Henry Clay Estate plans gradual reopening

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) –  One of the region’s best-known museums and tourist attractions will started reopening next week.

Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate will begin a phased reopening June 16, 2020, with scheduled public and private tours, options for different grounds tours and the unveiling of the H. Clay & Co. store, newly located to the Keeper’s Cottage.

During the phased reopening, all tours are conducted outside of the mansion except for privately scheduled mansion tours, the home said in a release.

“We have seen a world adjusting to a new way of living, working, socializing and playing. Thankfully, we were able to keep the grounds open, which offered abundant space for guests to enjoy the property in a low-contact environment. What we saw is our community using the grounds as an environmental safety net. We are and remain a private institution in service to the public, and proudly so,” Executive Director Jim Clark said.

Tours offered include Henry Clay’s Ashland, the Arts & Grounds Tour and Traces: Slavery at Ashland. Tours will be offered Tuesday through Saturday, with the first tour available at 10 a.m. and the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. There will also be two tours on Sunday. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday through Saturday

Henry Clay’s Ashland, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Arts & Grounds Tour, 11 a.m.

Traces: Slavery at Ashland, 1 p.m.

Sunday

Henry Clay’s Ashland, 3 p.m.

Traces: Slavery at Ashland, 1 p.m.

Private access and tours of the mansion are only available with advance scheduling by contacting Cameron Walpole at 859-266-8581, ext. 205. Private tours are limited to small “family” groups and begin at $100 per group.

Detailed tour information is available at https://henryclay.org/tours/ Advance ticket purchase is recommended.

H. Clay & Co. Museum Store

Newly expanded and located at the Keeper’s Cottage, the H. Clay & Co. Museum Store is open as follows:

Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday, 12 noon – 4 p.m.

Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate is located at 120 Sycamore Road in Lexington and is Kentucky’s first National Historic Landmark.

The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation was established in 1926 as a private, nonprofit organization. It exists to promote the legacy of Henry Clay, to share his continued relevance locally and nationally as a great statesman and to preserve his beloved “Ashland.”