Grounds & Gardens

Ashland’s 17 acres are open daily, offering space to wander, reflect, and recharge. The grounds invite visitors to slow down — to stroll shaded paths, admire historic trees, and consider the civic ideals that shaped this place. Whether walking the Ashland Trail or finding a quiet bench beneath the canopy, guests experience history not behind glass, but all around them.

Henry Clay designed Ashland to be as much a sanctuary as a statesman’s home — a park-like setting where nature and ideas could coexist for family and visitors alike. He often walked the back lawn to ponder the debates of the day or leave them behind altogether, finding peace in the serenity of his farm. That same walk was preserved by generations of his family as part of his enduring legacy.

When Clay left for Washington, he left strict instructions: not a single tree was to be cut in his absence. His deep passion for the natural world has shaped Ashland for over 200 years — a living landscape where history still breathes through the trees.