On our way back from Ohio last month, Tom and I stopped at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea.  We had driven by many times but decided to stop and look around.  The center is about 90 minutes from Cumberland Gap so it was a good place to stop and stretch our legs and visit the restrooms.

The Kentucky Artisan Center opened in 2003 and contains tourist information.  There is also a large gallery containing juried artists who live and produce their work in Kentucky.  In addition, there is a small cafe and we were ready for a snack after driving all day.

After making use of the restrooms, we entered the artisans gallery.  It is a beautiful, large room with the artists’ works loving displayed.  These were not underpriced goods made to supplement another job.  These were works by true artists.  There was a life-sized giraffe made out of reclaimed auto parts.  We were particularly taken with a life-sized horse made out of wire.  Gorgeous!  But we didn’t know how to get either of them in the Prius, so we moved to smaller objects.

Plenty of pottery and jewelry dotted the room.  There was a food section selling artisanal foods made in Kentucky.  Homemade brooms in one corner and wooden toys in another.  Tom especially liked a clock with all-wooden parts, but it was $4,000 and a little out of our price range.

Unfortunately, on the day we visited all of the registers were closed.  There was a sign up on every register that said “Register temporarily closed.”  I tried to interact with one of the employees to ask why, but they weren’t very friendly for a Welcome Center.  The employee was obviously not having a good day.  The cafe was closed for the same reason.  It wasn’t that the electricity was out – the lights were on.  Maybe their internet was down.  On the one hand, it gave us a chance to browse without feeling pressured to buy anything.  On the other hand, what is the use of a gorgeous Kentucky Artisan Center if you can’t sell anything?

The Kentucky Artisan Center was an interesting place to stop, even though Tom and I didn’t buy anything.  The works for sale (on another day) were beautiful and unique.  If you are driving down I-75 through Kentucky, it is a good non-Bucees place to stop.