Are you ready to gallop into the beautiful state of Kentucky? Share these ten fun facts about Kentucky with your kids to spark curiosity and conversation!
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Kentucky is home to the world's longest cave system.
Mammoth Cave National Park contains the longest cave system on Earth, with more than 400 miles of explored passageways—and scientists believe there’s still more to discover. That’s longer than the distance across many entire states. Underground rivers, strange rock formations, and rare cave creatures live there.
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It's called the Bluegrass State, but the grass isn't actually blue.
Kentucky’s nickname comes from a type of grass that grows across the state. When it blooms, it produces bluish-purple seed heads, which give fields a blue tint from a distance. The rich soil that supports bluegrass is also great for raising horses.
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Kentucky has more navigable waterways than any other state (except Alaska).
Kentucky has thousands of miles of rivers and streams that boats can travel on. Major rivers include the Ohio River, the Tennessee River, and the Cumberland River. These waterways helped early Indigenous peoples and settlers travel and trade.
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Kentucky has one of the largest horse populations in the country.
Kentucky is world-famous for horses—especially Thoroughbred racehorses. Lexington, KY is known as the "horse capital of the world," and some counties in the state have more horses than people. The Kentucky Derby, a world-renowned horse race, is held every year at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
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Kentucky has a rare "moonbow."
Cumberland Falls in Kentucky is one of the few places in the world where you can regularly see a moonbow—a rainbow made by moonlight instead of sunlight. On clear nights with a bright full moon, the mist from the waterfall bends the moon’s light to create a pale, glowing rainbow.
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An entire Kentucky town was built inside a meteor crater.
The town of Middlesboro, KY is built inside a giant meteor impact crater. Long ago, a space rock slammed into the area and created a bowl-shaped depression about four miles wide. Today, people live, work, and go to school right inside this ancient crater.
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Kentucky borders seven states.
Kentucky touches seven different states: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri. That makes it a great example of how states connect through land and rivers.
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Fried chicken fame started here.
Kentucky is closely connected with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Colonel Harland Sanders began selling his fried chicken during the Great Depression from his restaurant in North Corbin, KY. Today, his white suit and black string tie are recognized around the world.
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Kentucky has one of the most unusual state border quirks in the U.S.
A tiny area called the Kentucky Bend sits inside a big loop of the Mississippi River. The land—and its population of nine people—is completely cut off from the rest of the state. The only way to get there by car is to drive through Tennessee first. And if you then cross the river, you’ll be in Missouri!
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Louisville Slugger baseball bats are made in Kentucky.
Millions of these famous baseball bats have been made in Louisville, KY since the 1880s—over 100 years! Visitors can see how the bats are made at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory—plus stand next to the world’s largest bat, which stands 120 feet tall!
Learn Even More about Kentucky!
Kentucky is full of surprises … and the best way to learn about them is to experience the state for yourself! Can't take a road trip right now? We've got you covered! The Hello, Kentucky! state unit from our Hit the Road Geography curriculum features humorous journal entries written by a traveling cat, hands-on activities, creative writing prompts, and more—and it’s the next best thing to visiting the Bluegrass State in person. Discover how we can make US geography a subject your child will love!
