Tucked away in beautiful Berea stands the stately Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant. In addition to being a delicious place to dine *and* wonderfully welcoming hotel, this historic attraction and restaurant in Berea, Kentucky, has long attracted famous guests and visitors -- including the Dalai Lama himself.
Anchoring the downtown of beautiful Berea, Kentucky, the stately Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant has been delighting guests and diners since 1909... including some particularly noteworthy visitors.
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You'll be immersed in history from the minute you step through this stately inn's doors. The aptly named History Room at Boone Tavern, for example, is an impressive homage to some of its most famous guests including Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry Ford, and...
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...the Dalai Lama. In April 1994, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama came to Kentucky where he received an honorary degree during his official visit to Berea College.
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President of Berea College at the time, Dr. John B. Stephenson was deeply committed to international education and service. Therefore, Berea College established the Tibetan Scholarship Program, which allowed Tibetan students living in exile in India to study in Berea.
It's not every day the Buddha of Compassion shows up in the Bluegrass. For those who were there, it was a memorable, wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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Special arrangements were made to accommodate this very special guest. Certain menu modifications were made for the Dalai Lama's meal at the tavern, for example.
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It's also said that His Holiness had to sleep on the top floor of the hotel because no one is supposed to sleep higher than the Dalai Lama.
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Food and accommodations aside, we have a feeling His Holiness enjoyed wandering the gorgeous, nature-filled grounds of this historic restaurant and hotel in Kentucky.
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Did you know about the Dalai Lama's visit to this historic restaurant in Kentucky? We're so proud to have hosted such an important and influential figure and sincerely hope His Holiness enjoyed his meal at The Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant.
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