If you’ve driven by a castle in Versailles, Ky, you may have wondered what the story was. It is in fact a castle in Ky.
That answer is sort of a local joke.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
Located at 230 Pisgah Pike, Versailles, Ky 40383 there is more to the tale, but that’s the gist of the explanation you may get from locals along with a story about how it once burned down.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
Built in 1969 for the first time, the castle has an apparent cursed history and is famous in the local culture. According to Castle Tour Guides, Rex Martin built it for his bride Caroline Martin, but before it was finished the Martins separated. For 30 years it sat unfinished, till some new Owners finished it in the 2000s. A structure fire destroyed it and was the talk of the town in 2004. It was then rebuilt and doors were finally opened to the public in 2008. In 2017 the ownership changed and focused on the locale as a place to stay, dine or relax. Gardens and livestock were added to support a working farm. In 2023, TKC Hospitality Group assumed ownership. Wes Henderson, co-founder of Angel’s Envy, led the group. This solidified ties with popular bourbon roots. You can purchase the bourbon and whiskey in the gift shop.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
The destination offers a variety of hospitality services such as accommodation, dining, events, spa services, tours and shopping. Rooms range from $128 to $906 weeknights to $529 to $1343 weekends fluctuating for events in the area. You can also rent tiny homes on the farm side of the property.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
There is an onsite restaurant that operates farm to table under direction of Tim Smalley, Executive Chef. For Brunch and Lunch mains range from $18- $35. Entrees at dinner range from $30 to $85. Desserts range from $8-20. There are also seasonal high teas. The Castle and Farm Tours are a must see. There are other events such as Mother’s Day Perfume Bar, Murder Mystery Dinners, themed teas, different bar events, Rooftop Salsa, Goat Yoga, Holiday Markets, Galentine’s Day Market, Bourbon Market, the Lavender Festival and Lavender Nights on the Rooftop.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
Speaking as someone who stayed there in Feb 2025, it did feel jinxed in a way that was more so than any other place I’ve been. I can see how one would get divorced if there for too long. We fought more than we usually do, especially on a Valentines’ Day weekend. Odd things kept happening that may just be coincidence. My car tire went flat on the way there and I had just removed an inflater from the trunk a week before. My husband slipped on a porch mat scraping his knee and puncturing a hole in a reusable salad container and his thumb. I saw cute animals and didn’t take a picture because I needed to charge my phone. After I plugged it in it basically rained the whole weekend and the animals hid. We tried to go to a sushi place that was closed despite saying it was open. We then went to a chain restaurant we’ve been to before and weirdly got sick from decently cooked steak. To the point where we had gas all weekend. A nearby Mexican restaurant didn’t have bacon or salsa for their breakfast burritos. A tea we had scheduled got cancelled due to snow which started as we were driving home. The sweater I bought from the gift shop continually gets mysterious stains on it that go away and come back. We got home ok, but it was a lot of coincidences. I am glad to have been and also glad we made it home happy and together.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
If you are willing to brave a little weirdness and face what seems to be an affliction, the best time to visit Ky Castle is June through September. Nearby horse races occur during that time frame including the Kentucky Proud Series on July 5, 2026, and the famous Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2026.
Images provided by Sarah Hughes Pippen. KY Castle in Versailles, KY. All rights reserved.
As those times fill up, book in advance through https://www.thekentuckycastle.com/
Activities: “The temperate climate here allows for a lengthy recreation season, including boating, canoeing, and fishing. There is a large playground for the children and horseshoe pits for the adults. A large pavilion will be great for big family get-togethers.”
Amenities: Water Hookup, Accessibility, Picnic Table, BBQ, Fire Pit, Lantern Pole, Full Hookup, Electricity Hookup, Grills/Fire Ring, etc.
Reservation only
Distance from Clarksville: 38 min
Notes: 30 min drive to Nashville, if arriving late it’s highly recommended to call the campground to notify the Park Attendant.
Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and table at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
“Nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky, we are a family owned and operated farm, campsite and RV Park. Come and enjoy the outdoors and get away from your fast paced life.”
