Kentucky Kingdom is a 67-acre theme park situated in Louisville, Kentucky, at the intersection of Interstate 65 and Interstate 264. Originally conceived by the Kentucky State Fair Board in 1977, construction began in 1986, leading to the park's public opening on May 23, 1987. After closing following its debut season, it was reopened in 1990 by Ed Hart. The park was later operated by Six Flags between 1998 and 2009. Today, Kentucky Kingdom is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board and operated by Herschend.
The park spans 27 hectares and shares a parking lot with the Kentucky Exposition Center. Historically divided into themed sections such as Carousel Plaza, Old Louisville, Kentucky Frontier, and The Enchanted Forest (later King Louie's Playland), the complex expanded over time to incorporate major additions. A central feature of the property is Hurricane Bay, a water park built directly into the grounds to provide guests with access to both land rides and water attractions without requiring a separate admission ticket.
Kentucky Kingdom is known for hosting groundbreaking thrill rides and roller coasters. Highlighted attractions include Lightning Run, the world's first Chance Rides Hyper GT-X Coaster, and Wind Chaser, the first roller coaster in the United States to feature a barrel roll drop. The park also features notable rides such as T2, North America's first Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster, and historic record-breakers like Chang and Mile High Falls. The park offers varied entertainment suited for thrill-seekers, families, and water park visitors.
01 Signature rides & attractions
The park’s headline rides across its themed areas. Confirm heights and any single-rider lines on the day.
Compiled from Wikipedia · a full ride-by-ride list per themed area is on the way.
Park map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the park and its surroundings — entrances, themed areas, car parks and access roads. Zoom in for detail; the official ride-by-ride park plan is linked below.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official park maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Tickets & prices
Ticket prices for Kentucky Kingdom change by date and season, and the park sells single-day, multi-day and annual passes — buying online in advance is almost always cheaper than at the gate, and popular dates can sell out. Check the official site for live pricing before you travel.
We deliberately don’t list prices that change daily — the ticket button leads to live, up-to-date pricing.
03 Getting there & parking
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| Motorway | Intersection of Interstate 65 and Interstate 264 |
| Parking | Shares a parking lot with the Kentucky Exposition Center |
Getting there & parking · Last updated: 2026-09-12 · prices may change
04 Themed areas
Each area has its own theming — architecture, food and rides. Half the fun is simply walking through.
Good to know
- Hurricane Bay water park is included with park admission without a separate entry fee.
- The park shares its main parking area with the Kentucky Exposition Center.
