# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Lexington: the parent guide > Lexington is horse country with toddler-sized extras: a children’s garden made for ages 2 to 6, a hands-on children’s museum downtown, a park with a sprayground and pedal boats, and the Kentucky Horse Park. - Last checked: 2026-10-18 - 12 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Joe Bologna’s (Downtown, near UK) - Pizza, breadsticks and pasta on West Maxwell Street. The children’s menu (under 12) has spaghetti, grilled cheese and tenders, each with a drink. - Price level: $$ - Menu prices: kids’ meals $8–$9, 12-inch round to sicilian pizzas $14–$20 - Hours: Sat 11am–10pm; closed Mon - Good for: Pizza and breadsticks with $8–$9 kids’ meals that include a drink. - Skip if: you’re eating out on a Monday; it’s closed. - Price source: https://www.joebolognas.com/menu (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://www.joebolognas.com/ ### Ramsey’s Diner (Masterson Station and Zandale) - A Lexington diner with breakfast served all day and dinner plates like country-fried pork chops with three veggie sides. - Price level: $$ - Menu prices: dinner plates $18.95–$21.95 - Hours: Sat 10am–10pm (both locations) - Good for: All-day breakfast for kids. - Skip if: you want a cheap dinner; plates run $18.95–$21.95. - Price source: https://ramseysdiners.com/menu (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://ramseysdiners.com/ ### Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream (Distillery District and Clays Mill) - Small-batch ice cream in two spots, open until 11 on Saturday nights at the Distillery District shop. - Price level: $ - Hours: Fri–Sat 12–11pm (Distillery District); 12–10pm (Clays Mill) - Good for: A late treat; the Distillery District shop is open until 11 on Saturdays. - Skip if: it’s already past bedtime. - Website: https://www.crankandboom.com/ ## Indoor play and rainy days ### Lexington Children’s Museum (Downtown, 440 W. Short St.) - Lexington’s hands-on children’s museum (formerly Explorium), with play spaces for kids and their grown-ups. - Price level: $ - Tickets: kids 2+ $10; adults $10. $8 for 65+, teachers and military; $3 per person with SNAP or WIC - Hours: Tue–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm; closed Mon - Good for: An after-nap stop at one flat $10 price; $3 per person with SNAP or WIC. - Skip if: you want a Monday or Sunday-morning visit; it’s closed Mondays and opens at 1pm Sundays. - Price source: https://lexingtonchildrensmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://lexingtonchildrensmuseum.org/ ### Central Library (Downtown, 140 E. Main St.) - The downtown library, with a STEAM lab and free children’s programs on the calendar. - Price level: Free - Hours: Sat 9:30am–5pm; Sun 1–5pm - Good for: A free children’s program and the STEAM lab. - Skip if: you need outdoor play; Jacobson Park has a sprayground. - Website: https://www.lexpublib.org/locations/central-library ## Parks and outdoor play ### Kentucky Children’s Garden at The Arboretum (Alumni Drive, by UK) - A garden made for kids 2 to 6, with water play and trains. The rest of the Arboretum is free and open dawn to dusk. Closed on UK home-game Saturdays (Oct. 24 next). - Price level: $ - Tickets: Per person $4; Under 2 free. The Arboretum grounds are free - Hours: Wed–Sat 10am–5pm through Oct 31 (buy wristbands by 4pm) - Good for: Ages 2 to 6 with water play and trains; under 2 is free and wristbands are $4. - Skip if: it’s a UK home-game Saturday, when it’s closed, or after Oct 31. - Price source: https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/visit (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/visit/kentucky-childrens-garden ### Raven Run Nature Sanctuary (South of town, along the Kentucky River) - A 734-acre sanctuary with 10 miles of trails through meadows, woods and streams. It fills up on weekends, so go early. - Price level: Free - Good for: Free trails, with a short paved Freedom Trail at the lot. - Skip if: you’re arriving late on a weekend; the gate closes when the lot fills. - Website: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/raven-run-nature-sanctuary ### Jacobson Park (East Lexington, 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Rd.) - A big lakeside park with pedal boats and kayaks, a fishing dock, a dog park and a sprayground. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free sprayground and watching boats on the lake. - Skip if: it’s too cold for the sprayground. - Website: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/jacobson-park ### McConnell Springs Park (Northwest Lexington) - A 26-acre natural area around the sinking springs where Lexington got its name in 1775. - Price level: Free - Good for: A short, free loop around the springs. - Skip if: you want a playground. - Website: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/mcconnell-springs-park ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Kentucky Horse Park (North of town, off I-75) - Meet retired champions at the Hall of Champions, ride the horse-drawn trolley and see breeds from around the world. Admission includes the next day free. - Price level: $$ - Tickets (last season): kids 5–17 $14; adults 18+ $28; Ages 4 and under free. Main season Mar 18–Nov 8, 2026 - Hours: Main season through Nov 8: daily 9am–5pm; closed Tue - Good for: The horse-drawn trolley; 4 and under are free and admission covers the next day. - Skip if: it’s a Tuesday, when it’s closed, or after Nov 8. - Price source: https://kyhorsepark.com/hours-admission/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://kyhorsepark.com/ ## Staycations and overnight trips ### 21c Museum Hotel Lexington (Downtown, Main Street) - A downtown hotel that doubles as a contemporary art museum, free to wander. - Price level: $$$ - Good for: A downtown stay with free art to wander. - Skip if: you’re uneasy about contemporary art around a curious toddler. - Website: https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/lexington/ ### Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill (Harrodsburg (about 45 minutes)) - A restored Shaker village with a farm, trails