Louisville might be famous for the Kentucky Derby, but there’s so much more to discover when you visit with kids. Located just over an hour from Cincinnati and 2.5 hours from Dayton, this lively Kentucky city blends hands-on museums, indoor and outdoor adventures, and a family-friendly food scene, so there’s something for all ages to enjoy. From underground caverns and factory tours to kid-friendly restaurants and walkable city life, Louisville delivers big experiences without big-city stress!
Family Activities to Do, See + Experience in Louisville, KY
My family and I spent a long weekend exploring the Derby City. Here’s what we did, saw, ate and experienced in Louisville for our memorable family getaway.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Visiting the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is a must when in Louisville, because it’s both fun and educational. Visitors can watch bats being made, touch different types of wood used to make the famous bats, and learn how baseball equipment has evolved over the decades. Interactive exhibits keep kids entertained, while short videos explain the game in simple terms. The highlight for many kids is holding real bats used by famous players, which makes history feel real. The museum is compact, easy to navigate, and perfect for short attention spans. It’s a great stop for families, even if baseball isn’t their favorite sport together there. Don’t forget to pose in front of the giant bat that’s outside of the museum before you leave.
Frazier Kentucky History Museum
Visiting the Frazier Kentucky History Museum is a great place for families to explore the history of Louisville. Located on Museum Row, it blends state history with hands-on learning that keeps kids engaged. Exhibits feature artifacts, stories and multimedia displays covering frontier life, music, sports and innovation. Children can enjoy interactive galleries and live interpretation programs that bring the past to life.
Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum offers families a lively introduction to Louisville’s most famous tradition: horse racing! Located at Churchill Downs, the museum combines colorful exhibits, short films, and interactive displays that keep kids interested while parents soak up the history. Children can learn about horses, jockeys and racing silks, while the immersive video experience makes the excitement of Derby Day easy to imagine. The walking tour, which takes you into the actual seats and race track at Churchill Downs, is an easy 30 minutes. This is an entertaining, educational stop that works well even for families who aren’t big horse racing fans.
Louisville Mega Cavern
If you’re looking for a unique adventure in Louisville, go underground! Louisville Mega Cavern is a one-of-a-kind adventure located in a former limestone mine that has been transformed into a massive underground playground. The cavern offers experiences for all ages. For a low-key adventure, take the Mega Tram tour to glide through huge cavern passages while learning about geology, mining history and underground features. Or for adventurous families, try the aerial Mega Quest ropes challenge, where you can soar on the underground zip line course. The cavern also hosts seasonal attractions, like Lights Under Louisville, a unique light displays during the holidays that fills the cavern with themed lands, projection zones, lasers, synchronized tunnels, holiday music, and more than 7,000,000 points of light.
Speed Art Museum
The Speed Art Museum in a great stop for families looking to mix art with hands-on fun. As Kentucky’s oldest and largest art museum, it features a diverse collection from ancient to contemporary works. One of the highlights for kids is Art Sparks, an interactive, hands-on gallery where children can explore creativity and art concepts through play and activities included with admission. The museum also hosts family-friendly events, workshops, and guided experiences that make art engaging rather than intimidating for young visitors. Bonus: General admission is free every Sunday!
Claw Zone Arcade
Claw Zone is a quirky arcade, dedicated almost entirely to Japanese-style claw machines. Here, you’ll find dozens of colorful machines filled with plushies, snacks, keychains and fun surprises you can win. Kids of all ages can try their luck and build up prizes, and even trade smaller wins for bigger rewards, making it interactive and exciting for the whole family.
Activate
My kids love to compete, so Activate was a must-visit stop in Louisville. This gaming venue blends digital technology with physical activity through a series of immersive game rooms, where you jump, dodge lasers, solve puzzles and shoot hoops, all while earning points tracked on electronic wristbands. There are dozens of challenges at varying skill levels, so it’s the perfect activity for kids and adults to do together.
Places to Eat in Louisville
Louisville knows how to feed a family! The city’s food scene is offers restaurants and eateries with all types of cuisines, from Southern comfort food to pub fare, and everything in between.
Logan Street Market
A public market is always on my radar when visiting a new city, so Logan Street Market was one of our foodie destinations. This year-round public market brings together dozens independent food vendors, artisan shops and community stalls under one roof, which is perfect for families who love trying new foods and discovering unique gifts. Families can play at the huge arcade, sample different cuisines, and explore quirky finds, all in an open and relaxed setting. We sampled falafel and hummus from Jerusalem Kitchen, a cheeseburger and fries from Ziba’s Bistro, and a loaded baked potato from Spudzy Potato Bar.
Noble Funk Brewing Company
If your family enjoys good food with quirky vibes, stop by Noble Funk Brewing Company in the historic SoBro neighborhood. This family-owned brewery offers craft pizzas and a welcoming atmosphere, with artisan brews and a spacious indoor-outdoor setting. While you wait for your food to arrive, grab one of the many board games available to play at your table.
Good Belly
Good Belly is a Jewish-style, New York deli-inspired sandwich shop, specializing in corned beef and pastrami sandwiches on rye, matzo ball soup and knishes, as well as a wide variety of desserts. Before you leave, make sure to snap a Polaroid photo of your family to put on the wall!
Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen
Located on downtown’s lively Main Street, Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen offers Southern-inspired comfort food like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and shareables like nachos, pretzels with queso, and other kids and adults favorites.
Where to Stay in Louisville
We stayed at the Galt House Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Louisville. This beautiful hotel has riverfront views and was walkable to many of the attractions on our agenda, including the Louisville Slugger Museum. This is Kentucky’s only waterfront hotel, so make sure to get a room that takes advantage of the beautiful scenery! Galt House Hotel offers spacious guest rooms (including suites), free Wi-Fi, a seasonal outdoor pool, and a fitness center that offers 360-degree views of the river and the city. This was a great home-base to explore the city as a family.
