This quaint little bed and breakfast has a very unique history.

Small Town, Big Impact

Bardstown, Kentucky is a quaint small town, with a big impact in the Bluegrass State.  Bardstown is known as the Bourbon Capital of the World.  Bardstown specifically holds the title of Bourbon Capital of the World because 11 distilleries within 16 miles make it the ultimate getaway for bourbon lovers.  Visit Bardstown says they are "like wine country, but with a southern accent."  Don't let the town's small size fool you, it's a popular getaway for folks looking to enjoy Kentucky.

Bardstown is also home to a unique bed and breakfast, that was built more than 200 years ago.

The Jailer's Inn Bed and Breakfast

This is not your run-of-the-mill hotel stay, this unique bed and breakfast is located inside of a building that housed prisoners up until the 1980s. According to the Jailer's Inn the Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 until 1987.

They say that the front building was constructed in 1819 making parts of this unique stay more than 200 years old!

The Old Nelson County Jail housed prisoners from 1797 till 1987. The front building, sometimes referred to as the “Old Jail” was constructed in 1819. Records indicated that John Rogers, architect of St. Joseph Cathedral, performed certain carpentry on this structure. The upper floor of this native limestone building, with 30 inch thick walls, contained two cells and an “upstairs dungeon” to house prisoners.

The back jail was built in 1874 and is completely surrounded by a stone wall. The front jail was then made into the jailer’s residence. Both the jail and jailer’s residence were used and occupied until 1987. It was the oldest operating jail complex in the state of Kentucky and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

A Cozy Stay

Don't let the name fool you.  While there is a jail cell room that looks like a very cozy jail cell.

Other room options look less like you got thrown into the clink for the night.  Many of their room options have a classic and charming look and you wouldn't even know that your room is located in an old jail.

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Hauntings at the Jailer's Inn

Of course, when you have a building that has this much history, you know there will be plenty of legends surrounding it, and there are many stories of hauntings inside the walls of the old jail.  Recently HauntTV did a really neat investigation of the Jailer's Inn which you can see below.