The Governor's Mansion was designed in the grand and monumental style of architecture called Beaux Arts by C.C. and E.A. Weber of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It was modeled after the Petit Trianon ( ), Queen Marie Antoinette's villa near the Palace of Versailles in France.
The Mansion's walls are solid brick, faced with Bowling Green limestone. The basement is carved into the solid rock on which the building rests. The front portico is graced with four pairs of Ionic columns that rise two stories.
A stone balustrade and terrace create an impressive entrance. The formal reception rooms all open off the gracious cross hallways. Most light fixtures and decorative features, such as the ornamental plaster and mantels, are original to the building. From the center hallway double stairways wind gracefully upward to the Governor's private living quarters.
The Governor's Mansion contains many furnishings and works of art which are of museum quality. Several items of furniture have a long association with the Mansion.
 | The Governor's Mansion:
The Governor's Mansion was designed in the architectural Beaux-Arts style by brothers C.C. and E.A. Weber of Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. The exterior of the house was modeled after the Petit Trianon, a small palace beloved by Queen Marie Antoinette near the Palace of Versailles in France. Nearly 200 feet long and 80 feet wide, the building has solid brick walls faced with Bowling Green limestone. The front portico is graced with four pairs of Ionic columns that rise two stories. A stone balustrade and terrace create an impressive entrance. |
 | The Main Hall:
As you enter the Governor's Mansion you are immediately drawn into the historic home by large, open hallways and wide classic arches. The very first thing you'll notice is the Mansion's Grand Stairway that leads to the Governor's private residence. Just before the stairway, the hallway splits to cross the center of the house and lead you into its various rooms. The Main Hallway contains several interesting and important items from the Mansion collection. |
 | The Governor's Reception Room:
Also known as the Blue Drawing Room, the Governor's Reception Room is just to the left of the Mansion's main entrance. With furniture arranged around the walls in the 18th century style, this is the most formal of the Mansion's two reception rooms. |
 | The First Lady's Salon:
The First Lady's Salon, or drawing room, is considered a delicate and feminine room. It contains some of the Mansion's best French furniture and is located just to the right of the front entry doors. The First Lady's Salon is used often by the Governor and First Lady as a place to visit with friends and guests. |
 | The Ballroom:
The Ballroom at the north end of the Main Hall was a last-minute addition to the Mansion plans. Governor James McCreary insisted upon having this room constructed as he felt that a house of this size and importance needed a ballroom for entertaining. |
 | The State Dining Room:
With its silver leaf decoration and the unique "halo" lighting, the State Dining Room is one of the most popular rooms in the Mansion. The largest and most formal of the two dining rooms on the State Floor. Many state and official dinners have been served around the long table that spans the length of the room. |
 | The Family Dining Room:
The Family Dining Room with its rich mahogany stained Kentucky poplar woodwork and red ceiling is one of the warmest and most hospitable rooms in the Mansion. A large collection of Oriental pottery was acquired as a part of the Mansion restoration project during the John Y. Brown, Jr. administration, and is on display in this room. Most of the earthenware is Chinese and dates from the middle or end of the 19th century. |
 | The Sun Room:
Originally designed as an office for the Governor, the Sun Room has seen more changes than any other room on the State Floor. The space was converted from a study to a sunroom in the early 1980s. This is one of the most popular rooms in the Mansion for both visitors and the Governor's families. The sunroom that was original to the Mansion was converted into first-floor restroom facilities across the hall. |
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