Ashland Park
Updated October 2026
Ashland Park at a Glance
- Trash and recycling days
- Tuesday and Friday, depending on your block. Look up your address on the trash pickup map.
- Council district
- District 5, represented by Liz Sheehan. Find your exact district by address.
- Zip code
- 40502
About Ashland Park
Ashland Park is a historic neighborhood, about a mile and a quarter southeast of downtown's courthouse block by car. The neighborhood was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, starting in 1904, the same Boston landscape architecture firm that designed the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Chicago World's Fair, and the Louisville park system. The firm was hired by descendants of Henry Clay to develop the neighborhood on Clay's original 600-acre Ashland estate. Construction took 15 years and was completed around 1930. John Charles Olmsted first visited in 1904 and delivered the plan in 1908, and the first lots went on sale in 1919, with building continuing through the 1920s. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Ashland Avenue, Richmond Road, Chinoe Road, and Fontaine Road, covering 188.9 acres. Henry Clay's actual Ashland estate, which includes his rebuilt 1854-1857 main house, still sits in the eastern portion of the neighborhood. The estate's 17 acres hold more than 600 trees of 44 species and have been a Level 1 arboretum since 2018. Henry Clay himself is said to have brought ginkgo trees to this country. Catalpa Road's ginkgo trees have drawn local TV coverage in the fall, and they tend to drop their leaves within a day or two and leave a yellow blanket along the streetscape. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 1986. Architectural styles include Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, and American Foursquare. It's worth noting that Henry Clay's main house at Ashland was rebuilt by Lexington architect Thomas Lewinski, the same architect who designed the Bell House in Bell Court.
What's Nearby
Ashland Park sits between two parks. Woodland Park is to the northwest and Clay's Spring Park (named for Henry Clay) is to the southeast. Woodland Park is one of Lexington's oldest, with tennis courts, basketball courts, a ballfield, an aquatic center, and a skate park. It hosts the annual Woodland Art Fair, a free juried art event featuring about 200 artists. Clay's Spring Park is home to the historic spring that was part of the Clay estate, now marked by a stone monument. The neighborhood is walkable to the Chevy Chase commercial strip on Euclid Avenue, where Charlie Brown's, Chevy Chase Inn and Bourbon n' Toulouse sit just outside the neighborhood's western edge. A.P. Suggins is a little farther south, on Romany Road. Farther west, downtown is about a mile and a quarter on foot from the neighborhood's western edge, or a short drive.
A walk through Ashland Park
About 1.75 miles, about 35 minutes at a walking pace. Start at the gates of Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, at 120 Sycamore Road. The distance below is the street loop; the estate grounds add whatever you walk while you are on them.
- Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate. Clay's rebuilt 1854 to 1857 main house sits in the eastern part of the neighborhood, on ground that was part of his original 600-acre farm. The Olmsted Brothers began planning the streets around it in 1904.
- The Ashland Arboretum. The estate's 17 acres have been a Level 1 arboretum since 2018 and hold more than 600 trees across 44 species. Henry Clay is said to have brought ginkgo trees to this country.
- Catalpa Road. Leave the estate on Sycamore Road and pick up Catalpa Road. This is the street people photograph in the fall, when its ginkgos tend to drop their leaves within a day or two.
- Clay's Spring Park. Follow Catalpa southeast and take Clay's Spring Lane down to the park. It holds the site of a spring on land that was once part of the Clay estate, marked with a stone.
Come back up Clay's Spring Lane and turn onto Sycamore Road to finish at the estate gates.
Annual Events
Ashland Park has the Henry Clay Estate inside it and Woodland Park about a quarter mile off its northwest corner, so its calendar runs from spring beer gardens to a candlelit December.
West Sixth Beer Garden pop-ups at Woodland Park
Four Thursdays a year, 4 to 8 pm (2026 ran Apr 23, May 14, Jun 11, Sep 17)
Woodland Park, 601 E. High St
Food trucks, live music, and West Sixth on tap; a short walk from the neighborhood's west side. Free.
Event detailsAnnual Lawn Party at Ashland
Late June, a Saturday evening (2026 ran Jun 27, 5:30 to 10 pm)
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd
The estate's flagship fundraiser on the lawn: local chefs, cocktails, auctions, music. Ticketed ($250 in 2026).
