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Race on over to Bowling Green for ice cream, an underground boat tour, & speedsters

Race on over to Bowling Green for ice cream, an underground boat tour, & speedsters

A young girl and her brother stand in front of vintage red and white gas pumps and a corvette at the National Corvette Museum.
A bright yellow corvette sits behind three large plasma screen tvs as part of a corvette simulator at the National Corvette Museum. +12
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Wanting to explore Kentucky but not sure where? Look no further than Bowling Green. A mere 3-hour drive from the Huntsville Metro Area, Bowling Green is a fun destination for a weekend getaway whether you have teens or toddlers. Read on to participate in the journey with us!

Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green

We packed the car with our luggage and three kids and began our journey around 8 a.m. We arrived at Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green right before lunch. There we ate lunch (they serve burgers, chicken tenders, salads, and sandwiches). For dessert, we enjoyed assorted flavors of ice cream. Our favorites were Birthday Cake and Cookies & Cream, but they have a HUGE offering so sample as many as you want. After lunch, we went outside to their playground to burn off some of that sugar! The playground is right behind the restaurant and keeps with the red barn theme. It has swings, all sorts of slides, and other playground equipment. After about an hour on the playground, we made our way to the short self-guided farm tour in one of their barns. Before starting our tour, we got to say hi to a few calves that were in a pen right outside the barn (please note, petting the cows is not allowed). Once inside the barn, we saw a short video about the farm, the milking process and watched a live robot milking the cows. There is an observation window upstairs to see Chaney’s milking cows and their caretakers at work.

A young girl and boy play on a red seesaw with a barn themed playground behind them at Chaney's Dairy Barn in Bowling Green, KY.
The barn-themed playground is a great way to burn off some energy at Chaney’s.

Things to Know Before You Go:

Website | Facebook | Instagram 
Phone: 270-843-5567
Address: 9191 Nashville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101 (map)
Admission for Self-Guided Tour – $4/person, lunch items moderately priced. Playground is free to all customers.
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Please note self-guided farm tours end at 5:30 p.m.
Parking: Ample on-site and free
Bathrooms: Restrooms are inside the restaurant and the tour barn, no baby changing stations.
Allotted time: around 2 hours
Other: Purchase tickets inside the restaurant and drive to the barn.

Lost River Cave

Lost River Cave is only 15 minutes away from Chaney’s Dairy Barn in Bowling Green and a great next stop. Here we went into the gift shop to purchase our tour tickets and browsed until our tour started. It is about a 0.5 mile walk from the gift shop to where the tour starts, so be sure to head that way about 10 minutes prior to your time. Once the tour began, the guide took us on a beautiful 20-minute guided walk along the rivers edge to the massive cave entrance. Here we donned life vests and walked down a steel staircase to board the small boat.

A mother and three children stand beside a visitor's center sign for Lost Rivers Cave in Bowling Green, KY.
Lost River Cave offers an exciting tour for all ages.

The boat tour lasted approximately 25 minutes. We learned some interesting facts and history of the cave, from being a hideout for none other than the outlaw Jesse James and Civil War campground, to a Prohibition-era underground club. After the tour, we took a leisurely stroll along the water’s edge to the Nature Explore Playscape, an all-natural elements playground geared for children 6-12 years old (but enjoyable for anyone). Additional activities we didn’t get to experience: Butterfly Habitat open Memorial Day through Labor Day, gem mining, and two miles of various walking trails.

Things to Know Before You Go:

Website | Facebook | Instagram 
Phone: 270-393-0077
Address: 2818 Nashville Rd. Bowling Green, KY 42101 (map)
Admission: Children ages 1-3 are $5.95; Kids ages 4-12 are $16.95; Anyone 13 and over are $22.95; Infants under 1 are free.
Hours:  Monday thru Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bathrooms: Restrooms are inside the visitor center, no baby changing stations.
Allotted time: around 2 hours
Other: There are stairs and rough terrain on the tour, I would recommend a baby in a carrier. Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the Visitor Center.

See Also

National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green

The next day, we visited the National Corvette Museum. For all those car lovers out there, this is a must see! Even if you are only marginally interested in Corvettes, this museum will get anyone excited about these sleek roadsters. There are five permanent exhibits in the 115,000 square-foot museum ranging from the Nostalgia Gallery to Design and Engineering Gallery to the Corvette Hall of Fame and various rotating exhibits throughout the year. The museum doesn’t just feature Corvettes. There were several super cars from other manufacturers on display, including cars from film and TV.

A young girl and her brother stand in front of vintage red and white gas pumps and a corvette at the National Corvette Museum.
The National Corvette Museum includes 5 permanent exhibits with traveling exhibits throughout the year.

My family loved getting behind the wheel to drive the C6 Corvette Simulator, especially my husband. He was determined to get his name on the All-Time Leaderboard (which he did!). About a mile from the museum is the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park, where you can enjoy go-kart rides, laps in your personal vehicle, and a high-performance driving experience. Across the street from the Museum, the Corvette Plant Tours are open to the public for those 13 and over.

A bright yellow corvette sits behind three large plasma screen tvs as part of a corvette simulator at the National Corvette Museum.
The corvette simulator is sure to be a family favorite.

Things to Know Before You Go:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Phone: 270-781-7973
Address: 350 Corvette Dr. Bowling Green, KY 42101 (map)
Admission: Children ages 4 and under are free; Youth ages 5-12 are $13; Adults ages 13-61 are $18; Seniors ages 62+ are $16. Corvette Simulator $10/person.
Hours: Vary depending on the season you visit, please check website for up to date times.
Parking: Ample on-site and is free. There is also special parking for Corvette owners.
Bathrooms:  Restrooms are inside the museum, baby changing stations are in the women’s restroom.
Allotted time:  around 2 hours, more if you are a ‘Vette enthusiast.
Other: Purchase tickets online or inside the museum. The majority of the cars in the Museum are on loan from private individuals. No food or drinks are allowed in the exhibit areas.

If you are interested in other options or staying longer, here are a couple of other noteworthy attractions:
Beech Bend Amusement Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Fountain Square Park

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