A Restored Shaker Community That Brings Relaxation to its Guests!
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Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is America’s largest restored shaker community. A place where the Shaker society once flourished, now fully preserved for guests to enjoy.
Located in the Bluegrass Region outside Lexington, Kentucky, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill was once a flourishing Shaker community. The 3,000 acre historic landmark is now the largest restored Shaker community in America. Guests are drawn to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill by the distinct Shaker style and the beauty of the land. Whether it’s a romantic getaway or an educational vacation for the kids, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this beautiful community.
Shaker History
Arriving to the United States in 1774, the Shakers created nineteen self-contained communities from the state of Maine, west to Kentucky. The Shakers believed in pacifism, community ownership, equality between the sexes, celibacy, and living simply. Most of these beliefs challenged every idea of American society of their time. In 1805, a group of Shakers came to central Kentucky and established the village that they named Pleasant Hill. The village thrived until the 1860’s when there were changes in social attitudes and the Industrial Revolution began. After that the village of Pleasant Hill started to decline.
Staying at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill has an Inn that guests can enjoy. Nestled in the hills of Kentucky, the Inn has more than 70 guests rooms in addition to their suites and private cottages. The rooms at the inn feature reproduction Shaker furniture, private baths, and hardwood floors so that guests can feel like they are taking a step back in time to when the Shaker community was thriving. The Inn at Shaker Village is located only thirty miles from Lexington, Kentucky and within a short driving distance from other area attractions, including both horse farms and vineyards.
Things to do at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
There are various activities the guests of Pleasant Hill can enjoy. Guests that enjoy the outdoor can hike through more than twenty trails covering over forty miles of forest and fields, fish in the village pond, go bird watching to spot more than 125 species that have been reported in the area, or bring a canoe to enjoy the Kentucky River. Guests can also shop in two craft stores located on the property or take a seasonal riverboat ride. There are also various lawn games available for the whole family to enjoy, including: swings, Frisbee, corn-hole, and croquet.
The Living History Museum gives visitors the opportunity to take self-guided tours of 14 original Shaker buildings. They can also visit with costume interpreters that demonstrate a person’s life in the village during the mid-19th century. There are also skilled craftspeople who demonstrate the more common trades the Shakers used like, spinning and weaving, broom making, and woodworking. The Centre Family Dwelling offer a guided tour of 40 rooms that display a collection of original Shaker artifacts and furniture.