70 No-Cost Ways to Have Fun in Lexington and the Bluegrass
Who says you have to spend big bucks to have a good time? Not in Lexington and the Bluegrass Region. Here are great ways to have fun without paying admission.
1. Watch an early morning workout at Keeneland Race Course or the Red Mile Harness Track - or take a self-guided track tour. Keeneland: (859-254-3412 or 800-456-3412) The Red Mile: (859-255-0752)
2. Rev up your knowledge of a new kind of Kentucky horsepower at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Inc., in Georgetown, where Toyota automobiles and engines are made for the world market. (800-866-4485)
3. Explore the spirited Kentucky tradition of bourbon-making with free tours at Buffalo Trace, maker of Ancient Age (502-696-5926 or 800-654-8471), Four Roses (502-839-3436), or Wild Turkey bourbon distillery (502-839-2182)
4. Snap a "photo finish" at the Lexington's Thoroughbred Park, Main and Midland streets, where realistic, life-size bronze horse statues race and graze.
5. Thrill to our version of "Palisades Park" - the 734-acre Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, where hiking trails wind through meadows, woodlands and along streams in the scenic Kentucky River Palisades area. (859-272-6105)
6. Admire Old Masters, American and Kentucky masterpieces and some of the nation's best traveling art exhibits at the at The Art Museum at The University of Kentucky. (859-257-5716)
7. Take a memorable (and memorial) stroll through Lexington Cemetery, nationally recognized for its arboretum and gardens, and final resting place of Henry Clay, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, basketball coach Adolph Rupp and other famous Lexingtonians. (859-255-5522)
8. Do some water-watching (and people-watching), day or night, in front of the cascading wall of fountains at downtown's Triangle Park, corner of Main and Broadway. Or stop at the unique fountains in front of the courthouses on North Limestone for more water wonders.
9. Sneak a peak through a special viewing window into Rupp Arena, home court of national basketball champs, the University of Kentucky Wildcats. (859-233-4567)
10. Explore the area at your own pace using the Lexington Walk and Bluegrass Country Driving Tour, available at the new Lexington Visitors Center in Victorian Square. (859-233-7299 or 800-845-3959)
11. Act like a kid again at one of Lexington's incredible Creative Playground structures, in Jacobson and Shillito parks. (859-288-2900)
12. Learn all about "Big Blue" traditions (in education and sports) with free guided tours Monday through Friday, in the morning and in the afternoon, of the Lexington campus of the University of Kentucky, Kentucky's largest university. (859-257-3595)
13. Visit Kentucky Derby winners and other famous equine residents of the Bluegrass at area horse farms; the Lexington Visitors Center can tell you which farms allow visitors at no charge. (Tipping is recommended.) (859-233-7299 or 800-845-3959)
14. Share the visions of Lexington artists at Loudoun House, 209 Castlewood Dr., the home of the Lexington Art League. The house, a Gothic villa built in 1852, is itself a work of art. (859-254-7024)
15. Stroll back in time in Gratz Park, Lexington's poshest neighborhood of the early 1800s and still a scenic and charming place to live. (North Mill and Market streets between Second and Third.)
