Valley Station, KY Local Area Information

Located in southwest Louisville, Jefferson Memorial Forest is the nation's largest municipal urban forest. The forest has more than 35 miles of hiking trails ranging from an easy, paved 10-minute loop to a 6.2-mile trail. Visitors can fish in Tom Wallace Lake, and tent camping is available in the Horine Reservation, located near the hiking trails. read more about Jefferson Memorial Forest (read more)

One of Louisville's many Olmsted-planned parks, Iroquois Park's 725.85 acres includes walking, hiking, and bike paths, bridle trails, a golf course, playgrounds, a splash area, picnic shelters, and the Iroquois Amphitheater. An overlook at the top of the hill in the middle of the park provides a grand view of Louisville. The road to the top is open to cars from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, Satu... (read more)

In Louisville, you can visit the grave of Patty Smith Hill, one of the sisters responsible for writing the "Happy Birthday" song, at Cavehill Cemetery; you can also visit Little Loomhouse, where the sisters first sang the song at a birthday party. Little Loomhouse consists of three cabins (all three are on the National Register of Historic Places) that served as Master Weaver Lou Tate's home, stor... (read more)

Said to be the two most exciting minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs. Unless you have some strong Louisville connections, don't count on getting tickets for anything but general admission (in recent years, there have been special Derby and Oaks packages. 2011 reserved seating tickets are $480 each). General admission tickets are $40 and get... (read more)

The Kentucky Oaks is the sister race to the Kentucky Derby. Run the Friday before Derby, Oaks is a race for three-year-old fillies and is marketed as a "Ladies Day Out" event. Attendees where pink, and the Oaks winner receives a garland of lilies, whereas the Derby winner gets a rose garland (hence the name "Run for the Roses"). To match the Derby mint julep, the race now also has an official drin... (read more)

On the first weekend of May, Churchill Downs hosts the Kentucky Derby. Fans of horse racing visiting Louisville at other times can sample Derby excitement and have a day at the races for a significantly lower ticket price (usually $3, except on special event days). Place your bets (helpful signs provide bet-placing instructions to newbies) and try a mint julep, the official drink of Churchill Down... (read more)

To get a full history of the Kentucky Derby, visit the Kentucky Derby Museum, located next to Churchill Downs. In addition to the two floors of Derby history and trivia, admission includes a historic walking tour of Churchill Downs. Step into the roles of the different Derby participants: try to hold a jockey's pose on a simulated horse, announce a race in a sound-proof booth, design your own silk... (read more)

Located next to University of Louisville's Belknap campus, the Speed Museum is Kentucky's oldest and largest art museum. Admission is free for members, $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children between 3 and 17, and free for children under 3. The first Friday night of the month is free for everyone (between 5 and 9 PM, not including special exhibitions). Children will enjoy Art Sparks, the a... (read more)

Squallis Puppeteers is a group of local artists and performers who use homemade puppets (some as tall as nine feet) to tell creative and educational stories. The non-profit group, whose name is taken from the Latin word for shark, offer shows on a number of topics, from healthy food and Abraham Lincoln to lessons on emotions presented by dinosaur puppets. Different stories are geared at different ... (read more)

The Louisville Zoo is not just for animal-watching. Feed the birds nectar at Lorikeet Landing, pet a wallaby or wallaroo (and learn the difference) in the Wallaroo Walkabout, and watch the seal and sea lion training demonstrations at Glacier Run. And if watching a giraffe bend and twist itself over a fence to munch on green leaves isn't enough entertainment, check out the splash park (open seasona... (read more)