Kentucky Down Under, Horse Cave, KY

When you want to see animals and birds that are not from around here, the place to go is to Kentucky Down Under, Horse Cave, KY. This unusual and exciting place for the whole family is about halfway between Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN, on Interstate 65.

Kentucky Down Under is a place you can go with the family to see the animals and lore of the Australian Outback. Instead of a zoo, however, visitors can walk among the various animals and actually pet them. This includes creatures like red kangaroos, wallabies, emus (similar to an ostrich), and blue-tongued skinks.

There are also two aviaries that you can walk into. Visitors can get a cup of seeds from a guide and the friendly birds that are native to Australia will fly around and feed out of their hands. The other aviary contains other unique birds like the Laughing Kookaburra, the Papuan Frogmouth, and Rainbow Lorikeets.

Aboriginal life is also revealed in various ways at Kentucky Down Under. In a 45-minute presentation at Camp Corroborre, kids have the opportunity to learn of what it is like to live in the Outback, as well as experience what it is like throwing a boomerang, hearing the ancient music of the didgeridoo, and listening to a storyteller.

At the Woolshed, opportunities are given to learn about what takes place at an Australian sheep station. Young people can learn firsthand about helping to shear sheep, and watching border collies bring in the sheep by themselves. They can also help to milk cows at Kentucky Down Under, too.

The founders of Kentucky Down Under, Horse Cave, KY, grew up on a sheep station in Australia. They also are familiar with other animals that were brought to the Outback by settlers, and these can also be seen in the Taraba Station. This includes camels, goats, rabbits, and more, along with a brief presentation of how this has affected the Australian flora and fauna.

Horse Cave (also called Hidden River Cave) is the name of the town where all of these things are located. This cave's entrance is right in town which only has about 2,200 people in it. You can go down about 150 feet below the surface and see some unusual rock formations.

Kentucky Caverns are also very close by, too. These caverns are very accessible by tourists and there are guided tours which take about 45 minutes through this wet cave. Reservations are not needed - just show up.

There are plenty of activities for the young folk, and visitors should allow between four to six hours to see everything. Once the sightseeing is finished, visitors may want to eat at the Outback Caf,. Here, they can taste Australian Outback food in the form of soups, salads and sandwiches. A Gift Shop and Fudge Factory are also waiting, too.

The Kentucky Caverns are open all year round, but the animal exhibits of the Kentucky Down Under, Horse Cave, KY are closed from early November through the middle of March. Special rates are available to educational groups, corporate groups, and more.

Many other exciting places to see are also nearby. This includes the Mammoth Cave, Diamond Caverns, Dinosaur World, the Corvette Museum, the Horse Cave and a few more.