Things to Do in Louisville, Kentucky

If you are looking for something fun to do with your kids, here are a few ideas:

FREE: Here is a link to the Metro Parks website. There are parks and playgrounds all over the city. Take a look at the map, and find one near your home.

FREE: Whitehall Home and Gardens off Lexington Road. During the week, the gardens are open from morning until dusk. It is free to walk the gardens, and you can tour the house for a small fee.

FREE: The Louisville Nature Center- This place is great. Admission is free. It is located near the Louisville Zoo. They have a very small museum/library (with a bathroom) that is open during the week, but you can walk the trails anytime it is day light. We took a group of young kids and toddler on the "Red" trail, and it was the perfect length for us. Very low stress.

FREE: Home Depot's monthly Kids Workshop. These are pretty in depth woodworking crafts, and the boys especially loved using their very own hammer. It's free, and the kids get a nice apron on their first visit. The workshops are from 9-12 on the first Saturday of every month. Lowe's also has a Build & Grow workshop each month that is free.

MEMBERSHIP: We have had a Louisville Zoo membership for many years, and it is definitely worth the investment. They have several new exhibits and an amazing splash park area. We've had dozens of play groups here over the years.

FREE: Henry's Ark is a less well-known animal park in Prospect, Kentucky. They don't have a website, and it's not a fancy place by any stretch, but admission is free. There are lots of farm animals and a few exotic ones, as well. You might want to bring some vegetables to feed the animals. If you want to make a day of it, drive another couple miles to Goshen and visit the Creasey Mahon Nature Preserve. They have lots of good trails, and their nature center is open certain hours during the week.

FREE: Louisville Free Public Library has dozens of free events during the summer, and storytimes all year round. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a big fan of the library system here in Louisville. The biggest advantage for me has been that I can reserve books online and have them sent for free to my local branch. Since there are over a dozen branches in Louisville, they have most any book you could possibly want to read. Also, some of the local bookstores in town have storytimes throughout the month. Check out the websites for Half Price Books, Barnes and Noble and A Reader's Corner. I'm told that Pottery Barn Kids also has a weekly storytime, as well.

MEMBERSHIP: SBTS Health and Recreation Center- You have to be a student or an alumni to use the facility. They have lots of different childen's programming throughout the year, so keep an eye on their website.

CHEAP: Bernheim Forest is located south of Louisville. They have special events from time to time, and the only cost is a $5 parking fee on the weekend. Parking is free during the week. We went to the Color Festival last fall and the Bug Fest more recently, and it was definitely worth the drive down there. They also have children's programming for a fee.

ADMISSION: The Louisville Science Center is a very cool place to go on a day when the weather is too hot or cold to be outside. See the blog post I wrote about our visit here.