Lexington: The Horse Capital of the World
Lexington, Kentucky – the horse enthusiast’s dream city! Lexington proudly wears the badge ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ and for good reason; this city loves horses. Visit the infamous Keeneland Race Course and check out a horse race or several. Take a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park and see over 50 breeds of horses. Visit the Thoroughbred Park as well, and view the horse sculptures there. However Lexington has so much more for visitors and residents alike. If horses aren’t your thing, you’ll definitely enjoy the other attractions that downtown Lexington has to offer. Tour the city’s historic sites or the Lexington distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Stay in downtown Lexington and enjoy the city’s galleries, shops, and restaurants. There’s so much to do in this great city!
Lexington’s Luxury Hotels or Budget Friendly Sleeping
Like all vacations, where you sleep in Lexington will be based on your budget. If your funds allow for a higher price tag, you should definitely stay in one of Lexington’s top luxury hotels. The Hyatt Regency Lexington is a great luxury hotel option. Located in the heart of downtown Lexington, this hotel is in walking distance to some of the city’s top attractions such as the historic Mary Todd House. There’s an onsite restaurant, that boasts great “Kentucky Cuisine”, and it converts to an upbeat cocktail lounge after hours. This family friendly hotel is also close to the University of Kentucky and the added bonus of offering free parking. If you’re looking for some ‘southern charm’ during your stay, then the Campbell House may be a perfect fit for you. This luxury hotel claims southern hospitality, at its finest. There’s also a southern-style restaurant located on site, a café and a Broadway-themed night club that features dancing and live music. The Campbell House is centrally located to everything Lexington has to offer. Although not in the heart of downtown, it’s only one-and-a-half miles away. It’s also only four miles from the airport and the hotel offers airport shuttle service. Horse lovers should stay here, as well, because the hotel is only several miles from the Keeneland Race Track and Kentucky Horse Park.
Lexington has been described as a wheel with spokes; with each main road, in the city, running from downtown Lexington to horse country. So getting to and from the heart of the city, and horse country, is easy. So if you don’t want to spend money on a luxury hotel, that’s okay! Lexington has great affordable accommodations that are just a little further away from downtown, but you’ll still be able to enjoy everything. The Howard Johnson Lexington is one of those great affordable options. This affordable hotel offers an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. The location is close to interstate 75, so you’re driving distance from all of the city’s attractions. You’ll be 15-minutes from downtown Lexington, as well as, a 15-minute drive to Kentucky Horse Park. Keeneland Race Course is 15 miles away. Another nice affordable option is the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lexington. Located near the airport, this family friendly hotel is a short driving distance to downtown Lexington and restaurants. Mary Todd Lincoln House, Thoroughbred Park and shopping malls are about six miles from the hotel also. Free parking and free Wi-Fi is available. This hotel also accepts pets.
The City of Horses
Horse-racing is a very popular activity in the city – it may be the number one thing to do in Lexington. You wouldn’t be wrong if you thought that as well, since the city is full of sights that promote the horse-racing business: competitions, farms and horse training. People from all over the world come to experience the energy of Keeneland Race Course. Open for over 75 years, Keeneland has been said to be the Hollywood of the Thoroughbred industry. It offers some of the most competitive horse racing in the world. Keeneland is also known as the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction company, earning over $468-million in horse sales a few years ago. If you come to Lexington, even if you’re not a big horse-racing fan, you should definitely check out Keeneland Race Course. Although the races are sporting events, they offer the perfect blend of a socially good time as well.
Maybe horse races aren’t your thing. Perhaps you’d rather see horses in a calmer setting or you’d rather see exhibits on horses. Well, Lexington has that too. The Kentucky Horse Park is your place. Kentucky Horse Park is set on more than 1,200 acres of land and it showcases horses in every way! There are dozens of different horse breeds in the park demonstrating equine presentations of work and play. There are horse-drawn trolley rides, horse farm tours, horseback riding for adults and pony rides for the youth. You can also check out the Breeds Barn and Hall of Champions horse shows. Not to mention there are horse museums on sight: the International Museum of the Horse – that covers more than 50 million years of equine history and the American Saddlebred Museum – which offers an education on Kentucky’s first native breed of horse. And the best part of all? The Kentucky Horse Park is also one of America’s finest camping grounds – so you can stay on one of the 260 paved sites and enjoy the store, swimming pool and other amenities!
Finally if you want to observe trainers as they teach horses the proper skills for becoming winners, which includes training regimens and conditioning programs, you should check out the Thoroughbred Center for a tour.
Other Things to do
Outside of horse related things, you can still come to Lexington and have a great time. Besides horses, the city also takes pride in its historical heritage. You have to visit the original houses of Mary Todd Lincoln and the politician Henry Clay. Tours are offered for both of their homes, to discover what life was like in the past centuries. The Waveland State Historic Site is a good place to check out too. Lexington is known for its nature, as well, and it’s always on full display in numerous parks around the city. Although located in the Lexington Cemetery, you should take a stroll through The Tulip Garden – that picture will be breathtaking.
An abundance of restaurants are at your fingertips; from the Food Court at The Shops at Lexington Center, to the eateries lining the Lexington Restaurant District. You’ll always have something tasty to eat. Local theaters, Broadway shows, Concerts, The Opera House, bar hopping and clubs – there’s no shortage of what you can do in this awesome city. Then of course, there’s shopping and Lexington has plenty of that too. The Victorian Square is in the heart of downtown and has been around since the 1880s. It has 16 buildings that offer visitors a mixture of shopping, galleries, restaurants, bars, and even a theater and museum for children. There’s also the Woodland Triangle which offers local shopping and other locally owned, small stores. Finally, if you have time within your trip, check out the bourbon distilleries in the city. You won’t be disappointed.