Toddler friendly restaurants/things to do downtown?

My husband and 19 month old son are in town for the 4th of July weekend. We%26#39;re staying at the Hyatt downtown. (Got a great rate there, btw.)

Are there good, kid friendly restaurants downtown to eat, particularly for breakfast and lunch? We are supposed to meet a group of friends too at the Maker%26#39;s Mark restaurant Saturday night. I assume they allow children (I hope.)

Also, how%26#39;s the Science Museum and the Zoo? Looking for other options to keep my son entertained.

Thanks for your help!

Toddler friendly restaurants/things to do downtown?

IMHO, the Science Museum is pretty lame. Not much to look at. I%26#39;ve taken my daughters there many times at various ages, and they%26#39;ve never stayed interested for very long. IMAX movie is always good, though. Might scare a 19 month old, however.

Our zoo, however, is one of our favorite places to go. Be sure to go feed the lorikeets. Kids love it.

Our zoo isn%26#39;t as big as many larger city%26#39;s zoos. But, I think it has some really good displays. Gorillas, Herpaquarium, penguins, lorikeets, petting zoo, are a few of our favs there.

And if he likes animals, there is a great petting zoo out on Rose Island Road called Henry%26#39;s Ark. It%26#39;s free, but they exist on donations, so be generous if you go. And take a loaf of bread, box of crackers, greens, carrots, grapes, raisins, celery, etc. to feed the animals.

And the little guy might really enjoy a ride on the Belle of Louisville. Our very own, old-time, steam driven paddle-wheeler.

As for kid-friendly restaurants: Couldn%26#39;t tell ya%26#39;. We%26#39;re always embarrassed whenever we take our kids out to eat. So, when you have un-restaurant-friendly kids, it%26#39;s hard to say what is a kid-friendly restaurant.

Have fun.

Toddler friendly restaurants/things to do downtown?

And if the Bats are in town (I think they are this weekend), go see a baseball game. They are the AAA farm team for the Reds. The ballpark (Slugger Field, of course) is right downtown and is a great little place. Great seats, easy to access concessions, playground, carousel, etc.

There are several different playgrounds and water parks downtown at Waterfront park.Within walking distance from the Hyatt. You could eat at The Spaghetti Factory or Friday%26#39;s, Cunninghams, Joe%26#39;s Crab Shack, Tumbleweed, or any of the restaurants on the Indiana side of the river.I think the science center would be a good idea, they may still have the kids zone.Also take a carriage ride!

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s suggestions! We really enjoyed your city. I%26#39;ve driven through, but never enjoyed it as a tourist. :-)

We did go to the Science Center. Kidzone was open, and my son enjoyed the water table and the various displays. The other exhibits were probably a little too ';old'; for him, although he enjoyed running around. We also toured the Louisville Slugger bat factory. My son slept through the whole thing, thank goodness. But we enjoyed the tour. Highly recommend it if you are a baseball fan.

We ate at ';Red Star Tavern'; on 4th St. Live on Friday night. It was suprisingly ';kid friendly'; - good children%26#39;s menu. Got my son the pasta with cheese sauce, and he loved it. (We even tested it and it was good!) My husband and I had great meals (best bar food I%26#39;ve had) and the service was great.

Saturday we walked around the riverfront and relaxed a bit. Saturday night we again tried 4th St. Live for dinner and wish we went to ';Red Star'; again. We tried ';Sulley%26#39;s Irish Pub'; and it was NOT kid friendly. They have no children%26#39;s menu, and the waitress looked at me funny when I ordered milk. (I know - it%26#39;s not the place for 1 yr-olds, but we had such great luck with ';Red Star';.) We met with a group over at Maker%26#39;s Mark Cafe - great place, but definitely a restaurant for adults.

Sunday we enjoyed a day at Churchill Downs. The last day of racing! My son loved looking at the horses. We enjoyed the backside tour as well. I%26#39;m not sure if it would be that exciting to go there when there is no racing, but some may prefer it a little quieter.

All in all, a great trip with a little one!