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 Kentucky offers state-of-the-art healthcare at facilities small and large. Lexington and Louisville lead the way in regional healthcare but superior care is available statewide.
The University of Kentucky Gill Heart Institute in Lexington opened in 2004 and also houses the UK Center for Advanced Surgery.
Louisville has established a tradition of medical advances with pioneering procedures in transplant surgery, spinal cord injury research and development, cardiac innovations, and cancer treatments. Kentucky has 127 hospitals and 314 long term care facilities with a combined total of 47,701 beds. KyCares is an on-line directory to such services as housing, child care, and health care providers in the state.
 Kentucky’s abundant natural areas, preserved historical attractions, and cultural heritage and traditions make the Bluegrass State a favorite for millions of visitors each year.
Kentucky has six national areas —Mammoth Cave National Park, Land Between The Lakes, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, the Daniel Boone National Forest, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site.
The 50 sites in the Kentucky state park system include 17 resorts and 33 recreational, with many having campground, and historic sites at some of the most beautiful spots across the state. Obtain state park information at 1.800.255.PARK (7275). For a free Kentucky Great Getaway Guide, highway map, and Kentucky Discount Coupon Brochure, call 1.800.225.TRIP (8747).
Kentucky has more resort parks than any other state in the nation.
 There are hundreds of diverse and exciting attractions ranging from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Newport Aquarium, Cumberland Falls and Churchill Downs, to the Kentucky Horse Park, Fort Boonesborough and Shaker Village, to the National Corvette Museum, Museum of the American Quilter’s Society and famous Berea crafts.
In addition, there are hundreds of annual festivals and events. The tourism and travel industry is Kentucky’s third largest revenue-producing industry.
In 2002, the industry contributed $9.1 billion to Kentucky’s economy. Out-of-state visitors contributed more than $5.8 billion of the total expenditures — nearly two out of every three travel dollars spent in Kentucky.
There are more than 3,550 businesses across the state directly serving visitors. These include hotels, motels, resorts, bed & breakfasts, restaurants, campgrounds, marinas, museums, historic sites, race tracks and other attractions.
In 2002, expenditures in the travel and tourism industry resulted in the equivalent of 164,664 full-time, year-round jobs, making it Kentucky’s second largest private employer. Visit the Kentucky Travel Information website.
 Kentucky’s communities are made vibrant by the wealth of arts opportunities available across the commonwealth.
In large metropolitan areas and rural towns alike, Kentuckians enjoy a rich heritage in the performing, visual, traditional and literary arts.
Performing Arts Centers dot the map from Paducah, which is home to the newly inaugurated Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Performing Arts Center to Prestonsburg, with the 1060-seat Mountain Arts Center featuring state of the art recording facilities and serving as home to the Kentucky Opry. From the west to east, Kentucky’s towns and cities also boast performing arts centers like the Henderson Fine Arts Center, Owensboro’s RiverPark Center, Madisonville’s Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, Hopkinsville’s Alhambra Theatre, Bowling Green’s Capitol Center for the Arts.
Kentucky has risen to national and international acclaim in the arts in various disciplines. Actors Theatre of Louisville has emerged as one the most consistently innovative professional theatre companies in the nation, annually hosting the Humana Festival of New American Plays, the pre-eminent annual showcase of new theatrical work that draws theatre-lovers, critics, producers and playwrights from around the world. Paducah is home to the National Quilt Museum, which houses the largest collection of art quilts in the world.
For more information about arts and cultural opportunities in Kentucky, visit the Kentucky Arts Council website. |
