Things to Do In Lexington

If you are visiting Lexington or thinking of relocating here, your first question is probably, “What is there to do?”

Lexington is a modern city with a rich history. There are many museums celebrating Lexington’s past, such as the Alexander T. Hunt Civil War Museum and the Mary Todd Lincoln House, as well as modern art galleries and interactive museums, such as the Explorium Children’s Museum, a science-based interactive experience for children.

Scattered throughout the city there are many shopping areas including Fayette Mall, Lexington Green, and Hamburg Pavilion that offer a mix of local and national retailers. The Beaumont Center in southwest Lexington is home to office space, retail shops, hotels, and the MoonDance Amphitheater, which hosts live music, films, community events, and plays. The Summit at Fritz Farm is Lexington’s newest destination for work and play with over 20 restaurant options featuring chef-inspired, local flavors, luxurious, build-to-suit office space, apartments, and The Barn – the first food hall in Kentucky. 

The downtown universities also contribute to the cultural opportunities in Lexington. The Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts at the University of Kentucky annually presents a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized performers, faculty music groups, artists, and a theater department. The University of Kentucky Art Museum has a diverse permanent collection and has been the site of many special national shows, including the Armand Hammer Collection. At Transylvania University, the Morlan Gallery hosts a range of traveling exhibitions.

Traveling just a few miles outside of Lexington, one can experience the city’s beautiful horse farms and greenery. Lexington is the Horse Capital of the World and is home to many famous horse farms. Residents can tour farms on the Horse Country tour company and see famous horses, such as American Pharoah, Triple Crown Winner. Our scenic byways are also popular for bicyclists and runners.

Lexington is home to one of the most iconic race courses in the world, Keeneland Race Course. Historic Keeneland is the world’s premier thoroughbred auction house and its global brand attracts a diverse international clientele. Keeneland also has live racing every April and October, creating one of the most popular events in Lexington.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,200 acre competition facility and tourist attraction. It is home to 34 horse associations and is recognized as the epicenter of equestrian life, sports, and business. Perhaps most notably, the park annually hosts the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The World Equestrian Games is the Olympics of the horse industry and was hosted in Lexington in 2010. The event generated an estimated $201.5 million into the Kentucky economy and sold over 400,000 tickets to visitors from 63 countries.

Lexington is an active city and boasts many recreational activities including a multitude of 5Ks and most recently a new half marathon, Run the Bluegrass.

For everyone eager to get outside and move, Lexington provides unlimited experiences. Lexington’s 5,000+ acres of park land, 9 aquatic facilities (4 of which are aquatic centers), 6 golf courses, 74 tennis courts, and 65 ball fields will probably be enough to keep you busy for days, if not weeks. Less than an hour away from Lexington is the Red River Gorge, ranked one of the top mountain climbing destinations in the world.

The Legacy Trail opened to the public on September 12, 2010. The Legacy Trail is a twelve-mile long paved walking and biking trail leading from the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in the East End, and other areas in downtown, to the Kentucky Horse Park. The Legacy trail is a public art venue, a place to learn about our environment and our past, and a great way to simply get healthy and enjoy our beautiful countryside. Over eight miles were completed in the first phase.

In addition, Lexington has a vibrant art scene centered in the downtown area, along with museums and theaters, guaranteed to satisfy any cultural taste. Finally, there is a restaurant and nightlife scene that takes great advantage of Lexington’s college town status.

There’s still so much to discover in Lexington! No matter the experience you are looking for–food, bourbon, art, craft beer, family fun night-Lexington offers a full day of activities. VisitLEX has organized unique staycation day agendas to help you explore Lexington. Suggestions include ordering a blueberry buckwheat pancake at Alfalfa Restaurant, joining West Sixth Brewery’s Wednesday yoga class, enjoying a coffee brewed in a bourbon barrel at A Cup of Commonwealth, or fly a simulated plane at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky.

For more information on all Lexington has to offer, please visit the following sites:

VisitLEX	TopsInLex.com	LexGo.com