The grounds of Liberty Hall Historic Site feature four acres of lawns and gardens bordering the Kentucky River. The grounds are open to the public from dawn until dusk.
The gardens combine historical and contemporary features. Behind Liberty Hall, a four-square garden with brick- and boxwood-lined grass paths and extensive flower beds evokes early American formal gardens. Inspired by a drawing made by a family member in the 1920s, this garden includes flowers and shrubs mentioned in family papers and native Kentucky plants. To learn more about the garden’s history, click here.
Recent additions to the grounds include the Mothers’ Garden and Euphemia’s Butterfly Garden. Located on the Orlando Brown House lawn, the Mothers’ Garden is a garden which honors mother figures and is funded by donations. To learn more about honoring a loved one through this garden, click here.
The monarch waystation located on the Orlando Brown House grounds is named for two girls named Euphemia Brown who lived here in the early 19th century. The first was Euphemia Helen Brown (1807-1814), the only daughter of John and Margaretta Brown, the first residents of Liberty Hall. After her death at age seven, Margaretta Brown was said to take solitary walks in hopes of seeing “her angel child.” The second Euphemia H. Brown (1831-1891) was the first child of Orlando and Mary Watts Brown. As an infant, she was ill with scarlet fever that may have caused brain damage. She spent over half of her life in institutions in northern Kentucky, where she died of pneumonia in 1891.
Euphemia’s Butterfly Garden
This garden features milkweed, asters, and other plants that appeal to Monarchs and other butterflies. Monarchs—which look a lot like Kentucky’s state butterfly, the Viceroy—winter in Mexico and the southern United States and fly north in the spring to lay eggs. The black, yellow, and white-striped caterpillars that hatch from those eggs feed, pupate, and emerge as butterflies, which mate and lay eggs multiple times before returning south.
Other features in the LHHS gardens include many old trees and the variety of birds that enjoy them—from hummingbirds to hawks. Catalpas planted in 1800, 1900, and 2000 flank Liberty Hall. Trees at the back of the property overlooking the Kentucky River include a sycamore, a coffee tree, and other Kentucky natives.
Self-Guided Garden and Grounds Tour
To tour the garden on your own, visit the stops on this diagram to learn about two centuries of Brown family and garden history. You will learn about the evolution of the grounds from food production to flower gardens.
Volunteers
We are always looking for garden volunteers to help out around our grounds and gardens. If you are interested, please visit our volunteer page.
Other Garden Guests
Leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds. We encourage photography, but professional photographers are asked to purchase a pass. To learn about renting grounds for weddings and other events, click here.
Accessibility
The garden includes some uneven ground and brick paths. Wooden and stone benches are provided as occasional resting places.
Liberty Hall General Tour
Discover the urban frontier by exploring the home built in 1796 by John Brown, one of Kentucky’s first U.S. senators. Students tour the elegant rooms where Margaretta Brown entertained guests and schooled her children and the kitchen and laundry where enslaved members of the household labored. $3 per student. One chaperone admitted free for every 10 students; additional chaperones $5.
Work and Play at Liberty Hall
Explore early Kentucky history through activities that illustrate the daily lives of the Brown family and the enslaved workers of Liberty Hall. Student activities include examining artifacts and other primary sources and playing period games. Recommended for elementary grades. $3 per student. One chaperone admitted free for every 10 students; additional chaperones $5.
Margaret Wise Brown Preschool Story Time
Preschool 4- and 5-year-old classes are invited to sign up for a monthly story program. Each month features a book by Margaret Wise Brown, the author of Goodnight Moon and a descendant of John Brown, and an activity. Space is limited, and teachers must call to make a reservation. The program takes place six times a year (September-November and March-May). Free.
School tours must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance. To schedule a school group or receive more information, call (502) 227-2560 or contact us by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, school tours are not being offered at this time.
The following programs may be scheduled for groups of 10 or more. Please give us two weeks notice!
Please note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, school tours are not being offered at this time.
Liberty Hall Tour
This basic tour explores early Kentucky life through the home of Senator John and Margaretta Brown. Six re-created room settings illustrate the daily activities, achievements, and struggles of a wealthy family and the enslaved men and women of their household. The tour can also include stops in a Victorian bedroom setting, the Kentucky Made decorative arts exhibit, and the Orlando Brown House. The Liberty Hall Tour is $9 per adult, $4 per child (ages 6-18), and free for children under the age of 5.
Life & Liberty Tour
John and Margaretta Brown were active participants in the new United States. As a member of the Congress, John worked to secure Kentucky statehood and became one of the state’s first two U.S. senators. Magaretta embodied the principles of Republican Motherhood. Although they voiced opposition to slavery, the Browns' affluent lifestyle depended on the labor of men and women they enslaved. In this interactive tour, visitors will probe these issues by examining objects and excerpts from Brown family writings. $10 per person.
Our Beloved Ghost Tour
Liberty Hall is famous for its Gray Lady and other ghosts said to haunt the house and grounds. This tour explores the origins of these stories and 19th-century attitudes about death, mourning, and spiritualism. October only. $10 per person.
Kentucky Made Decorative Arts Tour
Kentucky Made: Decorative Arts in the Liberty Hall Collection highlights some of the finest Kentucky-made pieces from the collection. Led by the curator of the exhibit, this tour explores the social and cultural landscape of 19th century Kentucky through the work of silversmiths, weavers, furniture makers, and painters. $10 per person.
Gray Lady Children's Tour
Time-travel to 1817 to hear the story of Margaretta Varick's fatal visit to Liberty Hall and learn how the legend of the ghostly Gray Lady came to be. Children experience the past first-hand by preparing ingredients in the kitchen, learning a period dance, and other hands-on activities. Recommended for ages 7-10. One chaperone per each five children required. $5 per person.
Fun and Games Children's Tour
Discover early Kentucky family life in this hands-on tour of Liberty Hall. Children visit historic room settings and enjoy period pastimes and games from the early 19th century. Recommended for ages 7-10. One chaperone per each five children required. $5 per person.
Contact us today for more information about creating a customized experience. To schedule a group tour, call (502) 227-2560 or contact us by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.