Amenities: Laundry
Reservation only with application process
Distance from Clarksville: 39 min
Notes: “We are a family owned and operated campsite and farm nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky.” “Dogs must be pre-approved”
Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and lake at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
Activities: “swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier”
Amenities: “The newly renovated Piney Outpost provides campers a place to purchase food and drinks, ice, firewood, tick repellent, limited camping supplies, and other perishable goods. Soft drink machines are located behind the gatehouse and some shower buildings. Washers and dryers are available at Areas B, C, and D shower buildings.”
Walk in and Reservations accepted
Distance from Clarksville: 54 min
Notes: “Piney Campground is now open year-round and offers 384 well-defined lakefront and wooded sites with 283 electrical hookups, 44 sites with electric, water, and sewer, and 57 primitive sites. Most sites are capable of handling large motorhomes and campers. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier. Piney also has 19 primitive cabins available for nightly rental. In addition, the summer season offers weekend recreation programs for all ages. Since 1973, in mid-September Piney holds its popular Camper’s Fair with a variety of activities including a campers’ flea market and dealer showcase of new RVs, fifth wheels, and motorhomes. It is open to the public during the weekend.”
Image by Sarah Hughes. Bug friend at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
Activities: Pool and pool lift, Cable tv, mini golf, bike rentals, WiFi, playground gym, climate-controlled bathhouse, giant connect four game, Lego wall,Disc golf, kids arts and crafts table, ping pong
Amenities: Snack bar, firewood, laundry, wheelchair accessible, store
Reservations accepted
Distance from Clarksville: 56 min
Notes: KOA, Open March 1 to November 30
Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and lake at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
The pastime of camping is a good way to get to know the landscape and reconnect to nature. Camping is something to do and provides its own entertainment such as hiking, swimming and barbecuing. It’s a great activity for friends and family. Philosophically, it can be used to reconnect to the simple life and find inner peace. It can help revive circadian rhythms by putting you out under the stars and sunrises, according to intuition and a study done in Feb. 2017 and published in Current Biology.
“These studies suggest that our internal clock responds strongly and quite rapidly to the natural light-dark cycle,” said lead author and CU Boulder integrative physiology professor Kenneth Wright. “Living in our modern environments can significantly delay our circadian timing, and late circadian timing is associated with many health consequences. But as little as a weekend camping trip can reset it.”
“Weekend exposure to natural light was sufficient to achieve 69 percent of the shift in circadian timing we previously reported after a week’s exposure to natural light,” Wright said.
Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
Most people go camping when the weather is nice. It’s important to pack gear to shelter and protect from weather, as bad weather can be fatal. Many campgrounds are only open seasonally, with open months listed online or by phone. In general, camping season tends to be Apr. or May to Sept. or Oct. Many campers wait for weather patterns to solidify.
“If you’re planning a camping trip, a good rule is to wait until May for the weather to work itself out” says Bottles and Banter’s section on Family RVing and Travel (see more at https://www.bottlesandbanter.com/2021/02/13/when-does-camping-season-start-best-month-camping/).
Image by Sarah Hughes. Rained out tent at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.
Since quarantine has limited travel and entertainment options this year, understandably camping in the USA has increased as an activity. A study by Kampgrounds of America predicts camping interest will remain high in 2021.
According to PR Newswire’s article on the study, Fresh Data Indicates Camping Interest To Remain High In 2021, “More than 60% of these first-time campers plan to camp the same or more in the coming year; across all campers, families are the group most likely to spend more nights camping in 2021.”
“Camping had been steadily growing in popularity prior to the pandemic, but experienced aggressive growth across the U.S. last year,” said PR Newswire, “The 2021 North American Camping Report, which surveyed U.S. and Canadian campers’ sentiments and behaviors on the outdoor recreation in January 2021, shows that more than 86 million U.S. households consider themselves campers and 48 million of those households took at least one camping trip in 2020 – up more than 6 million over 2019.” (see more at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fresh-data-indicates-camping-interest-to-remain-high-in-2021-301273611.html).
Be aware of fees and facilities offered at your campsite of choice. Some locations are illegal to camp in or have specific regulations. Most require reservations, and some permits for specific activities. Some have websites or a phone number for reservations. Be sure to get the proper equipment. Leave no trace.
