Bucket List Activities to Do in Louisville this Summer

An adults-only swim at FRP LaGrange Quarry

2201 Fendley Mill Road, La Grange, Kentucky
Experience clear blue waters at this adults-only quarry just outside of Louisville. There are places to picnic, designated rocks for wannabe cliff jumpers and — new this year — a beach for those who want to relax. For safety, floatation devices are required and alcohol and drugs are banned. Book your tickets ahead of time to ensure a spot at this popular attraction.
Photo via facebook.com/FRPLaGrangeQuarry

Lavender picking at Lavender In Bloom

426 McClelland Circle, Georgetown, Kentucky
About an hour outside of Louisville, there’s a place where lavender fields bloom, and you can pick your own bundle. There’s also lavender oils, candles and bath salts for sale — and photography sessions ready to book. The farm opens in June for lavender picking and turns into a sunflower farm in late August. You can also visit Little Mount Lavender in nearby Simpsonville, Kentucky, which doesn’t have u-pick lavender just yet but does sell lavender pastries, cocktails and other products.
Photo via facebook.com/UPickLavenderGeorgetown

A day trip to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari

452 E. Christmas Blvd, Santa Claus, Indiana
Head to Santa Claus, Indiana, about one-and-a-half hours away from Louisville, for a delightfully kitschy theme park experience with seriously thrilling rides. Within Holiday World, you’ll find mini parks devoted to the major American holidays, including Halloween, Thanksgiving and, of course, Christmas. You can also visit Splashin' Safari for a world-class water park experience.
Photo via santaclausind.org

A Bourbon Paddle Tour

7323 Peaks Mill Road, Frankfort, Kentucky
Only Kentucky would combine kayaking, canoeing and bourbon. Canoe Kentucky, based in Frankfort, offers this Buffalo Trace Distillery tour that starts with a paddle down the Kentucky River. A fully catered lunch is included. Prices start at $69.50 for single kayaks.
Photo via facebook.com/canoeky

Staycation at Progress Park Airstream Resort

4501 Progress Blvd.
At Progress Park, Louisville residents can get away from the hustle and bustle of city life without even having to leave. Situated just 11 miles from downtown in the Buechel neighborhood, Progress Park Airstream resort has something for everyone and is the perfect spot for an all-inclusive glamping experience with its five vintage Airstream trailers, two houses and a bunkhouse. It all sits on a sprawling 12 acres with tetherball, four beaches, a playground, hiking trails, a volleyball net and canoes, kayaks and paddle boards for the two acre pond. — Kathryn Harrington
Photo by Kathryn Harrington

Louisville Bats $2 Tuesdays

401 E. Main St.
You can go to a Louisville Bats game to cheer on the team, but it’s more fun when you can enjoy cheap concessions. Hot dogs, popcorn, chips and Pepsi drinks are $2 for Tuesday home games.
Photo via facebook.com/louisvillebats

A day of Luxury at the Omni Louisville Rooftop Pool

400 S. Second St.
We might not be able to afford a night in one of the Omni’s luxury rooms, but we can swing a day feeling on top of the world at the Omni’s rooftop pool. The pool is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Check with the Omni for prices.
Photo via facebook.com/OmniLouisville

Play a round of beach volleyball

J-Town Beach, 10315 Watterson Trail, Jeffersontown, Kentucky
Besides being located, oh, approximately 629 miles from the ocean, J-Town Beach, based in Jeffersontown’s historic Gaslight district, is a lot like your favorite seaside vacation spot. Anchored by two sand volleyball courts, the quaint bar serves alcoholic slushies and authentic Jamaican food out the back. Most evenings are dedicated to team games, but on Saturdays the beach is available for open play.
Photo by Danielle Grady

The Great Lawn at Waterfront Park

231 East Witherspoon Street
Whether you go for Waterfront Wednesday, Forecastle, Pride, or even just a chill picnic with friends, the Great Lawn has a lot of space and a lot of sunlight.
Photo by Nik Vechery

Yurt it up at Red River Gorge

Campton, Kentucky
In Red River Gorge, you can rough it, glamp, sleep up high in a luxury tree house — or, you can book a yurt for $150 a night. These insulated vacation homes available for booking through Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals have different rooms, furnishings, round skylights, porches with hot tubs and fire pits.
Photo via facebook.com/RedRiverGorgeCabinRentals

