Last summer my kids and I had the opportunity to visit Bowling Green, Kentucky, for a weekend, courtesy of the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. I will be writing several articles about the places we visited. This is the first article, and also happens to be about the first place we visited: Fountain Square. This square is not only a landmark in the community, but the heart of the revitalized downtown area. The 2-acre square (which is actually a rectangle, as my kids would point out) is framed by College Street, Main Avenue, State Street, and Park Row. The heart of the square is, you guessed it, a fountain, surrounded by trees and greenery.
The day we were there was a rainy one, but I managed to take a few pictures. Here’s a closer one of the fountain:
The square has benches where you can sit and enjoy a quiet moment watch your kids run around.
As you can see, the square is landscaped with perennial flowers. Annual flowers also spill from urns placed around the square.
Like many American Main Streets, this area experienced an era of deterioration when strip shopping malls became popular, but is now thriving after historic preservation incentives sparked a revitalization. Now the square is surrounded by restaurants, shops, and galleries.
We saw a few eateries on the square, including a coffee shop and a restaurant that offered outdoor dining.
Depending on the age and interest level of your kids, you could do some shopping, or perhaps just some window shopping. One store that my daughters and I really liked was Candle Makers on the Square.
Inside you can buy hand-poured candles that come in several sizes and over 70 different fragrances. We got to take a peek at the candle-making room. They have a separate pot for each fragrance so they don’t get mixed together. It smelled really good in there. We ended up buying a watermelon-scented candle.
If shopping isn’t your thing (or isn’t your kids’ thing), another option is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the square.
Fountain Square also hosts some special events you might want to include in your trip plans. In June, check out the Noon in June concerts every Wednesday. Concerts in the Park are held on Friday nights in July and August. These run from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Plan to bring a blanket or chairs. Fountain Square 2nd Saturdays are held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month from April through September.
During our Bowling Green visit, our lodging was provided by the TownePlace Suites by Marriott. This hotel was newly opened when we were there. While it is designed for extended stays, the features and amenities, including kitchens, make it an ideal choice for families. Here are a couple of pictures of our room which was a 2 Queen Studio.
While these accommodations met our needs, I wanted to note that the hotel also offers larger suites with either one or two bedrooms separate from the living area. The hotel manager allowed me to go into one of them to take some pictures.
The living area has a sofabed.
The bedrooms each had their own TV in them.
It’s not often I see hotels with two bedrooms separate from the living area. That would have been a nice option if my husband had traveled with us.
Ready to visit?
Fountain Square Park
College Street, Main Avenue, State Street, and Park Row
Bowling Green, KY 42101
TownePlace Suites Bowling Green
1818 Cave Mill Road
Bowling Green, KY 42104
(270) 782-4714
Disclosure: We received complimentary lodging and one dinner during my stay in Bowling Green which was hosted by the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. We paid for our transportation and other meals. My opinions are my own.
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