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Woodford County landmark The Kentucky Castle sold for $19 million

The Kentucky Castle, a Woodford County landmark for nearly half a century, was sold last week for $19 million to TKC Hospitality Group.
John McGary
/
WEKU News
The Kentucky Castle, a Woodford County landmark for nearly half a century, was sold last week for $19 million to TKC Hospitality Group.

The Kentucky Castle has a new owner. According to published reports, the Woodford County landmark was sold for 19 million dollars last week to TKC Hospitality Group. The castle was owned by a group of University of Kentucky physicians, and Emily Downey, the executive director of the Woodford Tourism Commission, said she has high hopes for continued success there.

“I think it's a really great opportunity to continue what these owners have done with it, making it public, making it accessible to all the guests from around the world, they can access it. So for the price, we know that they are invested.”

The castle was built by a developer for his new bride in the 1970s, but they never moved in and it wasn’t completed for more than three decades. Downey said it’s quite the attraction for locals and visitors.

“There's always somebody out there taking pictures. So the fact that people can go in and access it, even just you know, as a guest or a tourist is a really big opportunity for Woodford County to show something so unique to the world.”

The Kentucky Castle hosts events year-round and has a restaurant and 18 upscale hotel rooms, which produce occupancy taxes that help fund the Woodford Tourism Commission. I’m John McGary in Woodford County.

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John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience.
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