Some might think of Kentucky as just horse racing at Churchill Downs or whiskey brands galore and miles of undeveloped countryside. But it’s actually a fantastic family vacation destination. For many in the US, a drive to the state can be done in less than a day and is well worth it.

Some things you should know. First, many of the places mentioned in this article are great for families because they are affordable and don’t go overboard on elaborate bells and whistles. Second, the state’s highways are easy to travel. You could start your Kentucky vacation in Louisville before heading south to Cave City and Bowling Green, which are both just a couple hours away. Also, there are rest stops, restaurants, and lodging located at convenient intervals between the bigger cities and towns.

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

Baseball fans surely know this name and those who just like to see how things are made will enjoy a trip to this factory and museum located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It’s an easy to find museum – just have your little ones watch for the giant baseball bat out front!

2009 is the 125th anniversary of this company and a great time to visit. With each paid admission ($5 for kids 6 and older up to $10 for adults) a guided tour is available. Most folks allow about 2 hours to see everything. You might want to keep this a secret to keep little ones surprised – everyone who goes on the tour receives a miniature souvenir bat at the end. How fun!

Some of the things you can expect to see in the museum include the first public display of a Louisville Slugger bat that was used by Joe DiMaggio during his 56 game hitting streak in 1941. There is a special area where visitors can actually hold bats used by past and present baseball superstars. A recent renovation to the museum allows for updated factory tours where one can see how the famous bats are made. We should also mention that for the very first time, the bat used by the legendary Babe Ruth during his 60 home run season of 1927 is on display.

Note: There is no bat production on Sundays or holidays. Be sure to check www.slugger.com for more details and driving directions to the museum prior to your trip.

Dinosaur World

If you have a child who adores dinosaurs, consider stopping by Dinosaur World in Cave City, Kentucky. Here, your little one will marvel at the more than 100 life-size replica dinosaur statues as you walk through the wooded area. Some of the exhibits will move or have sound along with signs indicating facts about each particular kind of dinosaur. There is also a place for kids to dig for fossils, view a film about dinosaurs in the “movie cave”, and unearth a life-size dinosaur in the “Boneyard”.

There is no restaurant on site, but there is a picnic area. Stop by a local grocery store for a loaf of bread and some cold cuts, cheese, or other finger foods and enjoy a fun picnic after everyone has worked up an appetite from exploring Dinosaur World. Afterward, the younger set can burn off some energy on the playground while the adults relax.

Admission is approximately $9.75 for children 3-12 and $12.75 for adults. There is a small additional fee for the fossil dig. The park is located right off I-65 and is open daily from 8:30 am until sunset and closed for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Active US military get in free by showing their ID.

Tip: Check www.dinoworld.net for special events. For example, on Halloween, kids in costume who are ages 3-12 will get in for free. There is also free admittance given to any child who visits on their birthday.

Note: If you visit during the warmer months, be sure to mind your step as you hike through taller grasses. We encountered a non-poisonous snake while making the short hike up to a spot that overlooked the freeway to see the huge T-Rex that beckons you to stop.

National Corvette Museum

Those with teens or kids who are interested in automobiles will enjoy a stop at the National Corvette Museum and Assembly Plant. Open most days but holidays from 8 am until 5 pm, you can see how the Corvette has changed through the years and even take a tour of the factory where they are made.

Admission ranges from $4.50 for children 6 and older and up to $8.00 for adults and there is a family rate of $20.00 available. Tours of the factory are an additional $5.00 and take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Be sure to check online to make arrangements in advance to help ensure you get your preferred tour time.

Tip: If you have a AAA card or college student in your group, you will be entitled to a discount on admission.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Located in central Kentucky lies a series of caves and caverns that sprawl over an area longer than 325 miles – and that’s just the known parts of this amazing subterranean labyrinth. Mammoth Cave is the longest and one of the most well-known cave systems in the world.

Formed over millions of years as water eroded limestone, Mammoth Cave contains a variety of geologic features including broad caverns, narrow horizontal caves, huge vertical shafts, and stalactites, stalagmites, and white gypsum crystal formations. For fun, do you remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites? *answer below

There are guided tours available of varying lengths and degree of difficulty. We took the Frozen Niagara tour and it was very cool. It is listed as strenuous and we found this to be true mostly because of the steps required. The actual 2 hour tour went by at a nice pace and we learned a lot, including seeing some of the amazing animal life that lives in caves and out of natural sunlight.

Tip: Be sure to check out the various tours offered online and make your reservations early. There is a limited number of tours each day and they do sell out, especially during the summer and on weekends.

Gemstones

As you travel throughout Kentucky between the places mentioned above, you might see hand-written signs pointing the way to gemstone spots. This is a low-tech way to entice you to usually family-owned and operated places where geodes and assorted gemstones can be bought and/or searched for amongst a variety of set-ups.

One place you might wish to stop in Cave City (not far from Mammoth Cave and Dinosaur World) is Big Mike’s Rocks, Gifts, and Mystery House. Here you will find mostly reasonably priced items for souvenirs. There are t-shirts aplenty and a nice porch with rocking chairs. In addition to the fantastic assortment of pretty rocks and gemstones is the “Mystery House”. It costs $1.00 for adults and 50 cents for kids for the short guided tour. It’s best to enjoy this hand-made “house” through a child’s eyes as you marvel at how water could possibly defy gravity and run uphill or how optical illusions work. It’s not grand, but it was some cheap fun!

Note: Our 5-year old enjoyed looking through the ugly-on-the-outside rocks for a full 5 minutes before finally settling on one to have sawed open to reveal a pretty green geode inside. I think we paid about $10 for it and she still likes to look at it up close and remember our trip to the caves and through Kentucky.

Final Tip: As you travel through Kentucky, be sure to look for the discount booklets in hotel lobbies, restaurant entrances, and in the rest stops. Numerous tourist attractions, lodging places, and restaurants offer discounts with the coupons found in these free booklets.

* Answer: stalagmites grow up from the floor while stalactites look like icicles and hang down from the ceiling of a cave or cavern. Did you get it right?