Home of incredible Big Four Bridge, Louisville Zoo, Kentucky Derby Museum and many other activities to do in Louisville on Memorial Day. We've compiled some of the best activities to do in Louisville on this Memorial Day holiday.
When you’re looking for an inspiring location to get exercise, you will want to come to the Big Four Bridge on Memorial Day. Located in Louisville Waterfront Park and connecting Louisville KY and Jeffersonville, IN, beautiful sights will surround you including green spaces, splash pads, playgrounds, and more. Big Four Bridge is only for pedestrians and bicycles so you can feel safe getting the entire family outside for some play.
Oh, the animals you will see! Louisville Zoo has over 1,700 animals in 8 exhibits at any given time; The Islands, Africa, Glacier Run, Australia, South America, HerpAquarium, Gorilla world, and The Cats of the Americas. The Louisville Zoo offers family friendly fun and education, and don’t forget healthy physical activity. There is a 1-mile trail through the zoo so you can see the amazing animals while getting those steps during Memorial Day visit.
Kentucky is known worldwide for its famous horse race, The Kentucky Derby. Located next to Churchill Downs, The Kentucky Derby Museum prides itself on preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby.
The museum offers two floors of interactive exhibits sharing history dating back to the very first Kentucky Derby. The museum features artifacts showcased from the Kentucky Derby Champion winning horses over the years.
Horseback riding is a popular sport in Kentucky, but you will not find this opportunity at the Kentucky Derby Museum. If you’re looking to saddle up, check out a family farm in Louisville or visit the Kentucky Horse Park on Memorial Day. The Kentucky Horse Park offers horseback rides for families at a reasonable price.
Included in your general admission ticket, you will also want to go on the Churchill Downs Historic Walking Tour, where you will have a tour guide take you through the property and even down by the track. Have your camera ready!
Baseball is known as America’s pastime, and Louisville baseball is no different. Louisville Ky is home to the Minor league baseball team, Louisville Bats. But did you know that one of the greatest sports museums in the world is located in downtown Louisville, KY?
The Louisville Slugger Museum is where all of the action takes place and will entertain sports fans young and old. You will not want to miss the Louisville Slugger Museum Factory Tour, but be sure to buy your tour tickets early because they sell out fast! During the factory tour you walk through the production line for the Louisville Slugger bats, where you will see in the making, the famous wooden bats up close and personal, sure to delight any sports fan.
The Louisville Slugger history museum is located across the street from Louisville Slugger Field, where the Louisville Bats play. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do in Louisville KY with kids when visiting the city on Memorial Day. The Louisville Slugger Museum is even a good visit on a rainy day!
Get ready for some thrills, excitement, and quality family fun when at Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park on Memorial Day. The amusement park is more than just thrill rides, the park hosts two parks in one – the amusement park and Hurricane Bay Water Park.
The amusement park at Kentucky Kingdom is one worth checking out for any amusement park enthusiasts. The park is located right in the middle of Louisville KY and has smaller rides that are kid friendly and fast roller coasters for the thrill-seekers. Kentucky Kingdom is situated on 63 acres in the city and offers over 70 rides and attractions.
There is no shortage of roller coasters at Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park. The park is home to 5 thrill roller coasters and 1 kiddie roller coaster, where you will enjoy twists and turns and flips along the way. If you’re a fan of wooden roller coasters, you won’t be disappointed either – the Thunder Run is a world-renowned wooden coaster with a 74-foot drop and negative airtime, sure to excite the roller coaster lover in your family.
Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park is more than just thrill rides. If you’re visiting on a day when Kentucky humidity is high, plan to visit the other half of the park.
Located inside Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park, Hurricane Bay Water Park offers everything you look for in a water park. Although the park doesn’t offer any indoor pools, the park has all you could want. The water park includes one large wave pool, and a separate more family friendly, smaller wave pool. They offer the same options when it comes to a lazy river.
The water park offers a regular lazy river where you can float your way along and relax, or if you’re looking for more interaction, they offer a ride called Adventure River. The Adventure River is a chance to experience wild water adventure, moving at speeds 6 times faster than their original lazy river ride. This ride provides entertainment throughout the entire ride!
Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park doesn’t stop at the amusement park and Hurricane Bay Water Park. Throughout the park, you will find shopping opportunities, which are known as places to cool off when the sun is beaming down. Several souvenir shops are throughout, giving you an opportunity to purchase that goodie to remember your visit once home.
Kentucky Kingdom also provides a smorgasbord of dining options once inside the park. Bluegrass Bakery is where you will want to head if you’re searching for their world-famous cinnamon bread or coffee. If you’re needing more than just a sweet treat, you will want to stop at Taco Tequila; it’s a full Mexican restaurant. Visit Swampwater Jacks in Hurricane Bay Water Park for traditional park food of chicken tenders, pizza, burgers, and fries.
On Memorial Day, the Kentucky Science Center is the place to go when looking for things to do in Louisville KY with kids on a rainy day, or any day you just want hands-on fun with the kiddos! There is so much fun to be had at the Kentucky Science Center, and each exhibit on display offers a learning opportunity. Although the exhibits will sometimes change depending on the focus of the museum that month, there are usually 8 different exhibit areas to explore.
An exhibit titled, The World Around Us, gives you the opportunity to discuss and explore what is happening right around you. The World Around Us exhibit includes a weather station, an area to explore cave crawling (which is fun since Louisville KY is located close to Mammoth Cave, where you can climb through real caves!), and even an area to explore water and how it affects our world.
The Kentucky Science Center is known for its hands-on activities and provides kids a safe space to explore and be active. The Science In Play exhibit offers all of this and more! This exhibit has an activity wall that the kids can climb through, an area to play with Magna-Tiles on a light table to make their own creations, and even a water table to explore the properties of water as the kids make splashes.
The movie theatre is state-of-the-art and is Kentucky’s only 4-story, 3D theater featuring documentaries and full movies. The movie lineup is always changing; check out their schedule when planning your trip of things to do in Louisville KY with kids.
Louisville is home to one of the largest caverns in the world – don’t miss your opportunity to visit Louisville Mega Cavern during Memorial Day. With an average temperature of 58 degrees year-round, and over 100 acres, Louisville Mega Cavern is a unique place to explore when planning things to do in Louisville KY with kids.
Zip-Lining is where it’s at when visiting Louisville Mega Cavern, offering the world’s only full underground zip-line course. With every zip-lining adventure, your tour guide will be with you when exploring the spaces of this man-made cavern. The zip-line course offers 6 zip lines and 2 challenge bridges to test your balance skills!
In order to zip-line, you must be 7 years old. If you’re planning things to do in Louisville KY with kids and your kiddos are under 7, the Mega Tram may be for you.
The Mega Tram is for the entire family and offers handicapped accessibility options. Because you ride in a tram car and never walk, you get to explore the massive cavern right from your seat. Cool fact – The Mega Tram at Louisville Mega Cavern is one of only 2 places in the USA where you can explore a cavern on a tram!
If you’re more into exploring on your own and hiking trails, then the Mega Walking tour is for you! Again, you must be 7 years old to go on the walking tour. You will be guided on a 1.8-mile hike underground and get to explore around 60% of this huge man-made cavern! So lace up those tennis shoes and get ready to hike as you explore this underground masterpiece!
