Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

City / town · Kentucky

Fort Knox

Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

Best timeApr–Oct
From you
Nearest airportSDF · 23 mi
On this page

Overview

Fort Knox is a U.S. Army post in the Kentucky Derby Region.

1 sights · 9 things to do

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Fort Knox

Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

Self-guided tours of General Patton and weaponry from World War I-present.

Otto Physical Fitness Center

Smith Physical Fitness Center

Natcher Physical Fitness Center

Gammon Total Fitness

Anderson Indoor Aquatics Center

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 28°F. Wettest: May and Apr. (climate data from nearby Louisville)

Jan: 3.4 in rain3.4"Jan: high 44°F, low 28°F44°28°JanFeb: 3.4 in rain3.4"Feb: high 48°F, low 31°F48°31°FebMar: 4.6 in rain4.6"Mar: high 58°F, low 39°F58°39°MarApr: 4.8 in rain4.8"Apr: high 70°F, low 48°F70°48°AprMay: 5.2 in rain5.2"May: high 78°F, low 59°F78°59°MayJun: 4.3 in rain4.3"Jun: high 86°F, low 67°F86°67°JunJul: 4.0 in rain4"Jul: high 89°F, low 71°F89°71°JulAug: 3.7 in rain3.7"Aug: high 88°F, low 70°F88°70°AugSep: 3.7 in rain3.7"Sep: high 82°F, low 62°F82°62°SepOct: 3.7 in rain3.7"Oct: high 70°F, low 50°F70°50°OctNov: 3.4 in rain3.4"Nov: high 58°F, low 39°F58°39°NovDec: 4.1 in rain4.1"Dec: high 47°F, low 32°F47°32°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • SDF Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville — 23 mi away (major hub). Directions
  • OWB Owensboro Daviess County Airport, Owensboro — 66 mi away. Directions

US 31W runs roughly north/south next to Fort Knox; drivers may access the Brandenburg Station Road, Chaffee Avenue, and Wilson Road Gates, as they travel north to south, respectively. 31W connects Elizabethtown 15 minutes to the South, and Louisville about 60 minutes to the north. Further east runs I65, also connecting Elizabethtown and Louisville. KY 313, running east/west, brings in traffic from I-65 to the east, via exit 102.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 2-day itinerary

Day 1

  • Morning Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor, Lindsey Golf Course, Houston Bowling Center
  • Afternoon Natcher Physical Fitness Center, Camp Carlson Army Travel Camp

Day 2

  • Morning Otto Physical Fitness Center, French Shooting Range, Smith Physical Fitness Center
  • Afternoon Gammon Total Fitness, Anderson Indoor Aquatics Center

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

There are a few restaurants near the Post Exchange such as a Burger King, Popeyes, Qdoba and Subway.

What to ask about, for your diet

    Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

    Photos

    Patton Museum of National Cavalry and ArmorCadet Summer Training

    Map

    Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

    Understand

    Fort Knox is internationally known for the United States Bullion Depository, which stores a large portion of gold and other valuable items in the United States' possession. It is estimated to hold 2.3% of all gold refined in human history.

    Film producer Albert Broccoli managed to get permission to use the exterior of Fort Knox as a location for the James Bond film Goldfinger, though they were restricted to a minimum of 3000 ft (900 m) in the airspace above it for the aerial scenes. The interior scenes were a film set at Pinewood Studios.

    Get in

    US 31W runs roughly north/south next to Fort Knox; drivers may access the Brandenburg Station Road, Chaffee Avenue, and Wilson Road Gates, as they travel north to south, respectively. 31W connects Elizabethtown 15 minutes to the South, and Louisville about 60 minutes to the north. Further east runs I65, also connecting Elizabethtown and Louisville. KY 313, running east/west, brings in traffic from I-65 to the east, via exit 102.

    Get around

    Not much effort seems to have been made to make navigating around post easy; most signs for buildings use difficult-to-read "military speak" (for example, the Leader's Club sign is marked: "Directorate Of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation", and in relatively tiny text at the bottom: Leader's Club). However, almost every street intersection is clearly labeled, though the existing signs differ for some roads from the names given by Google Maps.

