Review of The Kentucky Horse Park

The video below is a nice array of photos that gives you an idea of what you will see at the Kentucky Horse Park.  We went this summer and had a wonderful day.  It’s one for the record books folks. My husband said he actually wants to go back. He has very few places that he actually enjoys (he’s a homebody) but he was so into this place!  It took us about an hour to get there; it’s a very easy drive on I-64.

During peak months, admission is $16 for adults and $8 for kids (age 6 and under are free!).  You do pay to park ($3-$5).  During the winter months, it is still open but the prices drop to $10 for adults and $5 for kids (age 6 and under are free).  Check their website for full details on hours and seasonal calendar.   Our kids are under 6 so it’s great to take advantage of these deals while we can!

We started with the trolley tour that comes with the admission. It leaves from right outside of the kids barn.  It has a guide that gives you a really nice history of the park and description of what you are seeing. I recommend doing this first because it’s only about 10 minutes but it really gives you an idea of what you are going to see and you can plan your day.

After the tour, we started in the Kids Barn where our little ones went from stall to stall learning everything about horses from grooming to feeding.  There were many interactive mini-exhibits and even a calm barn cat.  My daughter, the horse lover, really could have spent all day in that barn.  But, we dragged her away and walked  around to visit some horses, the farrier and grab an ice cream treat.  They have concessions available or you can bring in your food and picnic.  It was very hot that day but we felt fine since there were lots of shady spots.

Next, we watched the Horses of the World show. Even in the heat, the seats are shaded so it was fine.  The show features many truly unique horses that I found so interesting. Some of the horses are very rare and although my young children didn’t appreciate how special they were like my husband and I did, they were captivated by the tricks, costumed riders and the flow of the show.  After the show, we were able to get up close to the horses and pet them.  And, we took a break in a little room beside the ring for a coin-operated horse ride for the kids.

After that show, we toured some of the barns to look at the horses and the buggies old and new.  We made our way to the Hall of Champions to watch the show that features a few famous race horses.  During the show, they bring in one horse at time and tell you about their feats as a race horse.  You see the videos of their wins and these horses really like to flaunt their prestige!  You’ll see in my video one horse sticking out his tongue and showing his teeth. It was a really well done, simple show.

There was a lot of the horse park that we did not see because we were not there for a full day.  They have a museum and more areas of the park to simply explore or enjoy for a picnic, even a playground.  I think this park should be visited by every Kentuckian!  Kentucky’s horsing industry is so important to the economy and to the culture of this state and I think the Kentucky Horse Park does a fantastic job of teaching people about it and encouraging pride in our state and it’s horses.

Stephanie

DCPD
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