FRANKFORT, Ky. — A haunted opera house, a young bride murdered with an ax by her new husband, and adoptable skeletons are just some of the new attractions added to Kentucky Tourism’s Kentucky After Dark campaign encouraging visitors to Kentucky. If those attractions don’t float your boat, come aboard the USS Nightmare, a steam-powered boat responsible for 112 crew members’ deaths in its 45 years of service.
These attractions plus more are part of nine new haunted destinations added to the Kentucky After Dark program, bringing the total number of haunted attractions to 42, spread out among 21 participating destinations across the state.
Kentucky After Dark kicked off in the fall of 2023, and it is believed to be the first state tourism promotion encouraging tourists to visit “after dark.” The campaign showcases popular Kentucky destinations but juxtaposed at night – instead of typical blue skies, puffy clouds, and sunshine bouncing off the Bluegrass.
Part of the idea behind the Kentucky After Dark campaign was fueled by consumer’s love of Halloween. Shoppers were projected to spend more than $12.2 billion on Halloween last year, up from the previous year’s $10.6 billion record. Kentucky After Dark’s success so far spurred the nine new attractions to join for 2024.
“When we launched this campaign last fall, we received an outpouring of enthusiasm – from Kentucky residents, travelers, the participating cities, and the local businesses who saw increased foot traffic,” said Robbie Morgan, director of the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission. “Other Kentucky counties saw this excitement and wanted to come on board too, so we’re so happy to be able to offer nine new attractions for visitors to experience in Kentucky, maybe for the first time, or for those who came to see us last year and want to return.”
One such horror fan who is excited about the program is creator, actress, and horror extraordinaire “Spooky” Madison, who partnered with Kentucky Tourism to create more than 80 visual stories of Kentucky’s local lore and mysteries available on Reels, Shorts, and TikTok.
The following cities are participating in Kentucky After Dark:
- Beattyville
- Brandenburg – Meade County
- Cadiz
- Cynthiana
- Frankfort
- Franklin – Simpson County
- Georgetown – Scott County
- Harlan County
- Henderson
- Hopkinsville
- Kentucky Lake
- Lawrenceburg
- Lexington
- Louisville
- Manchester
- Mayfield – Graves
- Northern Kentucky
- Oldham County
- Powell County
- Richmond
- Somerset – Pulaski County
Visitors who brave the attractions will receive a Kentucky After Dark passport with a unique sticker at participating sites. Kentucky After Dark runs through the end of 2024. For more information on each site, visit Kentucky After Dark.
Kentucky After Dark is a tourism campaign supported by Team Kentucky through the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet is dedicated to fostering and promoting the state’s rich heritage as well as continuing Kentucky’s long history of being a premiere travel destination for all travelers to enjoy. For more information visit About – Tourism, Arts & Heritage (ky.gov)
