Kentuck w/11 yr old horse lover
 

We will be Kentucky next week for four days of vacation with our 11 year old daughter who is crazy about horses. Any suggestions on things to do and/or where to stay. Would she enjoy Keeneland horse racing? If so, are advance tickets needed? How about the Arabian National horse show in Louisville? Thanks much! We're considering either Lexington or Louisville???

Hello,
I think you would definitely enjoy Keeneland. You don't need advance tickets for general admission although you do for the dining rooms. There are plenty of fast food available though. Also, there is the Kentucky Horse Park which I'm sure your daughter would enjoy as well as Horse Farm tours, http://www.horsefarmtours.com/ The link to the horse park is http://www.kyhorsepark.com/ Louisville is only 1 1/2 hour away so you could actually do both. What price range hotels are you looking at? Hope this helps. Nancy

Kentucky Horse Park is where you want to go. There is a large museum that is very well done and is quite thorough and educational. They have stables you can walk through and watch the workers in action, a horse arena with exhibition (they let you touch and pet the horses at the end), a hall of fame where you can visit with former thoroughbred race horses (photo taking is allowed), etc. Our family enjoyed the experience and left with a greater appreciation for horses. Bring a picnic lunch and you can relax and picnic on the grounds (there isn't much of a choice in dining). It's possible you could do the horse park and a horse farm tour in one day.

Check the dates at Keeneland for horse racing as I don't think there is racing every day.

Thanks for the great suggestions! We're looking for a hotel convenient either to Keeneland or the Kentucky Horse park. Something nice and clean with a continental breakfast would be nice - like Country Inn & Suites.

Marriott Griffin Gate is very nice in Lexington. Also, there is a new Embassy Suites there.(I believe the ESuites would have breakfast included).
Kentucky Horse Park was very nice.

11 year olds are usually still at the stage where they want to pet and ride the horses, and she won't have the opportunity to do this at the track or at a thoroughbred farm. Definitely go to Lexington and do the Horse Park! LOTS of horses to pet, a wonderful museum, and they do trail and wagon rides, too. You can easily spend all day there, so wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather as most things to see are outside.

Stay at the LaQuinta on Stanton Way, or the Embassy Suites on Newtown Pike since they have breakfast. (Marriott does not have free breakfast.) Do NOT stay at the Holiday Inn North.

Also, see if you can bring a cooler with boxed lunches to the Horse Park. The food there is awful and expensive.

Thanks for the great suggestions! We have reservations at the LaQuinta on Stanton Way in Lexington. Any similar hotel suggestions for Louisville? Something close to the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center?

There is a Holiday Inn at the Expo Center that was recently upgraded.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Gardiner Point Drive which is not too far from the Expo. We thought it was a great deal for what we paid since they include a complimentary breakfast which was not just a continental breakfast. It was a full buffet with eggs, bacon, sausage, cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, melons, toast, muffins, juices, coffee. The staff working there was especially courteous and friendly, I was impressed to write to their management to let them know how pleased we were with our stay there. The hotel was being renovated this past summer so check to see if the renovations are done amd request for one of the new rooms. They were in the process of installing new furniture in some of the rooms when we were there in July so they may be done by now, although the renovations weren't any bother to us. They also provide free shuttle service within a 3 mile radius from the hotel if needed.

We took DD to the Kentucky Horse Park when she was a horse crazy little girl, and she loved it!

My advice is to go to the Horse Park early in the day, as I think it closes by 5:00 pm.

We went on a tour of Calumet Farms a few years ago and it was very interesting. Beautiful just to walk around as well. I don't think they were running them on a regular schedule, but my dad called ahead & set it up w/out any problem.

Please share your experience in KY on the community on www.travelingmom.com. There is an upcoming feature on KY and your story would be very welcome! We had a hard time getting in to any of the horse farms without a 3month advance reservation. Did you run into that problem?

You DO need advance reservations to tour the thoroughbred farms. Also, keep in mind that Thoroughbred farms are NOT child-friendly since visitors are not usually allowed to touch the stallions. If you want a child-friendly place to pet and ride horses, the Kentucky Horse Park is your best bet.

If going to Keeneland and looking for a nice, but inexpensive place to stay, you might want to call Asbury Inn (formally Beeson Manor Hotel) located in Wilmore, approx 15 miles from Keeneland. Last time I checked the rates were around $60-70/night and included a "quick start breakfast". Some of the rooms have been upgraded with new duvets. They also have a few remodeled townhouses that can be rented for the night ($125/night), those would be great for a group as they have three bedrooms and a kitchen.

The public doesn't seem to know about this place, and they often have availability during races when other Lexington hotels are full.

p.s. Wilmore is a small town outside Lexington...if you are there be sure to make a stop at Sim's Drugstore on Main Street. There is a historic soda fountain inside that will make you feel like you are in Mayberry. They have the best hand scooped milkshakes!

anonxx, 13 years ago I took MY 11 year old horse crazy daughter to Lexington, KY, and in 60 days she'll be graduating from veterinary school as an equine veterinarian! This may very well be a great motivator for her, too!