The Ginkgo Tree Cafe is a great little hidden gem in Lexington. Surrounded by the beautiful Ashland Park on Herny Clay's Estate. They offer made to order fresh salads and sandwiches. Service is always very friendly and accommodating.
Tanyyar55
Our guide was knowledgeable and well versed in the history. She was able to answer all our questions.
sill_adam
We have been to a lot of historic sites over the years. This one was good, not great. Beautiful grounds and the flower garden was really nice. Very old trees which were fun to see. The house and history was fun but the tour guide was painfully unenthusiastic. Knew a whole lot but very dry. It was still a fun stop.
writealready
I didn't really feel like going inside the house, but I was glad I stopped by to see the grounds. Quite lovely.
Mike S
Excellent tour. Our guide Jon did a wonderful job of explaining Henry Clay's life and connection to Lexington and his estate at Ashland.
RandyRoss
We walked around the grounds and through the garden on our own but had an excellent tour of the house. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Kentucky history and particularly about Henry Clay (almost too much). We were disappointed that the cafe was closed (even though it should have been open according to the hours posted).
jeninin
We were bored and looking for something to do so we drove an hour to the Henry Clay house only to find it was closed today. You could walk around the grounds but that was it. The website said they gave tours on Sunday’s, but no one was working. Very disappointing. They should have at least updated their website to save everyone the trouble.
Regina Russell
Love the beauty and quiet of Henry Clay Estates
Curtis S
Most of us would have to dig deep to remember (if we ever knew) who Henry Clay was. A forerunner to Lincoln, Clay was known as the great compromiser. The house has been renovated to some extent, but does illustrate what life was like. Entry fee for the 1 hour guided tour is a little stiff. The docent was quite knowledgeable but that didn’t stop some of the folks in our tour group (who had obviously just read Clay’s biography) from asking in-depth questions. Only if you’re serious about history. Not recommended
Henry Clay has been described as one of the leading statesmen in the history of the United States. From 1810 to his death in 1852, Clay was a U.S. Senator, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary State and made three unsuccessful campaigns for the presidency. According to one historian, he was the country's No. 1 public servant in the 19th century. So a visit to Clay's home in Lexington, Kentucky, is well worth the trip. Located at 120 Sycamore Road, off East Main Street or Richmond Road, at the edge of downtown Lexington, Ashland sits on a beautiful 17-acre wooded estate with an English parterre garden. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. A portion of the original home, which was built in 1812, was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also designed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC. Unfortunately, following Clay's death the house was deemed structurally unsound and Clay's son razed the structure in 1854. He rebuilt Ashland on its original foundation, replicating the original design, which has been little altered since. It has been home to five generations of the Clay family. With many Italianate features, the resulting mansion is a mix of Federal architecture and Italianate, Greek Revival and Victorian details. It is filled with Clay family belongings and memorabilia. Since 1950, Ashland has been open to the public as a historic house museum.
W7983MUkevinb
I wasn't impressed with the tour. The guide seemed to lose his train of thought a lot and kept straying into current politics. I know he was trying to draw parallels to historical events, but this made it extremely uncomfortable, and I'm not sure the points were particularly valid. It was just rambling (which he even admitted to). He just didn't seem prepared with a speech, as I would expect. The tour was a little under an hour.
JoAnn B
This was a very good history lesson. The estate is beautiful, both inside and out. Many, many original objects because four generations of the Clay family lived here. There was a request not to touch anything even the wooden walls. One drawback: The entire 1 1/2 hours was standing or climbing.
Troy Morris
Delightful
Emily D.
Such an incredible lunch spot. Amazing home made food, beautiful tables overlooking the Estate. It's peaceful and delicious. Great for a serene lunch.
This cafe has delicious food choices, a lovely outdoor dining area, and a very friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Homemade Chicken Salad, Homemade Potato Salad, Homemade Pimento Cheese, Triple Crown, Chicken Salad
The Ginkgo Tree Cafe is a great little hidden gem in Lexington. Surrounded by the beautiful Ashland Park on Herny Clay's Estate. They offer made to order fresh salads and sandwiches. Service is always very friendly and accommodating.
Our guide was knowledgeable and well versed in the history. She was able to answer all our questions.
We have been to a lot of historic sites over the years. This one was good, not great. Beautiful grounds and the flower garden was really nice. Very old trees which were fun to see. The house and history was fun but the tour guide was painfully unenthusiastic. Knew a whole lot but very dry. It was still a fun stop.
I didn't really feel like going inside the house, but I was glad I stopped by to see the grounds. Quite lovely.
Excellent tour. Our guide Jon did a wonderful job of explaining Henry Clay's life and connection to Lexington and his estate at Ashland.
We walked around the grounds and through the garden on our own but had an excellent tour of the house. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Kentucky history and particularly about Henry Clay (almost too much). We were disappointed that the cafe was closed (even though it should have been open according to the hours posted).
We were bored and looking for something to do so we drove an hour to the Henry Clay house only to find it was closed today. You could walk around the grounds but that was it. The website said they gave tours on Sunday’s, but no one was working. Very disappointing. They should have at least updated their website to save everyone the trouble.
Love the beauty and quiet of Henry Clay Estates
Most of us would have to dig deep to remember (if we ever knew) who Henry Clay was. A forerunner to Lincoln, Clay was known as the great compromiser. The house has been renovated to some extent, but does illustrate what life was like. Entry fee for the 1 hour guided tour is a little stiff. The docent was quite knowledgeable but that didn’t stop some of the folks in our tour group (who had obviously just read Clay’s biography) from asking in-depth questions. Only if you’re serious about history. Not recommended
Restaurantji Recommends
Henry Clay has been described as one of the leading statesmen in the history of the United States. From 1810 to his death in 1852, Clay was a U.S. Senator, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary State and made three unsuccessful campaigns for the presidency. According to one historian, he was the country's No. 1 public servant in the 19th century. So a visit to Clay's home in Lexington, Kentucky, is well worth the trip. Located at 120 Sycamore Road, off East Main Street or Richmond Road, at the edge of downtown Lexington, Ashland sits on a beautiful 17-acre wooded estate with an English parterre garden. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. A portion of the original home, which was built in 1812, was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also designed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC. Unfortunately, following Clay's death the house was deemed structurally unsound and Clay's son razed the structure in 1854. He rebuilt Ashland on its original foundation, replicating the original design, which has been little altered since. It has been home to five generations of the Clay family. With many Italianate features, the resulting mansion is a mix of Federal architecture and Italianate, Greek Revival and Victorian details. It is filled with Clay family belongings and memorabilia. Since 1950, Ashland has been open to the public as a historic house museum.
I wasn't impressed with the tour. The guide seemed to lose his train of thought a lot and kept straying into current politics. I know he was trying to draw parallels to historical events, but this made it extremely uncomfortable, and I'm not sure the points were particularly valid. It was just rambling (which he even admitted to). He just didn't seem prepared with a speech, as I would expect. The tour was a little under an hour.
This was a very good history lesson. The estate is beautiful, both inside and out. Many, many original objects because four generations of the Clay family lived here. There was a request not to touch anything even the wooden walls. One drawback: The entire 1 1/2 hours was standing or climbing.
Delightful
Such an incredible lunch spot. Amazing home made food, beautiful tables overlooking the Estate. It's peaceful and delicious. Great for a serene lunch.