Create memories with a week (or weekend) of Summer fun in Louisville. We’ve pulled together a suggested list of family-friendly attractions and hidden gems around town below that are perfect for exploring.
Great for Teenages & "Tween"-agers
Art comes to life before your eyes with glassblowing at
Flame Run. You are the artist with the “Design Your Own” experience where trained artists help you create your one-of-a-kind art piece. Become part of the art at
21C Museum Hotel’s falling letter art installation near the elevators. Just hold your arms out to see where the letters land. Before leaving, take a selfie with one of the red penguins that “roam around” the lobby.
For indoor fun and games, check out
Activate Games where high-tech games test your physical and code-breaking skills (it’s almost like being a part of the movie TRON). Fulfil the need for speed up to 30 mph with indoor go-karts at
Bluegrass Indoor Karting & Events. Wall-to-wall trampolines await at
Altitude Trampoline Park with basketball, dodgeball, foam pit and more. (For the little ones in your group—not to worry. There’s a kid’s court the perfect size for them.) Check out
Dave & Buster’s or the
Main Event for additional indoor fun. For indoor putting fun, head over to
Puttshack for an interactive miniature golf experience like never before with larger-than-life obstacles, lights, and music.
A former limestone quarry underneath parts of Louisville found a new life as the world’s only underground adventure park. The
Louisville Mega Cavern is home to a zip-line course, tram tour, ropes course, bike tour, and more. Enjoy outdoor thrills and chills at
Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay Amusement Park with over 70 rides and attractions throughout the amusement park and over 25 water slides, plus a wave pool at the water park.
The Younger Crowd
Take a 90-minute guided tour of Louisville to see all the sights aboard
Trolley De ‘Ville.
Waterfront Park's playground is perfect for kids to run around and explore. Be sure to walk across the
Big Four Bridge to watch the barges navigate the Ohio River. The
Speed Art Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Kentucky that is home to classical and modern art plus rotating temporary exhibitions. For the budding artist, stop by
Art Sparks-- an interactive, hands-on art gallery.
Ready to meet some four-legged friends? Stop by the
Louisville Zoo, where you’ll meet include Lee the Polar Bear, Fitz the African Elephant calf, and the newest slower moving residents—the two-toed Sloths Sebastian and Sunni. Across town, goats, donkeys and horses are waiting to say "hi" at
Blackacre State Nature Preserve. Just north of Louisville,
Huber’s Orchard & Winery Family Farm Park is loaded with outdoor fun with a train, slides, mazes and larger than life animals (don’t worry they won’t bite).
Along the banks of the Ohio River in Southern Indiana, budding geologists will enjoy hiking atop the 390-million-year-old fossil beds at the
Falls of the Ohio State Park. As the largest hands-on science center in the state, the
Kentucky Science Centeren courages all visitors to engage in science in their own way throughout each of the floors.
All Ages
Hike through one of Louisville’s many parks from
Iroquois Park to the newest park system-- the
Parklands of Floyds Fork. Head across the river and back in time at
Rose Island to roam among the remains of a 100-year-old abandoned amusement park. Just south of Louisville is
Bernheim Arboretum and Forest where you can join one of the daily educational programs, walk among the canopy tree tops or meet the three Forest Giants who call the forest home.
Stop and smell the flowers at the
Waterfront Botanical Gardens where there is always something new in bloom. Visit an urban farm with the tiniest livestock of butterflies and exotic insects at
Idlewild Butterfly Farm & Insectarium.
Cave Hill Cemetery began in the 1840s as a garden-style cemetery that has evolved into an award-winning arboretum that is the final resting place for many famous Kentuckians like Colonel Sanders and Louisville’s own, Muhammad Ali. (Traveler tip: once inside there are two colored lines on the ground to guide you around—Green for Muhammad Ali & Yellow for Colonel Sanders.)
A few hidden gem attractions worth a visit include the
Little Loomhouse, that has been welcoming guests since the 1880s like Frank Lloyd Wright & Eleanor Roosevelt, but the Little Loomhouse is famous for being where the “Happy Birthday to You” song was composed and first performed by the Hill Sisters. Also, opening in 2026,
The Dot Experience at the American Printing House for the Blind, the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to creating for the blind and visually impaired from braille books to talking books for over 150 years.
Get ready to cheer on your favorite sports teams—the
Louisville Bats, the Triple-A team for the Cincinnati Reds, at Louisville Slugger Field or the
Louisville City FC (men’s professional soccer team) and
Racing Louisville FC (women’s professional soccer team) at Lynn Family Stadium.
Keep your eyes peeled as you walk down the street, pass alleys, traverse through parking garages, and past the backdoors of businesses— or you might miss some unique artwork and sculptures.
Alley Gallery has turned the downtown area into an outdoor art gallery featuring the work of local artists.
Louisville has no shortage of events happening all summer long. Check out our calendar of events to see what is going on while you're visiting or sign up for our weekly Front Runners tip sheet for the "best bets" for weekend fun.
Posted by: Louisville Tourism
Posted on: 16/07/2025