesto’s is a locally owned Mexican restaurant that has the best food any time of day but I especially love the Mexican Chicken Soup! Main Street Bourbon & Ale House opens at 4pm and has fantastic outdoor seating by the railroad tracks and a great bar!   For a little sweet on the street, you might wanna try something a little different! One Nineteen West Main was recently featured on the Cooking Channel‘s show, “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” showcasing their Kentucky Bacon Pie®!

Want a birds-eye view of downtown? Check out our Bourbon, Horses & Trains video!

More Things to Do in Oldham County

Bourbon Distillery Tours   |   Farm Tours  |  Greenhouse Brewery    |   Botanical Gardens  |  Oldham History & Famous People   |   5-Star Indoor Gun Range  |  Horse Barn Restaurant

Planning for a Group of 10 or more? 

Contact our Oldham County Tourism & Conventions office for countywide itinerary assistance or visit our Group Tours page!