Iam planning a family trip to Louisville in the summer (june sometime) for about 6 adults and a toddler. We want to stay 3-4days, We have never been to Louisville and was wondering what are the must sees and must dos while we are there? We plan on going to the slugger and derby museums. We will defiently checkout churchill downs and then try to go to the zoo and amusement park. Maybe to much for only 3-4 days?
My questions is where can I find a ';package deal'; something that would include hotel and tickets to maybe one or two of the atttractions we will visit??
Any good suggestions on what hotels to look at. Nothing real fancy since we will have a 3 yr old witth us :)
Thanks
Any other input would be greatly appreciated :)
many questions 1st family vacation to Louisville
Hi there! Many of us have published ';go lists'; here on tripadvisor, so take a look there. I think your 3 yr old is a bit young for KY Kingdom....too few rides and too many $$$. The toddler would enjoy more splashing in the fountains down on the Great Lawn by the river and the huge playground. Take a luncheon cruise either Sat or Sun on the Belle of Louisville Steamboat. There are many festivities which go on all summer on the downtown Belvedere and river front, so check out the city%26#39;s website. I don%26#39;t know any hotels with packages, though I%26#39;ve seen discount coupons at several area places. You might look at the Entertainment book. I think a good hotel for you would be the Galt House by the river. It has a pool and is on the downtown trolley line. When my daughter was 3, she LOVED the trolley!
many questions 1st family vacation to Louisville
Across from the Slugger Museum is the Louisville Science Center. My kids loved the Kidzone there when they were little. Our science center is a bit lame compared to Indy%26#39;s or Cincy%26#39;s, but my kids loved it just the same.
Also, a nice, nice place to go is the Speed Art Museum. The basement has a place called Art Sparks where your little one could pass HOURS of time while the adults switch off and tour the museum.
We also loved, loved, loved the Falls of the Ohio Museum in Clarksville. It%26#39;s a really neat place to learn about the geology of the area and see the largest exposed fossils in the world. My kids, especially my son when he was young, really liked looking at the fossils down by the river.
I second the idea of going to the playgrounds by the river. The one in Phase 2 near Tumbleweed restaurant, is our very favorite. My kids could spend HOURS there too.
We have a nice zoo here and there%26#39;s Six Flags too, but whenever we travel, we rarely go to the local zoo or amusement park since we can do that here.
As far as hotels go, what is your budget? The Galt House is nice and right downtown, but there are others on the outside of town that might work just as well.
Search our tourism website www.gotolouisville.com to see about any package deals or discount tickets.
Welcome!
Thanks for all the great info. I have been looking at hotles in the downtown area but not sure yet what hotel is centrally located and reasonably priced?? The ones that have caught me eye are the Hyatt, Galt maybe LaQuinta Residence Inn?
My next question, is it better/convient to stay downtown? Or would you recommend getting a hotel away from the downtown area and just going there during the day?
I would like to stay around 150.00 or less per night
Thank you again
I%26#39;d also recommend the Falls of the Ohio http://www.fallsoftheohio.org/
Our young kids loved it.
We also did Marengo Cave the same day.
http://www.marengocave.com/
It%26#39;s a half hour or so drive from Louisville. Our kids also liked the cave.
We%26#39;ve always stayed in the downtown area of wherever we are except for Minneapolis. Since much of what you want to do is in or near downtown, I%26#39;d probably opt to stay there.
My choice would be the Galt House. It%26#39;s just a neat hotel right on the river. It%26#39;s close to everything, is on the trolley line, and is a local landmark.
The Hyatt is nice too. Neat indoor elevator that I always loved as a kid. Right near Fourth Street Live as well.
I don%26#39;t know about the LaQuinta.
I think, I%26#39;d pick the Galt House.
Another fun 1/2 day trip is to Squire Boone Caverns abut 45 minutes west of Louisville in southern Indiana.
The thing my kids like best about it is for around $5, you get a bucket of mud that you can sluice and find cool rocks, pyrite, and crystals. You can also make a candle, take a cave tour, and see the petting zoo. It%26#39;s kinda hokey, but my kids always have a ball there.
Hi wplank
The previous postings have all offered some good ideas. Since you are coming in June, if you like baseball you might check to see if the Louisville Bats (Reds AAA affiliate) are in town. Slugger Field is on the waterfront and is a great place to watch a game. It is by the Waterfront Park area. As for places to stay, in addition to those mentioned in the downtown area, there is a new Fairfield Inn and Springhill Suites by Marriott that will be open in May that may be worth a look. The two are joined and are located at 1st and Jefferson St. I don%26#39;t know if they are taking reservations yet, but you might check the Marriott site. Also, the Hampton Inn downtown is within 5-6 blocks of many of the downtown sites. Outside of downtown, you might consider the Hilton Garden Inn on Crittenden Dr. I don%26#39;t know if they offer any type of shuttle or packages, but they are a couple of minutes from Kentucky Kingdom and Churchill Downs and less than a ten minute drive to downtown. Also if there are any particular motel chains you favor, look for their location on Phillips Ln and you will probably find one. That area is two minutes from Ky Kingdom and may offer packages also.
Tom
wplank:
Look for discount coupons to the Louisville Slugger Museum. We got $1 off coupons at a coupon display in a hotel lobby. You may also be able to get them at one of the Kentucky Welcome Centers at a freeway rest stop.
Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $4 for kids, and free for 5 years old and under.
Hours:
Mon-Sat 9-5
Sundays (April - November) noon - 5 (No bat production on Sundays though)
Bat production schedule varies and they don%26#39;t guarantee that the production line will be running while you%26#39;re there, however you%26#39;d still get a tour.
I am also planning a family vacation to Louisville this summer, but later in the first of August. You had lots of the same questions that I had. I%26#39;m taking my mother who is 74, but in very good physical condition, and my niece who will just have graduated college, and nephew, who will just have completed the bar exam. My mother and nephew will be looking for historical sites. Any suggestions? For my niece, we%26#39;ll be going to a Cin. Reds game. Thanks for the hotel tips that were posted. Does anyone have any tips on things that will make 3 generations happy? Thanks.
For historical sites, try Locust Grove, an historic home that was owned by the sister of George Rogers Clark and William Clark (of Lewis and Clark). There is also Farmington, owned by Joshua Speed, who was a dear friend of Abraham Lincoln, and The Farnsley-Moremen Landing.
A walking tour of Old Louisville, with its Victorian homes, is fabulous. Take a tour of the Conrad-Caldwell house.
You can also see the Thomas Edison House where he lived while he was in Louisville.
I still recommend a trip to the Falls of the Ohio Museum and the J.B. Speed Art Museum.
The Frazier Historical Arms Museum is one of my favorites. I love the first person interpretations of many historical figures, and the sword-fighting demonstration is out of this world.
I hope that helps!
kyderbymom, thanks for the info! It does help, because I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;ve seen anything in travel guides about the sword fighting demonstration! Thanks again.
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