Get wet at a Coat Check Pool Party

American Turners-Louisville, 3125 River Road
Louisville’s version of a Vegas pool party, Coat Check’s nighttime ragers throughout the summer are a chance to hang out with friends, show off that new bikini, grab a drink and get lost in some DJ tunes. 21-plus, obvs.
Photo via facebook.com/coatcheckevents

Hang with the Bard at Shakespeare in the Park

Central Park, 616 Myrtle St.
Summers mean evenings in Old Louisville with The Bard and his conduits, Kentucky Shakespeare. The troupe performs free renditions of Shakespeare through August on their outdoor stage, whimsically built around the trunk of a giant tree. There are always food trucks about, too, if you hath a craving for some sustenance.
Photo via facebook.com/KentuckyShakespeare

Take in a Drive-In Movie

Multiple Locations: Georgetown Drive-In, 8200 Highway 64, Georgetown, Indiana; Sauerbeck Family Drive In, 3210 D.W. Griffith Lane, La Grange, Kentucky
Those folks in the ‘50s had something right: Drive-in movies are way cool, Daddy-O. Luckily for us, Louisville never caught on to the death of the drive-in, and there are two options for outdoor movie lovers: Georgetown Drive-In across the bridge in Southern Indiana and the Sauerbeck Family Drive only 30 minutes away in La Grange.
Photo via Sauerbeck Family Drive-In

Goat Milk Stuff

76 S. Lake Road, Scottsburg, Indiana
At the Goat Milk Stuff family farm, you can snuggle with baby goats and take a tour of the grounds, including its soap, candy, cheese and milk-making operations. There’s also a shop where you can buy all of the things made on site.
Photo via facebook.com/goatmilkstuff

Test your balance with Stand-up Paddle Boarding

Endless Summer Paddle and Coffee, 1301 Frankfort Ave.
Whatever kind of stand-up paddle boarding you’re into, Endless Summer Paddle has got you. They teach lessons for beginners in the Ohio River or at Taylorsville Lake, hold SUP yoga and other fitness classes and offer river tours.
Photo via facebook.com/endlesssummerpaddle

Strawberry Picking at Berry Best Farm

26011 Highway 62, Nabb, Indiana
At Berry Best Farm “strawberry fields forever” is kind of the name of the game. The Southern Indiana farm has been family-owned and operated since 1975. Starting around June, you can head to the country to pick a basket of juicy strawberries yourself.
Photo via acebook.com/BerryBestFarmIndiana

Find treasure at the Paristown Flea

Christy’s Garden, 720 Brent St.
Calling vintage lovers, one Saturday a month through October, you’ll have a chance to pick through carefully-curated booths filled with furniture and clothing finds at the outdoor Paristown Flea. All that shopping can get exhausting, but no worries, because there will be food trucks and a pop-up bar, too.
Photo via facebook.com/FleurDeFleaVintageUrbanMarkets

Play a Round of Putt-Putt

Putt-Putt Fun Center, 5720 Bardstown Road
The Putt-Putt Fun Center is good, old fashioned family fun, and by that, we mean cheap. It’s $9 a piece to play three games. The mini golf range’s animal statues and plastic rock formations are a little run down, but that’s part of their charm. Inside the building, you’ll find a collection of arcade games — including a palm reading stand and Crazy Taxi — that have probably been there since the 2000s, just waiting to spark whatever pocket of your brain nostalgia is stored in.
Photo by Kathryn Harrington

Attend a Lou City FC or Racing Louisville Game

350 Adams St.
There are multiple reasons to go to a professional soccer game in Louisville right now: 1. Lou City FC are at the top of their game, and 2. Lynn Family Stadium is state of the art. Watching a game there feels as big as it is.
Photo via facebook.com/LynnFamilyStadiumLouKY

Twilight Thursdays at Churchill Downs

700 Central Ave.
Thursday nights during the summer are special at Churchill Downs. Get casual with horse racing accompanied by $2 beers, live music and food trucks. Tickets start at only $7.
Photo via Churchill Downs