WALKING/DRIVING TOUR FOR CENTRE PARENTS
FROM THE OFFICE OF PARENT PROGRAMS
As a Centre parent, your trips to campus may be infrequent, but over four years, we bet you'll need to know the location of most of the sites you are about to see on this custom-tailored walking/driving tour. Perhaps if you visit them now, the first time you desperately need aspirin (perhaps for you, not your student), just the right kind of storage container for under the dorm bed, or a great place to eat, you'll know where to head.
WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE:
Go to Main Street and head back toward the downtown (going east):
Speedway - On Main Street & Fifth, on the edge of campus, is the nearest gas station and convenience store. If you need gas or a quick snack, they are close!
Baskin Robbins/Papa Johns/Little Caesars - Just past Speedway on Main Street, you'll find a quick fix for all of your pizza and sweets needs.
Community Trust Bank - Located just past Baskin Robbins on the right side of the street, they offer free checking.
DOWNTOWN AREA:
Old Federal Building - On the corner of 4th and Main Streets is the Old Federal Building. Recently restored, it houses the Community Arts Center and is home to David Farmer's working studio. The studio is open Mon.- Fri. from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sat. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop in any time and watch David paint a masterpiece.
City Hall - On your left, as you continue down Main Street towards the downtown, is City Hall.
At the intersection of 4th and Main Streets:
Courthouse - The Boyle County Courthouse is on the far left corner. Central Kentucky Federal Savings Bank
is on the far right corner.
Continue on down Main Street (still going east):
There are numerous stores along this stretch of Main between 4th and 3rd Streets, including Carol's Bridal on the left, if you need nice gifts or a prom dress/tux. The Episcopal Church is on the right in the middle of the block. Farmers National Bank, one of the oldest local banks, is located at the corner of Main and 3rd. (They'll cash a student check for up to $100 as long as the student has a Centre ID.) Across the street from Farmers Bank, on the other corner of 3rd and Main, are the Centre Bookstore and The Hub Coffeehouse and Cafe. Stop in and enjoy one of their many gourmet coffees while browsing in the bookstore. You can also purchase Centre merchandise in the bookstore.
In the block between 3rd and 2nd Streets:
Danville Office Equipment has any office supplies you might need. There are several nice gift stores in this block, including Maple Tree Gallery, PS & Co., Thoroughbred Threads, Petals and Vines, and others. You might want to explore these two blocks of town.
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HISTORY & BAKERY:
At 2nd and Main:
The heart of historic Danville is the Constitution Square State Park, where Kentucky's first constitution was written. Just across the street from it is the Ephraim McDowell House, home of the pioneer surgeon Ephraim McDowell, who is considered the "Father of Abdominal Surgery," and he was a founding trustee of Centre!
Across from the Constitution square, on Main Street, next to the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, is Burke's Bakery. Voted the best bakery in the state by Kentucky Monthly magazine, it also has been written up in Southern Living. It is open Mon. - Sat. from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 1-4 p.m. You MUST try the butterflake rolls (and the donuts and cookies are wonderful as well).
Turn right on 2nd Street:
At the corner of 2nd and Walnut Streets (the first traffic light) on your right is Hall Pharmacy, owned by Centre alumnus Michael Hall.
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HOSPITAL:
Turn right onto Walnut Street:
As you pass through the first light at Walnut and 3rd Street, you'll see Danville's Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center and several of its office buildings. It's a large and very progressive regional hospital, which can handle almost anything, and an entire new wing is currently under construction.
At the second light, turn left onto 4th Street:
Danville has very few one-way streets. However, 4th Street (also called Hustonville Road) is one way heading toward the bypass, and 3rd Street is one way coming back into town from the bypass.
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THE STRIP:
You are now heading out 4th Street - Danville's "strip." Points of interest along the way include:
A variety of chain restaurants, starting with Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken at the point where the road becomes 4-lane. Several restaurants line both sides of the road all the way to the bypass. The most popular one with students is Guadalajara (or "Guady's" as they call it), which is the Mexican restaurant on your right just past the traffic light at the top of the big hill. Your student will get to know them well.
Be careful on this road - we aren't sure that everyone knows what that center turn lane is, especially as you get closer to the bypass intersection!
As you approach the bypass, you'll see lots of useful places: many more restaurants, Title Wave video rental store, and on the left is Danville Manor, which includes several clothing and shoe stores (including Peebles, Dawahares, and JC Penney's), O'Charley's, Chinatown restaurant, Cici's Pizza, and others.
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WALMART & MORE:
Now you've reached the grand intersection of the 127 bypass and 4th Street (Hustonville Road). If you go on through the light, you'll find Wal-Mart on the left (a mecca for our students, especially in the wee hours of the a.m.), Blockbuster video rental store, King Buffet Chinese Restaurant, Guadalajara 2, and a few other chain restaurants. Lowe's and Office Depot are on the right, as well as Cracker Barrel and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
If you turn left on the 127 bypass, you'll find more restaurants, including Danville's newest one Woody's, hotels, the roller skating rink (Finley's), and the weekend walk-in clinic. Danville's first Starbuck's is also down here.
If you turn right on the 127 bypass, you'll find several more strip malls, which include K-Mart, a sporting goods store, clothing stores, Hallmark, Kroger's, Applebee's, Captain D's, and Huddle House.
