Visit the historic estate of Henry Clay, where every room, path, and artifact tells a story. Whether you’re exploring the lives of political giants, visionary women, or generations of change-makers, Ashland offers a tour experience that can’t be missed.
Due to limited space on each tour, we recommend purchasing tickets online in advance of your visit. You can also purchase tickets the day of your visit at the H. Clay & Co. Museum Store, located in the Keeper’s Cottage at Ashland.
Tours are given daily; check the tour information for times of specific tours.
Tour Prices
$25 Adult
$15 Students (ages 6-college)
Free for children under 5 years
Ashland’s essential guided experience includes both floors of the 19th-century mansion filled with authentic artifacts and furnishings. You will learn about Clay and his legacy as a statesman, his passion for American union, his careers as attorney and farmer, his public life and personal traits, and his life as a family man. The tour explores how slavery was the defining issue of Clay’s own life and his times. You will learn about Clay’s descendants who occupied and preserved Ashland into the 20th century.
Tuesdays – Saturdays
10:00 | 11:30 | 2:30 | 3:45
Sundays
1:00 | 2:30 | 3:45
60 minutes. Family friendly. Includes stairs, but visitors can choose not to go up to the second floor. Folding chairs are available for anyone needing to sit.
The Signature Tour can sell out quickly; book your tickets online in advance.
The tour tells the unvarnished story of the men, women, and children enslaved at Ashland. The indoor/outdoor, multi-media experience traces their footsteps and brings visitors to the very places at Ashland where they lived and worked. Traces was the first guided slavery tour in Kentucky.
Tuesdays – Fridays
1:00 PM
1 hour. For adults and young people 12 and up. Requires standing and a few steps into the house. Weather dependent.
The Women’s Voices focuses on nine women of Ashland who span a century of social, cultural, and political evolution. As you visit the rooms they inhabited, you’ll hear their voices–the causes they championed, the challenges they faced, and the heartache they suffered. Their stories reflect the changing role of women in society from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century.
1 hour. Available only upon request for a private tour for groups of 8 to 15 guests.
For more information and to book your tour, please click here.
Off campus -available for download only.
Ashland proudly offers audio-guided walking tour through downtown Lexington. Embark on a journey beginning at H. Clay & Co. Downtown and culminating at the historic Christ Church Cathedral.
This immersive audio tour takes you through the heart of Lexington, highlighting iconic sites such as Old Morrison, Magowan’s Jail, and the Old Fayette County Courthouse. For just $10, download the tour to your phone and experience Lexington as it was in the era of Henry Clay — the “Athens of the West.”
Delve into the complexities of history, and learn about both the achievements and the darker aspects of the time, while discovering hidden gems of our beloved city.
The tour is about 1 hour and 1.5 miles. Recommended for ages 12+. $10 to download.
A self-guided tour of the grounds is a great way to explore the estate. We encourage visitors to spend time discovering our peaceful grounds, outbuildings, gardens, and historic walking trails. Learn how ice houses work. See how many different tree species you can identify. Be amazed at the 300-year old oak trees!
Pick up the Pocket Guide to Ashland for sale in the Museum Store or online here. It includes a map of the estate, detailed history, and fun facts.
The Pocket Guide to Ashland was made possible with a grant from the Bluegrass Charity Ball.
Ashland can accommodate any size group and deliver a memorable historic experience for all. We provide special discounting for groups of 8 or more. Please book at least two weeks in advance.
For more information and to plan your visit please click here.
The Mansion, Grounds Exhibits, and Museum Store
Tuesday – Saturday | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday* | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
*Closed Sundays in March & December
Grounds & Gardens
8am – 5pm daily
Ashland is closed every Monday, on major holidays, and all of January & February. While the grounds remain open for your enjoyment, we ask that you be respectful to the property.
Ashland is easy to locate at 120 Sycamore Road at the corner of Sycamore and Richmond Roads in Lexington, Kentucky. Richmond Road is an extension of Main Street (US 25/KY 922). Ashland is approximately 1.5 miles southeast from downtown
Ashland’s parking lot entrance is located on Fincastle Road. When using Ashland’s address in GPS, you will be directed to the front of the house, not the parking lot entrance.There is a paved parking lot and an overflow grass-crete area.
Disabled parking is available.
The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation is committed to providing superior customer service to all guests to Ashland. To arrange for assistance or if you have questions, email info@henryclay.org or speak with an Ashland staff member upon arrival.
GUESTS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY
The Ashland mansion’s accessible ramp is located on the back side of the house. The first floor of the mansion is accessible through the ramp, but there is no comparable access to the second floor. To use the accessible ramp, please inform a staff member.
The Signature Tour includes stairs, but visitors can choose not to go up to the second floor. Folding chairs are available for anyone needing to sit. For guests not going upstairs, we provide a book with photographs and descriptions of the upstairs exhibits.
A portion of the grounds have paved paths and are wheelchair accessible. The Museum Store in the Keeper’s Cottage is accessible, as well.
Accessible restrooms and a water fountain are located at the back of the Keeper’s Cottage (first building to the right as you enter the parking lot).
For more information on planning your visit to Lexington and the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, please visit www.visitlex.com.
Henry Clay deeply loved Ashland, the farm and home he built. It provided a place of refuge and sanctuary from a difficult and often disappointing world, and it was one of the few places where Clay regularly found happiness. For his descendants, Ashland was a place of great reverence and inspiration. For students and regents of Kentucky University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College, it was a place of learning and growth. Today, visitors see Ashland as a place of great history, pride, and awe.