Destination: Radcliff
Visitors to Northern Hardin County get a golden opportunity

A common phrase in the tourism industry is to say that a prime attraction is a “gold mine.” But for Fort Knox next door, Kelly Rigney, executive director for the Radcliff Fort Knox Convention and Tourism Commission can boast about having a gold vault – and she’s not using a figure of speech.

Fort Knox is home to the U.S. Treasury Department’s National Bullion Depository, a giant underground vault where hundreds of tons of gold bullion is stored. Viewable as you drive by the military installation north on U.S. 31W, the gold vault is not open to the public, but it is impressive nonetheless.

But Rigney will tell you there’s a lot more to Northern Hardin County than just gold.

“We all benefit from the military presence here,” she said. “It’s the perfect marriage between Fort Knox and Radcliff. Fort Knox has the attractions and Radcliff has the hotels. Our visitors are able to sample the best of both.”

One of the top tourist destinations in Kentucky, the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, is located just within Fort Knox boundaries

“The Patton Museum is named for Gen. George Patton, who was perhaps the greatest armor tactician in the Second World War,” said Frank Jardim, the museum’s director. “Here we have one of the most extensive collections of tanks and armored vehicles in the world.”

According to Jardim, the museum’s collection spans almost a century documenting the evolution of tanks and other armored vehicles. “This is really a unique place,” he said. At the Patton Museum, visitors can see primitive tanks from the First World War that are hardly the size of a Volkswagen. Its collection from the Second World War is extensive and includes German Panzers, as well as Russian fighting vehicles from the Cold War period.

“I am very fortunate to have the support of an excellent non-profit group, the Patton Museum Foundation,” Jardim said. “It is determined to raise the capital needed to rebuild this museum by 2007 into the finest armor museum in the world, capable of delivering its education resources on call to soldiers, school children and scholars from around the country and the world.

“Museums are in the education business and today that means we must be able to reach out to our communities with high quality programs, ranging from teaching packets containing class exercises and video tapes, to self-directed interactive, Internet-based teaching tools.”

Rigney says the popularity of the Patton Museum continues to grow. “It’s just great,” she said. “The Patton Museum brings in more than 350,000 visitors a year. It’s Hardin County’s number one attraction. It has vehicles and exhibits you can’t see anywhere else.”

Fort Knox itself generates a good deal of tourism for Northern Hardin County. It is home to one of the few basic training schools for the Army, as well as the U.S. Army Armor Center.

“When there’s a graduation from basic training, there are always lots of family members of soldiers who come into town,” Rigney said. “Our city is also very involved in the ROTC Challenge Program, which brings about 5,000 visitors here each year over a three-weekend period. This program alone generates $1.7 million in tourism revenue for area businesses annually.”

The special relationship enjoyed by both Fort Knox and Radcliff is especially evident in the tourist industry.

“Within the actual city limits of Radcliff, there are no golf courses,” Rigney said, “but Fort Knox has two very challenging courses that are open to the public. What the city has are some one-of-a-kind places to shop, such as the Red Brick Cottage, which specializes in antiques and original craft items, and the U.S. Cavalry Store, which has an emphasis on military-related gear.

“It works out well, because golf and the new pro shop is available at Fort Knox and shopping and eating is available off-post.”

Along with two golf courses, Fort Knox also is home to the Kilianski Sports Complex, which is noted for hosting softball and baseball tournaments from around the region.

Notably, Hardin County is the sixth most-visited of Kentucky’s 120 counties. But Northern Hardin County offers more to visitors than just Fort Knox. According to the Kentucky Tourism Cabinet, tourism generates $144.6 million in revenues for Hardin County each year. About 3,000 people owe their jobs to tourist revenue, according to figures for the year 2000.

“People are becoming more aware of the natural beauty of Saunders Springs Nature Preserve,” Rigney said. “It’s a wonderful 23-acre park and nature preserve within the Radcliff city limits. To our north, near the town of West Point are the remains of Fort Duffield. That site has been called America’s best-preserved Civil War earthworks fortifications. We have more natural beauty at Tioga Falls and Bridges to the Past, which is a wonderful country drive over historic bridges of the area.

“It doesn’t matter if you want to spend a pleasant afternoon or a great weekend,” Rigney said, “We’ve got a lot to offer our visitors.”



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