Kentucky Horse Park

Loved everything about it!Museum was excellent!Staff was friendly and helpful.They provided a scooter for my husband who had hip discomfort walking.

Happened across this place randomly on trip to Lexington a few years ago. In the moment my friend and I were just trying to pass a few hours, but we ended up really loving it and having the best time.First off, the park is stunning! Gorgeous landscape, luscious green grass and white picket fencing as far as you can see. They clearly treat the horses like royalty and all humans and animals we encountered were very happy. Very informative sessions free to learn about the history and all in all, a unique and interesting experience I wasn't expecting, but really enjoyed!

The First Saturday Lecture Series for 2024 began today with three equine focused photographers. Living in the Bluegrass, we all take photos of horses. They are, after all, everywhere. Some creative ideas to help take more interesting photos. 13

If you're in the area you just have to stop here. You can learn about the racing history as well as many other horse breeds up close and personal. They have some retired cart horses and thoroughbreds, mounted police horses, draft horses and everything in between. Check it out!

What an amazing after Christmas day! We took our son and his girlfriend as a day trip to and we were not disappointed. Arrived about ten o'clock. Toured the American saddlebred museum first. This museum is definitely geared toward a target audience. Lots of pictures and awards displayed. Wonderful celebration of this incredible breed of horse. Next we went to the Police Barn where we met horses McKenzie and Oliver and their respective human partners. I don't ever use officer's names in public forums, but both officers were very engaging and enjoyable to talk to. One of them had actually been at ground zero during the immediate aftermath of 9-11. It was an honor to meet her. After taking some pictures, we meandered over to the mini barn and met some delightful miniature horses. From there we toured the Museum of the Horse. This is definitely a go to destination for any horse lover. Amazing collection of horse relative memorabilia and equine folklore. The museum was clean, had a nice flow to it and was quiet and engaging. The Calumet horse racing, trophy cup collection is housed here, truly a Kentucky treasure. After we finished at the museum, we made our way over to the Visitor's center where there is an ample gift shop to pick up souvenirs for the trip! After that we visited the monument in Secretariat's honor and the grave of Man O' War, two horse racing legends. Restrooms in both museums were extremely clean. Parking was ample. Follow appropriate signage on the grounds to direct your party along the way. The cost is $14 a person, which for all we got, I feel is reasonable. We never made it to the hall of champions or the main barn. One note to those who have walking issues, there is a lot of walking to be done. A motorized wheelchair or scooter would be recommended for anyone who cannot walk more than short distances. During the summer months, the venue has all kinds of events on the schedule. This is definitely a Kentucky treasure and a place well worth visiting more than once!

On the day after Thanksgiving (November 24), my wife and I took our Grandson to the Kentucky Horse Park. We wanted him to see the horses. He enjoyed petting the cats. He liked it so much that my wife wanted us to come back for the Southern Lights show. The light show drive was nice. The real fun was the animals. My grandson enjoyed a camel ride. It made him feel like a King.If you come to Lexington, and haven't been here, you should go.

Oh what fun ! This place is massive and just beautiful all around . I can't wait to go back .

We're on a long road trip, and knew that we HAD TO do something related to horses while in the Lexington area. We usually live in a rural area of Virginia, but we're not generally exposed to horses so this would be our opportunity to learn and to come into closer proximity to these magnificent creatures. We arrived on a Sunday around noon in late April. Ticket prices were $16 (adult) and $14 (senior, 62+). Their website said that parking would be $6 but we were never charged that fee. These were their spring prices; they are higher effective May 1. Park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We arrived with a ton of other cars but the park itself was relatively uncrowded. It's possible that there was an equine competition going on elsewhere on the premises. Some of the features of the park include:1. Two Museums to explore equine history. 2. Horseback trail rides suitable for first-timers. 30-minute guided trail rides at designated times. Extra $30 per rider). Also, pony rides for ages 2-12. ($6 for 3 times around the paddock. Designated times). 3. A daily schedule of short shows. (5 shows, at 10 am. 11, 1, 2, and 3). 4. The opportunity to visit various barns, including the big barn, the kids barn, mounted police barn, and more. 5. Equine sculpture walk, which features equine sculptures from artists around the world which are scattered throughout the grounds of the park. Despite all of these features, my husband and I left the park feeling that we had actually seen very few live horses. We visited all of the barns -- and found that the majority of the stalls were empty. Where there were horses, they were hard to see and/or photograph because they were behind bars or sleeping. The 2 pm "Draft Horse Meet & Greet", billed as an opportunity "to meet the largest horses of the park" featured only one horse. The presenter spent much time talking about the heights of different breeds but it was hard to visualize without being able to visualize the breeds side-by-side. An outdoor field had only two horses within its fences. No Mounted Police were in the Mounted Police Barn. We do not recommend the experience at its current price point.

Overall an enjoyable visit. Close to downtown Lexington, parking is $10 and tix are around $15-$20 depending on age. You can book tickets in advance but not the horse rides; those must be bought day of. Plan on arranging those first if you want to do them (they are extra $) because the convenient times fill up quick. They have shows twice a day (free); I do recommend trying to catch one of those. Be aware that after the afternoon show, most of the horses are moved from the stables to the pastures so they're not as accessible, so maybe morning is a better time to visit. They also have some museums, a police horse exhibit and a playground. If visiting with children, plan for 2-3 hours, plus horse rides and eating. We did not eat here; they do have a cafeteria, and plenty of areas to bring a picnic. It is pretty outdoorsy, so probably not a good choice for inclement weather.

So much fun!!!! Please do yourself a favor, go to the shows and GO HORSEBACK RIDING. For 25$, you ride for about a mile and a half in a group. Each horse is chosen for you, depending on your size and experience. You're taught basic commands and the horses are well trained. They follow each other in a line and they don't stray. I don't have any experience riding and was really nervous, but had so much fun.The shows are great, and petting at the end is encouraged. I loved learning about each breed and getting to know the horses personalities. The museum is amazing too, you learn so much about jockeys and the history of racing. Totally worth it.