You might want to explore this area so that the next time you are here, and your student desperately needs a hammer and nails (I won't guess for what), you'll know where to go. Or if they've worn their Nikes out making trips to the library and need a new pair of shoes, you'll know where to find that too.
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THE BYPASS:
End of Driving Tour:
Stay on the bypass (heading north) until you get to Perryville Road (US 150/Main Street). If you turn left onto Perryville Road, you will find the Danville Cinemas 8 on your right, which shows the latest releases and features stadium seating. In the same complex is the Danville Convention Center, Food Lion grocery, and Guadalajara 3 (that's right, there are three!). If you turn right onto Perryville Road at the Boyle County High School campus, you will head back into town over the railroad viaduct, (just before you get to the viaduct you'll see the entrance to Millennium Park, a city/county park where several Centre teams practice and play) and you'll end up at the edge of Centre's campus at Main and Maple.
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OTHER POINTS TO EXPLORE:
ARCHITECTURE:
Danville is known for its beautiful and varied older homes. If you want to see examples, the best areas of town are:
Maple Avenue - Maple Avenue intersects Main Street right at the main Centre campus sign (near the Horky admission office). Drive down Maple Avenue (which ends at the bypass) and you'll see many of our lovely old homes.
Lexington Avenue - Lexington Avenue runs parallel to Main Street, two blocks over. We suggest you go
out Maple Avenue away from campus, and make the right onto Lexington Avenue at the first light. If you follow this all the way out of town, you'll see some very lovely homes (including the famous Rodes home at the corner of 3rd Street and Lexington - the home with the wrought iron fence - site of the filming of the movie "Raintree County," which featured Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift). You'll also pass Lexington Avenue Baptist Church and the First Christian Church, Danville High School, and at the edge of town, BoKay florist, the Bowlarama bowling alley (they have a wonderful grill), a party outlet store (they have all the supplies you need to throw your student a birthday or graduation party), and the Danville Country Club and golf course.
Broadway - Just one block over from Main, parallel to campus, you can head toward downtown on Main Street, make a left at 5th Street, just on the edge of campus, and then make a right onto Broadway. The nicest homes run for about two blocks, and at 3rd Street, you'll find the public library and across in the old 2nd Presbyterian Church, an antique store.
For more details, you can get a historic/walking tour from the Visitor's Bureau, located at the corner of 4th Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.
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HISTORIC SPOTS:
Also available at the Visitor's Bureau is a Civil War Tour brochure, which includes sites in both Danville and Perryville, including Perryville Battlefield. Old Centre was used as a hospital by both sides during the war, as were many houses and buildings in this region.
CONSTITUTION SQUARE & MCDOWELL HOUSE: This state historic site is located in downtown Danville, at Main and 2nd Street. Constitution Square marks the birthplace of Kentucky's statehood, and the McDowell House is the home of the famous pioneer surgeon, Ephraim McDowell.
PERRYVILLE BATTLEFIELD: The Civil War Battle of Perryville took place in Perryville, KY, located about 10 miles from Danville on US 150 (head out Main Street away from campus and the downtown area). One of the bloodiest Civil War battles, the site in Perryville is also considered one of the most pristine major Civil War sites in the country. Even the downtown area, Merchants Row, remains much as it was at the time of the battle. Restoration efforts are presently underway which will make Perryville a nationally-recognized site. The Museum is open from 9-5, and there are numerous trails and monuments.
OLD FORT HARROD STATE PARK: Ten miles from Danville on US 127 is Old Fort Harrod State Park in Harrodsburg. This is Kentucky's first permanent settlement and features a replica of the historic 1774 fort. The Mansion Museum houses Native American and Civil War artifacts.
SHAKER VILLAGE: A National Historic Landmark, Shaker Village is America's finest, largest and most completely restored Shaker community and living history museum. It offers a tranquil setting with daily demonstrations of Shaker life, crafts, and dining. It is about a 20-30 minute drive out highway 68, which is 3rd Street. Go up Main to 3rd, and take a left at the light.
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OTHER:
OLD CROW INN & CHATEAU DU VIEUX CORBEAU VINEYARD & WINERY & POTTERY:
If you go down Main Street away from campus (east), on past the Constitution Square Park at 2nd Street, you'll see the Danville Post Office on the right and Melton's Deli (a good place to grab a sandwich) on the left, at the intersection of Main and Old Wilderness Road.
Take a right onto Old Wilderness Road and go through the first light. On the right, you'll see Bate Middle School.
Go through the next light (Old Wilderness & Alta Avenue), and just through the light on the left, is the entrance to Old Crow Inn, Kentucky's oldest stone manor house, now a bed and breakfast, which also includes an art studio run by the Brousseau family, and a winery and vineyard. This is particularly remarkable because Boyle County is only "moist" (formerly a dry county). But you may, at this one location, purchase and sample local and Kentucky wine.
PIONEER PLAYHOUSE:
If you continue down Old Wilderness Road from Old Crow Inn, on the left you'll find Pioneer Playhouse, a dinner/theatre campground, now in its 59th year of operation. Plays and dinner are featured each evening throughout the summer, and several famous actors (including Lee Majors and John Travolta) spent their summers there.
By now, you should be convinced that Danville truly is one of America's best "top-25" small towns!
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