On a recent weekend trip to Louisville KY, we began our journey focused on the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Adventure Park. Although the water park was not yet opened for the year, we were hopeful that the theme park would provide enough entertainment to satisfy our withdrawal from the Disney theme parks. To say the least, we were disappointed.
Financially, we thought that the $29.95 season pass that we purchased at Kroeger's in advance was a steal so we bought 3. Our youngest is 2 and doesn't need a pass quite yet. So with passes in hand we made the 4 hour drive from Nashville. Upon entering the park, we were directed to the season pass office which was completely chaotic, yet surprisingly not too long of a wait to get our info put into the system and our photo badges processed. We still had hope...
Making our way to the kids area of the park however, it was quickly evident that we would struggle to spend more than a couple of hours in the park. There were a handful of rides that both of our children could enjoy and very little enthusiasm by the park employees to make any sort of memorable experience. Children were climbing all over the planters, taking cuts in line, running throughout and there was little to no effort by the parents or the employees to regain any type of order. The show we caught the end of seemed cheesy and forced. "Are you having fun!!!" No not really... And of course there was the "snack" that we opted to buy. Some soft pretzels and a drink for $8.95... and they were out of toppings. Almost $10 bucks for soft pretzels without cheese...what a ripoff...'well we have some mustard'.
Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It
Kid Friendliness Factor: 3
Worth the Money Factor: 3
Level of Fun: 4
Since the amusement park ended up being a bust, we weren't going to return there and had one more day in Louisville KY. Fortunately we came across the Louisville Slugger Museum. This is the factory where Louisville Slugger bats are made. While the ideal age for this tour is probably more in the 5 and up category, my 2 and 4 year old actually did pretty well. The museum and tour includes a short movie about baseball and a re-creation of a baseball field complete with players. There is also a section where, by pushing a button, you can pitch a baseball, or play a video to learn more about the history of the game. The kids enjoyed those parts and really enjoyed the Peanuts section of the museum that was being featured. They sat in baseball shaped bean bag chairs and watched Charlie Brown while we looked at the exhibits which made for a very enjoyable experience for parents and kids alike! Even the factory tour moved along at a pace that the kids didn't get bored and get into trouble.
Ratings 1=Best Ever, 2= Pretty Good, 3= So,so, 4=Not So Much, 5=Not Worth It
Kid Friendliness Factor: 2
Worth the Money Factor: 1
Level of Fun: 2
Labels: kids, Louisville KY, travel