and river, plus The Inn for an overnight stay. - Price level: $$$ - Hours: Daily admission Tue–Sun 10am–5pm - Good for: A farm, trails and an inn about 45 minutes away. - Skip if: it’s Monday, when daily admission is closed. - Website: https://shakervillageky.org/ ## Free things to do - Central Library - Raven Run Nature Sanctuary - Jacobson Park - McConnell Springs Park ## Best for under 3s - **Lexington Children’s Museum**: Play spaces built for little kids and their grown-ups. - **Kentucky Children’s Garden at The Arboretum**: Designed for ages 2 to 6, and under-2s are free. - **Central Library**: Free children’s programs. ## With a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Storytime** (Lexington Public Library): Wednesdays at 11am · Beaumont Branch. Birth to 18 months. Enjoy songs, bounces, stories, and social time for babies and their caregivers. https://lexpublib.libnet.info/events - **Baby Storytime** (Lexington Public Library): Tuesdays at 11am · Central Library. Birth to 18 months. Enjoy songs, bounces, stories, and social time for babies and their caregivers. https://lexpublib.libnet.info/events - **Baby Storytime** (Lexington Public Library): Mondays at 11am · Eastside Branch. Birth to 18 months. Enjoy songs, bounces, stories, and social time for babies and their caregivers. https://lexpublib.libnet.info/events - **Family Storytime** (Jessamine County Public Library): Tuesdays at 10:30am · Jessamine County Public Library. Birth to 5 years. This storytime is for families with children 0–5 years old. https://jessamine.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming - **Baby Story Time (up to 24 months)** (Scott County Public Library): Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:30am · Scott County Public Library. Babies and toddlers. Baby Storytime is Fun for babies and toddlers up to 24 mos. https://scottcounty.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming ### Babies get in free - **Kentucky Children’s Garden at The Arboretum**: Under 2 free. https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/visit ### Changing tables and nursing rooms - **Central Library**: Every restroom has a changing table, and there are family restrooms on the first and second floors. ## Library storytimes - **Lexington Public Library**: Weekly at 6 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings, plus some evening sessions. Free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at Central Library and branches around town. https://www.lexpublib.org/ - **Jessamine County Public Library**: Weekly at the Jessamine County Public Library; Monday–Wednesday. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Mother Goose Storytime (Mondays 10:30am) and Family Storytime (Tuesdays 10:30am). https://jessamine.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming - **Scott County Public Library**: Weekly at 2 locations; Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, mostly mornings. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Baby Story Time (up to 24 months) (Mondays 9:30am, Scott County Public Library) and Toddler (24-36mos) Storytime (Mondays 10:30am, Scott County Public Library), with more at Off Site. https://scottcounty.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming ## Happening this week - **Trick or Treat at Shaker Village** (Fri & Sat 4:30–7pm) at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. $12 ages 3+ at the gate; 2 and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/#e-trick_or_treat_at_shaker_village - **PumpkinMania at Transylvania University** (Sun 11am–3pm) at Transylvania University (Old Morrison). Free. https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/#e-pumpkinmania_at_transylvania_university - **Halloween Variety Show & Festival** (Sun 4:30pm) at Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/#e-halloween_variety_show_festival - **Boo Bash (Marksbury)** (Thu 11am–12pm) at Marksbury Family Branch. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/#e-boo_bash_marksbury - **Halloween & Thriller Parade** (Sun 6:30pm) at Downtown Lexington (Main St.). Free. https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/#e-halloween_thriller_parade Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Lexington: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Lexington for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is the Kentucky Horse Park good for toddlers? Yes. Kids 4 and under are free, the horse-drawn trolley is a hit and your ticket covers the next day too. ### What’s free for little kids in Lexington? The Arboretum grounds, Jacobson Park, Raven Run, McConnell Springs and library storytimes are all free. ### What can we do in Lexington with a toddler when it rains? The Lexington Children’s Museum and Central Library are both downtown and indoors. ### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Lexington? Lexington Children’s Museum: Play spaces built for little kids and their grown-ups. Kentucky Children’s Garden at The Arboretum: Designed for ages 2 to 6, and under-2s are free. Central Library is also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Kentucky Horse Park (Ages 4 and under free). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Lexington? Lexington Public Library: Weekly at 6 locations; Monday–Friday, mostly mornings, plus some evening sessions. Jessamine County Public Library: Weekly at the Jessamine County Public Library; Monday–Wednesday. Scott County Public Library: Weekly at 2 locations; Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Lexington weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/lexington/). ### How do you choose the places in the Lexington guide? Every one of the 12 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 5 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/). ### How much is the Lexington Children’s Museum for a toddler? Kids 2+: $10; adults: $10 ($8 for 65+, teachers and military; $3 per person with SNAP or WIC). We checked this on [its official site](https://lexingtonchildrensmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/) on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.