Nearby Adventures
Churchill Downs & The Kentucky Derby Museum to Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay Waterpark to relaxing with the family at Taylorsville Lake State Park, Bullitt County has a great selection of places to stay nearby to these Louisville attractions.
Churchill Downs & The Kentucky Derby Museum
700 Central Ave, Louisville, KY 40208
Hours: March 15–Nov. 30, Monday-Saturday 8am–5pm; Sunday 11am–5pm; Open at 8am Sunday after Derby; Dec. 1 – March 14; Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm; Sunday 11am- 5pm; Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Derby and Oaks Days.
Admission: Adults: $15; Seniors: $14; Children: $8; Children Under 5: Free
Phone: 502-636-4400 or 502-637-1111
Web: www.churchilldowns.com or www.derbymuseum.org
“The most exciting two minutes in sports,” the Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May. Enjoy racing during Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet and Fall Meet and experience the thrill of the Derby year-round through permanent and special exhibits and educational programs at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Admission includes a historic walking tour of Churchill Downs
Dave Armstrong Extreme Park
531 Franklin St, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: 502-574-7275
Web: louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/park-list/david-armstrong-extreme-park
Centrally located on the Waterfront in downtown Louisville, the Dave Armstrong Extreme Park is considered one of America’s best skate parks with awesome features including a 24-foot full-pipe. The park offers 40,000 square-feet of outdoor concrete skating surface and wooden vert ramp. There are public restrooms on-site and the park is open to the public 24 hours a day. The Dave Armstrong Extreme Park is owned by Louisville Metro government and is operated by Metro Parks.
Fourth Street Live!
411 S. 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40202
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 502-584-7170
Web: www.4thstlive.com
Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Fourth Street Live! is billed as Louisville’s premier dining, entertainment and retail destination. Restaurant and entertainment venues include Goose Island Beer Bridge, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse. Bars and nightclubs include PBR Louisville, The Thirsty Pedaler, Tavern on Fourth, and Howl at the Moon. Fourth Street Live! also features a major food court with restaurants such as Philly Station, Subway, and Taipei Café.
Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay Waterpark
937 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209
Phone: 502-813-8200
Web: www.kentuckykingdom.com
Named one of the 10 Best Amusement Parks for 2015 by Fodor’s Travel, Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay Waterpark boast dozens of world-class attractions, from shows and games to thrilling rides and rollercoasters, including the T3 rollercoaster with five gravity defying inversions, the one-of-a-kind 10-story steel coaster Lightning Run, and the classic wooden rollercoaster Thunder Run.
Louisville Mega Cavern
1841 Taylor Ave, Louisville, KY 40213
Phone: 1-877-614-6342
Web: www.louisvillemegacavern.com
The historic man-made Mega Cavern is part of 17 miles of corridors beneath the city of Louisville and features half a dozen attractions, including the Mega Zips zip-line tour, the Mega Tram historic tram tour, and the 320,000 square-foot Mega Underground Bike Park with more than 45 trails, jump lines, BMX, Cross Country and single tracks, and pump tracks. There’s also Mega Quest, the only fully underground aerial ropes challenge course in the world, and Lights Under Louisville, voted one of the top ten Christmas Light Shows in the nation by USA TODAY.
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
501 E Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY 40004
Hours: March 15 through December – first tour begins at 9:15 am, last tour begins at 4:00 pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Check website for winter hours.
Admission: Adults: $14;
Seniors (age 62+): $12;
Youth (age 13-17): $10; Children (age 6-12): $9; Toddlers (age 5 & under): Free; Active Military: $5
Phone: 502-348-3502
Web: www.visitmyoldkyhome.com/
This plantation embodies the antebellum South and was the inspiration for Stephen Foster’s world-famous composition, “My Old Kentucky Home,” Kentucky’s official state song. Guides in period costume tell the story of the esteemed Rowan family, which called the plantation home from the late 18th to 19th centuries. During the summer visitors can enjoy America’s favorite outdoor drama, “The Stephen Foster Story,” which features Stephen Foster’s best-known works brought to life by performers in period costumes among beautiful sets.
Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass
1155 Buck Creek Rd, Simpsonville, KY 40067
Hours: Monday – Thursday 11am – 7pm, Friday – Saturday 10am – 9pm, Sunday 11am – 6pm
Phone: 502-722-5558
Web: www.theoutletshoppesofthebluegrass.com
This 375,000-square-foot premier outlet center is a destination all its own with a food court, decorative fountains, a children’s area, covered walkways, and more than 80 retailers, including top designers. The Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass is located just outside of Louisville Metro off Interstate 64 in Simpsonville.
Taylorsville Lake State Park
1320 Park Rd, Mt Eden, KY 40046
Phone: 502-477-8713
Web: https://parks.ky.gov/mount-eden/parks/recreation/taylorsville-lake-state-park
Enjoy horseback riding, fishing, boating, hiking and more at Taylorsville Lake State Park. The 1,200-acre state park offers 24 miles of trails, 45 spacious RV sites with electric and water hook-ups, 10 equestrian sites with electric and water hook-ups, and 15 primitive tent sites with water available. The Taylorsville Lake Marina has easy access gas pumps, bait shop, skiing, tubing, boating and fishing supplies in the marina store with a full service deli. The marina also offers pontoon, deck boat and fishing boat rentals with daily rates.