    The Fort Knox MWR Guidebook (available at several locations around post) has probably the best map of post available to the average visitor.

    See

    Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

    See Patton Museum of National Cavalry and Armor

    Self-guided tours of General Patton and weaponry from World War I-present.

    📍 4554 Fayette Avenue🕒 Mon-Fri 9AM-4:30PM; October–April: Sat Sun 10AM-4:30PM; May–September: Sat Sun 10AM-6PM; Open some holidays💲 Free☎ +1 502-624-3812
    MapsWebsite
    • Saunders Spring Nature Preserve, 100 Saunders Spring Ln, Radcliff. Not really military-related, but it sits side by side with Fort Knox and is pretty charming with pioneer cabins and waterfalls and biking trails. Daily 7:30AM-6PM.

    Do

    Four gymnasiums (Otto, Smith, Natcher and Gammon), an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool (Anderson) and several large athletic fields are available at various locations around post.

    Do Otto Physical Fitness Center

    📍 6591 Abel St🕒 Mon-Fri 5AM-9PM, Sat Sun closed☎ +1 502-624-3316⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do Smith Physical Fitness Center

    📍 5927 26th Calvalry Drive🕒 Mon-Fri 5AM-9PM, Sat Sun 11AM-7PM☎ +1 502-624-3641⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do Natcher Physical Fitness Center

    📍 2341 Garry Owen Regiment Ave🕒 Mon-Fri 5AM-9PM, Sat Sun closed☎ +1 502-624-8169⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do Gammon Total Fitness

    📍 850 Radio St🕒 Mon-Fri 5AM-9PM, Sat Sun 7AM-3PM☎ +1 502-624-4033⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do Anderson Indoor Aquatics Center

    📍 7962 Wilson Rd🕒 Mon-Fri 6AM-7PM, Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun noon-5PM☎ +1 502-624-6217⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Most locations and activities are fairly typical for a large military post; including an outdoor recreational area (Camp Carlson Army Travel Camp), Shooting Club (French Range), bowling alley (Houston Bowling Center), and golf course (Lindsey Golf Course).

    Do Camp Carlson Army Travel Camp

    📍 9210 US-60, Muldraugh☎ +1 502-624-4836⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do French Shooting Range

    📍 9333 Main Range Rd🕒 Thu 3PM-7PM, Sat Sun 10AM-5PM, Mon-Wed and Fri closed☎ +1 502-624-7754⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    Maps

    Do Houston Bowling Center

    📍 2385 Knox St🕒 Mon Tue 11AM-10PM, Wed Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri 11AM-midnight, Sat 10AM-midnight, Sun noon-6PM☎ +1 502-624-4740⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Do Lindsey Golf Course

    📍 4024 Bullion Blvd🕒 9AM-5PM☎ +1 502-624-2717⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Buy

    The Post Main PX, Commissary, and Clothing and Sales are all in the same general vicinity.

    Shop Fort Knox Main Post Exchange

    📍 127 Gold Vault Rd🕒 Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 10AM-6PM☎ +1 502-942-0067⚠ Last checked Dec 2018 — confirm before you go
    MapsWebsite

    Eat

    There are a few restaurants near the Post Exchange such as a Burger King, Popeyes, Qdoba and Subway.

    Drink

    Rocker II and the Leader's Club have full bars on post. Rocker II offers wide screen TV's, 4 pool tables and dart boards, and various video games to provide weekend diversions. The Leader's Club features Fiddler's Green Bar and Lounge, as well as the Bullion Room Restaurant.

    Sleep

    There are 600 transient lodging spaces at 6 locations around post are available for soldiers on TDY assignment. Separate spaces are also available for up to 76 Permanent Party Geographical Bachelors (GBQ). Transient lodging spaces range from dormitory style to efficiency apartments, but most will feature queen-sized beds, basic kitchen facilities with microwave and refrigerator (and sometimes stove), as well as cable TV and high-speed internet connections (wired).

    For civilians, look for accommodation in nearby Radcliff, Brandenburg or Elizabethtown.

    Go next

    The nearest large town with a little more to offer is Louisville, while Lexington is further away, but still a reasonable drive.

    Nearby

    My experience

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