Family Vacation Ideas in Lexington, Kentucky

Affordable Family-Friendly Vacation Destinations in Lexington

Popularly known as the horse capital of America, Lexington, Kentucky is also home to a number of family-friendly attractions.

Lexington, located in the heart of horse country Kentucky, is an ideal family vacation spot, due to the large number of museums and other educational venues found in the city. Fortunately, admission to many of these locations is quite reasonable, making an affordable family vacation in Lexington a viable potion, something that cannot be said of most large cities. These attractions are an ideal place to start planning your family vacation.

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky

Located on the campus of the University of Kentucky, the art museum is an ideal place for the family seeking to get a glimpse of artwork from around the world. The museum houses a substantial permanent collection, divided into the following categories: Painting and Sculpture (including pieces by such artists as Carracci, Bertin, and Metcalf,) Prints and Drawings (with pieces from both the Old Masters and several contemporary works,) Photography, and a wide variety of other pieces.

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky also hosts a number of temporary exhibitions, which in the past have included “The Bluegrass Palette of Andre Pater,” “Hoofbeats and Heartbeats: The Horse in American Art,” and “The British are Coming!: Discover the New English Art Club.”

Admission to the permanent galleries is free, making this an ideal stop during a family-friendly vacation; however, some exhibitions may require an extra cost. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 P.M. to 5 P.M. and on Friday from 12 P.M. to 8 P.M. Those wishing to contact the museum may do so at the following information:

Rose Street and Euclid Avenue

Lexington, KY 40506

859.257.5716

Aviation Museum of Kentucky

Located at the Blue Grass Airport, the Aviation Museum of Kentucky is an affordable family vacation idea that allows all members of the family to learn more about the history of aviation in Kentucky. Items on display include a number of restored aircraft (including a replica of the first aeroplane in Kentucky and a Waco biplane,) as well as a number of aviation artifacts.

The museum is also home to the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame, a shop for aviation restoration projects, a research library/archive, and a gift shop. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and on Sunday from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M. Admission for adults is $7, with decreasing rates for children and seniors, making them a quite affordable family vacation idea. Those who wish to contact the museum may do so at the information below:

4316 Hanger Drive

Lexington, KY 40510

859.231.1219

Explorium of Lexington

As one of the oldest children’s museums in the United States, the Explorium of Lexington is the ideal stop on a family vacation. The museum houses several permanent exhibits, including: Healthy Bodies (where children can learn about the importance of eating healthy,) Passport to the World (which has an interactive culture map,) and the Flight Simulator (where children can learn about the physics of flight.)

The museum also hosts a number of special events, such as the Museum Go Round, which features over 100 artists under the age of 18 who come together to exhibit and sell their artwork. They also host a number of overnight events with the Wilderness Road Girl Scouts. Attendance at both of these events often numbers in the thousands.

Admission to the Explorium is $6 for persons over one year of age, making it an affordable choice for family vacations. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and on Sunday from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M. Those who wish to contact the museum may do so at the information below:

440 West Short Street

Lexington, KY 40507

859.258.3253

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