Event detailsShakespeare in the Park
Two weekends in mid-July (2026 ran Jul 10 to 12 and 16 to 19)
Woodland Park, 601 E. High St
Free outdoor Shakespeare with pre-show music, food trucks, and vendors.
Event detailsBallet Under the Stars
Late July into early August (2026 ran Jul 29 to Aug 2)
Woodland Park, 601 E. High St
Ballet on an outdoor stage by the gazebo. $9.
Event detailsWoodland Art Fair
Third weekend of August (2026 ran Aug 15 to 16)
Woodland Park, 601 E. High St
About 200 artists and more than 70,000 visitors, about a five-minute walk from the neighborhood's northwest corner. Free, and 2026 was the 50th fair.
Event detailsChevy Chase Street Fair
A Saturday in late August, 4 to 10 pm (2026 ran Aug 22)
Euclid Ave between Ashland Ave and High St, just off the neighborhood's west edge
A block party with vendors, live music, street food, and craft beer. Free to walk in.
See the Chevy Chase guideLiving History at Ashland
Last Saturday of September, 10 to 5 (2025 ran Sep 27)
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd
A day of reenactors, Saddlebreds, wet-plate photography, and exhibits on the estate's African American, Indigenous, and women's history. Free.
Event detailsParktoberfest at Ashland
First Saturday of October, 2 to 8 pm (2026 ran Oct 3)
The Great Lawn at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd
Thirteen Lexington breweries, cideries, and a meadery pouring into $10 steins, food trucks, a Kids Grove, and bands against the brick of the mansion. Free to walk in, put on with West Sixth.
Read our Parktoberfest write-upIllumination at Ashland
First Saturday of December (in 2026, Dec 5, times not posted yet)
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd
The mansion and trees lit for the season, then candlelight tours of the decorated house. The illumination is free, and the tours are ticketed, with 2026 prices not posted yet.
Our Christmas lights guide
Christ the King Oktoberfest (third weekend of September) is about a mile south on Colony Blvd; see our write-up.
Dates are the most recent published as of September 2026; check the organizer before you go.
Highlights
- Olmsted Brothers design, begun in 1904
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places since 1986
- Henry Clay's Ashland estate inside the neighborhood
- Ashland Arboretum (600+ trees, 44 species, 17 acres)
- Catalpa Road ginkgo trees in fall
Amenities
Cost of Living
Redfin listed four Ashland Park sales from July through September 2026, a house at $1.2 million, a four-unit building at $775,000, and two condo units in Hanover Towers at $192,000 and $218,000, read October 14, 2026. With that few sales, Redfin's quarterly median for Ashland Park isn't worth quoting.
Schools
Ashland Park addresses are zoned for Cassidy Elementary School, Morton Middle School, and Henry Clay High School. It's worth noting that Henry Clay High School itself is named after the same Henry Clay whose estate gave the neighborhood its name. You can check any address with our Lexington school zone lookup, which also shows whether the elementary assignment changes in fall 2027. School attendance zones are set by address and can change with rezoning, so look up your exact schools with the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.
Ashland Park FAQ
Who designed Ashland Park?
The Olmsted Brothers, the Boston landscape architecture firm, starting in 1904. Descendants of Henry Clay hired the firm to lay out the neighborhood on Clay's original 600-acre Ashland estate. Construction ran about 15 years and finished around 1930.
What zip code is Ashland Park in Lexington, KY?
40502.
Is Ashland Park a historic district?
Yes. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 1986. The dominant architectural styles are Colonial Revival, Bungalow and Craftsman, and American Foursquare.
Where is Henry Clay's Ashland estate?
At 120 Sycamore Road, in the eastern part of the neighborhood. The estate's 17 acres hold more than 600 trees of 44 species and have been a Level 1 arboretum since 2018.
Why is Catalpa Road known for its trees?
Its ginkgo trees tend to drop their leaves within a day or two each fall, which lays a yellow blanket down the length of the street. Henry Clay is said to have brought ginkgos to this country.
Which schools serve Ashland Park?
Addresses are zoned for Cassidy Elementary School, Morton Middle School and Henry Clay High School. Zones are set by address and can change with rezoning, so check an exact address with the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.