Kentucky Horse Park

Kentucky Horse Park celebrates all things equine. Naturally, there's plenty of emphasis on the racehorses that represent a $436 million industry for Kentucky, which produces one-third of the nation's thoroughbreds. But there's plenty to see, hear and do having to do with horse breeds from all over the world at this working horse farm, museum and equine education center.

Visitors — especially the young ones — will delight in the 10-minute horse-drawn trolley tour of Kentucky Horse Park and in the equine presentations throughout the day. (Check the Daily Show and Activity Schedule for times.) Visitors can even take a guided 35-minute trail ride — suitable for beginners at least 7 years old — for $22. (Save $7 by buying the trail-ride ticket at same time as admission.)

Delight in the many horses at Kentucky Horse Park. In addition to the draft horses pulling the trolley, you'll see 2,100-pound English Shires costumed as chargers for medieval knights, a domesticated Mustang, retired thoroughbreds, mounted police horses, donkeys, mules — 29 total breeds. Most are gentle enough to enjoy petting — although not all! Twenty-four different breeds of horses traipse through the show ring in the twice-daily Parade of Breeds at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Visitors to Kentucky Horse Park's hands-on International Museum of the Horse (included in admission) will learn about breeds as disparate as European draft horses, Welsh ponies, Russian Trotters, Falabella miniature horses of the Argentine pampas and the endangered Przewalski horses from the Mongolian steppes, of which only 60 remain in the wild. The museum even has an online Horse Breeds of the World encyclopedia.

Visitors to the 38,000-square-foot museum will also learn about the 55-million-year history of the horse, from its first appearance as a multi-toed creature no bigger than a miniature poodle to its domestication 4,000 years ago to the latest roles for horses.

Paintings and sculpture of horses also dot Kentucky Horse Park, including a bronze statue of Man o’ War, the Lexington-foaled thoroughbred considered the greatest racehorse of the 20th century. (Man o’ War died in 1948, but was reburied at Kentucky Horse Park in 1977.)

Visit the Memorial Walk of Champions, the final resting place of quite a few legendary racehorses, including 1987 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Alysheba (died 2009) and two-time Horse of the Year John Henry (died 2007).

Kentucky Horse Park is available for birthday parties, weddings and more. Call (859) 259-4219 for details.

Admission from March 15 to Oct. 31 costs $15 for adults and $8 for children 7–12. Kids 6 and younger always get in free. From Nov. 1 through March 14, admission drops to $9 for adults and to $6 for those 7–12. AAA members, military and seniors 62 and older get $1 off each ticket.

Parking costs $3 from March 15 to Oct. 31, except for a $5 parking fee during the three-day Rolex equestrian event, April 22–25. Parking is free from Nov. 1 to March 14.

- by Ivonne Rovira, Lexington Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Ivonne Rovira

A graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.