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Louisville Zoo, Louisville, KY

Photo: BlueShirtz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

AttractionsFamily Favorite

Louisville Zoo

1100 Trevilian Way · Louisville, KY

Why you should go…

The Louisville Zoo is a 134-acre zoo in the Poplar Level neighborhood, known as the State Zoo of Kentucky. You walk through zones such as Africa, Australia, the Islands and Glacier Run, an arctic gold-mining town where you watch polar and grizzly bears, seals and sea lions. The HerpAquarium holds piranhas, vampire bats and King Louie, a white-scaled American alligator. Families can cool off at the Zoo Splash Park and play at the Billabong Playabout.

  • #zoo
  • #polar bears
  • #animals
  • #kids activities

Good to know

General attractions guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Book the time slot, not just the ticket

    Timed entry is now the norm at big-draw attractions, and online tickets are often cheaper than the gate.

  • Grab the daily schedule on arrival

    Feeding times, keeper talks, and shows run on a posted timetable that changes day to day.

  • The first hour is the quietest

    Queues build through late morning and peak after lunch, so an early start buys you the shortest waits.

  • Budget past the ticket price

    Parking, lockers, strollers, and food inside the gates are common extras worth planning for.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Louisville Zoo, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
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    Louisville Mega Cavern

    Under $25

    A former limestone mine under Louisville where you ride a guided tram, zip line or climb a ropes course entirely underground.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

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    Kentucky Kingdom

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    A theme park with six roller coasters, family rides and the Hurricane Bay water park beside the Kentucky Exposition Center.

    2.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Speed Art Museum

    $25–$50

    See art from antiquity to the present, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Monet, at a Louisville museum founded in 1927.

    3.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Churchill Downs

    Under $25

    Watch Thoroughbred racing beneath the Twin Spires at the track that has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875.

    3.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Kentucky Derby Museum

    Under $25

    Explore two floors of Kentucky Derby history, watch a 360-degree film and join a guided track visit at Churchill Downs.

    3.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Big Four Bridge

    Free

    Walk or bike a half-mile 1895 railroad bridge over the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

    4.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing