There’s so much to do on a Kentucky family vacation, one might not be enough, so it’s good that, as well as being great fun, Kentucky is also one of the most affordable US states.
Never too young to hike on a Kentucky family vacation
You don’t have to work hard to work a budget in Kentucky either. You’ll find good value accommodation everywhere from cities to state parks. Adventuring outdoors is often absolutely free and many museums and attractions offer generous child discounts as well as family tickets and special offers throughout the year. So now you know it costs less to visit Kentucky with kids, dive into what’s happening here for families.
Hiking Phalanx Arch, Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort
Hiking is free for all on a Kentucky family vacation
The longest hiking trail in Kentucky runs for 280 miles, so you know this is a state that takes stretching its legs seriously. Though if walking the entire Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail is a bit of an ask for one Kentucky family vacation, there are plenty of hikes you can fit into anything from an easy half hour to a full day’s adventure.
Hiking is also a great way to explore Kentucky’s six National Parks and 44 State Parks where astonishing views are a big incentive and you don’t have to walk far to come across them.
Hit Mammoth Cave National Park – home to the world’s longest cave system – and follow the gentle Green River Bluffs Trail for an eyeful of forests and streams.
A look down into legendary Red River Gorge is an amazing reward for hiking the Chimney Top Rock Trail in Daniel Boone National Forest – this one is more of a stroll and great for younger kids. Or for those times when nothing will do but waterfalls, plan a half-day hike to Lick Falls Overview in Grayson Lake State Park.
The Gorge Underground, Red River Gorge, Kentucky
This is the perfect state to win over water babies
Alaska is the only US state with more miles of navigable waters than Kentucky. You’ll even find the official ‘Houseboat Capital of the World’ here, on Lake Cumberland in Lake Cumberland State Resort Park. And the Cumberland River delivers both Class V and VI stretches of white water along with the Cumberland Falls: known as the Niagara of the South. With all that in mind, we probably don’t need to tell you that getting out on the water is a big deal in Kentucky.
In Red River Gorge you can kayak underground on guided tours through flooded mine system. Green River is as much fun for kayaking as it is for hiking. Or, if you want to mix up kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, head to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area to make the most of one of the largest man-made expanses of water in the US.
Meeting thoroughbreds, Jonabell Farm, Kentucky
You can’t have a Kentucky family vacation without meeting some horses
Kentucky is synonymous with horses. Not only is it the home turf of the Kentucky Derby – nicknamed the most exciting 2 minutes in sports – its horse farms are world famous and the beautiful Horse Country that surrounds them is some of the prettiest pastoral landscape in the US.
The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is a great introduction to the state’s equine passion. Between an excellent museum, live equestrian shows and opportunities for carriage rides and horseback riding, it gently educates kids in all things horse-related, while also letting them get close to the animals.
Also getting you up close to horses is the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Home. Take the guided tour here to meet former Kentucky Derby champions and other prizewinning athletes, now enjoying a well-earned rest in the beautiful countryside outside Georgetown.
Alternatively, make for Churchill Downs first thing and you can watch the current crop of thoroughbreds having a morning workout on the iconic race track. Then head indoors to the Kentucky Derby Museum and learn how a horse race way back in 1875 became one of the world’s most prestigious annual sporting events.
Kentucky River Rambler Rail Explorers
Pedal vintage railroads on totally 21st century rail bikes
Although, if you really want to get down with the horses, book a Bluegrass KY Rail Explorers tour to the heart of Horse Country.
Not just any old tour, this is one where you pedal yourself along repurposed rail tracks on a two or four-person ‘rail bike’: a modified version of the hand-cars used by rail workers in the 19th century. Happily today’s ‘bikes’ are a lot less effort thanks to electric-assist.
The Kentucky River Rambler Rail Explorers tour follows the Louisville Southern Railroad right through Horse Country. Plus, you go at your own pace so you have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, spot mares and foals in the fields, and take in landmarks like the Kentucky River Gorge, the Wild Turkey Distillery and Young’s High Bridge.
Visit the Louisville Slugger Museum on your Kentucky family vacation
Head indoors for a little light education and a whole lot of fun
But, great as the outdoors is in Kentucky, there’s just as much going indoors, especially in child-friendly museums like the excellent Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, which celebrates the history of baseball and the world’s most famous bat.
Don’t worry about directions for this one, a 5 story high Louisville Slugger at the entrance lets you know you’re in the right place. The nearby Frazier History Museum is another fun visit for kids in Louisville, and try to make time for the Kentucky Science Center while you’re here too.
The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green is another one that surprises with its family-friendly approach. Older kids will love the cars and younger ones have their very own interactive KidZone packed with hands-on activities. Keep your phones charged for the sit-in Corvette selfie: best take home ever.
Then there’s Newport Aquarium, where thousands of aquatic creatures are the main draw, but being able to touch underwater wonders like sharks and horseshoe crabs might be one of the biggest memory makers for kids.
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Kentucky
Take a moment in your Kentucky family vacation to celebrate sweet, sweet music
The ‘high, lonesome sound’ of Bluegrass music was born in Kentucky and if you want to explore its roots start at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro. Not only a musical education, the museum also hosts ROMP Fest in summer and invites all ages to listen up to Bluegrass live.
Or you can go all out and hit the Festival of the Bluegrass at the Kentucky Horse Park in June.
Though, it’s fair to say you can hear Kentucky’s homegrown sound, live, all over the state, all year round at on-the-hoof jam sessions, BBQ joints and places like Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum.
In fact, making food, festivals and music a part of your Kentucky family vacation is almost a rule. So time your visit right and you can catch anything from a summer Corn Festival in August to autumn festivals celebrating everything from bananas to butterflies, pumpkins, chickens and the Blues. You’ll even find community events that welcome all comers, like Louisville’s NULU Fest in September.
Try low and slow BBQ on a Kentucky family vacation
Come hungry, Kentucky likes to feed you, and it’s always family style here
Now you just need to make sure you’re well fueled for all the fun and that is one of the easiest things to do on a Kentucky family vacation.
It goes without saying that they know how to fry chicken here, and until you’ve tried it on home territory you might be thinking that famous chain is the real deal. Aside from southern fried authenticity, Kentucky is also the birthplace of the Hot Brown: an open-faced sandwich like no other, and another must-try.
Farm-to-table tends to be a bit of a catch-all these days, but when you hear it said in Kentucky you better believe they mean it. Proof if you need it is found in independent restaurants where produce comes from their own farms. Or, if you’re cooking for yourself, take kids to the likes of Gallrein Farms in Shelbyville where they can pick anything from strawberries to pumpkins, depending on the season. Visit during the Fall Festival so kids can see the Pumpkin Cannon and, if you need proof Gallrein is a real farm, just drop in on the petting zoo year round to meet the cutest farm animals. Mulberry Orchard is another Shelbyville local where you can pick your own apples and play in the Family Fun playground.
Then there’s barbecue which even has its own festivals in Kentucky.
Catch the BBQ and Barrells Festival on Owensboro riverfront in May; it’s also a great place to try burgoo, the only-in-Kentucky stew traditionally served as a BBQ side. Or head to Henderson in June for the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival on the Ohio River.
Missing those dates doesn’t mean you have to miss out, as you can literally eat BBQ from one end of Kentucky to the other. But if you’re looking for legends, make time for the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn or Old Hickory Pit Barbecue, both in Owensboro.
Now visit Kentucky and start planning your next big family adventure