kentucky down under with toddlers

I had an errand to run in a nearby town last week so I declared it “fun day” for the twins and I. Kentucky Down Under was just a few minutes from where we were and I thought it would be the perfect thing to do on a pretty day. I braved it alone with the twins and we had a blast!

We arrived and the parking lot was full. Not only was the parking lot full but the line was out the door! Turns out there was a Groupon special going on and that, on top of it being Spring Break, made for a busy place. So my first tip is to check Groupon before you go. There were some great specials going on but we didn’t apply to any of them as I just had to pay for one adult admission, three years and under get in free.

I did notice most people were renting golf carts, then I got nervous. How big was this place? How far were we going to have to walk? Keep in mind I had no idea what it was going to be like and I had two three-year olds with me, and I was in ballet flats. We definitely didn’t come prepared! But guess what? We didn’t need a golf cart and I was completely fine in my ballet flats, all while packing a super cute three-year old boy half of the way.

Here are some things to keep in mind to make your trip to Kentucky Down Under a fun one:

1. Check Groupon for any discounts.
2. Don’t rent a golf cart unless walking a few miles is an issue for you, it was $30 to rent one for up to four people.
3. Take the cave tour first, if possible. They assign you a time at admission.
4. After the cave, take the nature trail to enjoy scenery and the outlook before visiting the animals.
5. Have many one dollar bills on you to purchase animal feed.
6. Try to visit the animal section during one of the programs offered. It will all be listed on your map given to you at admission.
7. Walk through the bird exhibits on your way back to the gift shop.
8. Browse the gift shop last when your kids are exhausted and won’t be interested in anything. There’s also complimentary water available there.
9. Pack a lunch! There are so many great spots available and if I would have known I definitely would have packed a lunch. There’s a place to eat in the animal section, but it seemed overpriced to me.
10. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

We, luckily, got a complimentary golf cart ride up the hill and arrived at the cave entrance. We had a few minutes before our tour began so the twins played in the water at the gem mining area. We didn’t pay for them to search for gems, but they enjoyed playing in the water.

The cave tour is about 40 minutes long and there’s about 150 steps. I contemplated whether I should do the tour or not with the twins since I was by myself. A couple staff members reassured me it would be fine. I’m so glad we took the tour because the twins were fascinated! I did hold my breath a couple of times because I had to carry Thatcher through most areas, he didn’t have waterproof shoes on, while holding Hadley’s hand. Some of the steps are very narrow and if anyone were to fall it wouldn’t be pretty. Luckily we had very nice families ahead of us and behind us who helped us out a bit. The tour is very nice and the guide told us all about the history of the cave.

Once we exited the cave we walked the nature trail to the overlook. It’s basically a short walk in the woods but it takes you to the overlook with a great view. While most people walked the other way to get on their golf carts, we got to sit down and have a snack at the overlook. We even Facetimed Isaac so the twins could tell him all about the cave.

A short walk brought us to the animal section of Kentucky Down Under. This is where you need your one dollar bills handy! We went from exhibit to exhibit feeding and petting animals. It was really neat to see all the different animals and the twins were elated they could pet them.

Be sure to check your map that will list all the programs happening that day. We watched the Woolshed Program and it was so neat. Basically the herd dog herded the sheep but there were lots of funny stories that went along with it. It was really cool to see the herd dog in action.

They have numerous herd dogs on the property that you are allowed to pet and play with. They were all so sweet!

By this time the twins were getting very tired and hungry. I honestly could not believe they had made it through the whole place without tiring out! We quickly looked at all the birds and headed to the gift shop. We walked in, looked at everything, and walked out. They weren’t interested in anything but food at this point. We took advantage of the complimentary water before heading down the hill to exit.

We spent about two and a half hours there and couldn’t have had more fun. I highly recommend going, especially if you have children three and under because they get in free! I’m all about taking advantage of some free activities! If you’re local to Leitchfield the drive is only about 45 minutes and the scenery is pretty as you drive through parts of Nolin Lake.

Have you ever visited Kentucky Down Under? What was your favorite activity there?

For more details check out their website, www.kentuckydownunder.com.