Buffalo Trace Distillery reports that, in spite of the challenges of 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic, visitation numbers were still high.

After just under 300,000 visited the distillery in 2019, 145,365 ventured to Buffalo Trace last year, in spite of a four-month closure and limited public visitation in effect through the end of the year. It is the first year since 2010 that the distillery didn’t set a new record for visits, according to a news release.

During the shutdown and beyond, distillery leadership shifted focus to move forward with planned expansion of the visitor center and creating enhanced safety and sanitation protocols. The visitor space is now three times its original size, allowing for easier social distancing. While Buffalo Trace has returned to its complimentary tours, it currently limits tour group sizes and accepts visitors by registration only.

“As soon as the pandemic hit we got to work making modifications in order to be able to reopen safely and really create a comfortable environment for our guests,” Buffalo Trace Homeplace Development Director Meredith Moody said in the release. “Our sincere thanks goes to the thousands of visitors, from across the country, who have felt confident in our safety protocols and chose to visit Buffalo Trace Distillery since we reopened.”

Operating hours for Buffalo Trace Distillery are 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Tour reservations can be made online.