Shelbyville, Kentucky is known as the “American Saddlebred Capital of the World,” and you can find plenty of horse farms and trails to visit. What you might not expect (and I didn’t either) from a small town is the vast amount of outdoor activities available for the entire family. We’ve found some unexpected surprises you won’t want to miss.
Our first stop was Clear Creek Park, one of the most popular parks in the region. We began our tour at the Family Activity Center. This place was hopping! The large parking area outside the building was full; and with good reason. Their playgrounds were amazing. I wanted to try their saucer swing myself and spent several minutes gazing at it longingly.
I expected the average local community pool, but, no. They had an impressive indoor pool available for year round use, and a small outdoor water park.
Residents can purchase a daily pass to use the pool and water park, or purchase monthly membership to enjoy classes, a workout area, the pool and water park. We left the hustle and bustle of the activity center and journeyed to a different section of the park, Lake Shelby. It’s a tranquil area, perfect for canoeing, paddle boating, fishing, or just taking a nap on the edge of the water. We chose to take an hour on the paddle boat, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
Later in the evening, we journeyed to another Shelbyville Park, Red Orchard. Located on the outskirts of town on an old farm, Red Orchard is a peaceful place, away from crowds. Trails are available for hiking (or just for leisurely strolls), and the playground is designed to look like a barnyard.
After spending a relaxing day outside with the family, there is only one thing left to do-go shopping! Nearby Simpsonville is home to The Outlet Shops of the Bluegrass, the only designer mall in Kentucky. With over 375,000 square feet, we had plenty of shops to explore. Naturally, I hit up Carter’s, OshKosh and The Children’s Place, but there are plenty of shops for adults too. One Do Not Miss Shop is Ghirardelli. We stopped in for one of their famous Ocean Beach Sundaes, an amazing concoction of sea salt, caramel and hot fudge.
After a full day of exploring and shopping, it’s nice to have a beautiful place to spend the night. We found our spot at Chandler Ridge, a lovely cabin located in nearby Bagdad, Kentucky. Hint: If you use a GPS, it might try to take you to the wrong place, as ours did, use Google Maps.
Nestled among trees and set back from the road, the cabin stands on a hill and overlooks a fishing pond. A short trail down into the woods, beckoned us to explore. Sitting on the back porch of the cabin, it’s quiet enough to hear the croaking of the bullfrogs in the pond. Chandler’s Ridge is designed for “two to twenty five” people, and includes all the comforts of home, plus unexpected bonuses; like a large game room. Every where I looked, I found cute and quaint touches, like this welcoming bear.
While you’ll find plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, one thing you won’t find at the cabin is wi-fi. This makes Chandler’s Ridge a perfect spot for retreats or maybe even a romantic vacation! Want to know more about Shelbyville? Visit their website at VisitShelbyKY.com.
Visiting Shelbyville, Kentucky? Check these out:
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What an amazing place to visit with my kids, I love the beautiful view and my kids would enjoy to be there
I like going out of town, it makes me relax and have fun with my family. My son will love to be in this place.
You had me at the Ghirardelli sundae. Everything on your adventure sounds like something our family would love to do.
I like this community. I hope we have something like this at our place, my son will like the slides!
This looks like a great little town to visit with the whole family. And oh my gosh, I NEED that sundae!
This looks like what summer should be all about. Lazing by the pool and do green. That ice cream ❤️
This looks like it was a fun destination.
It appears especially good for children.
What a beautiful city! I’ve never been – but it looks beautiful and like loads of fun for everyone!
Shelbyville looks like it has a lot of different actives for a variety of ages! Truly something for everyone! Great post!!
My kids range in ages so it’s hard finding a vacation spot that they would all enjoy. It looks like there is something for everyone here. I’ll have to check into it for our next vacation.
This looks like a place my son would enjoy. And mommy would definitely enjoy the Ghiradelli!
Very nice pics of yours. I hope you enjoy that adventure. I would love to go there someday.
I love that there were so many other kids to play with too. I hate to go to the park and find it empty.
There’s so much stuff to do here and I love that it’s focused mostly on the family! It would be nice to spend an afternoon in the pool then go shopping! That ice cream is a winner, you can never go wrong with Ghirardelli!
Looks like there’s so much fun to be had! I’m glad to know I can end the fun with my favorite treat, chocolate. It makes it a perfect day for the whole family.
It sounds like you had an amazing time in Shelbyville Kentucky. The parks look like so much fun for the whole family and the cabin sounds amazing indeed for a getaway. We are going to have to check Shelbyville out. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Oh this would be really nice for a getaway. We’d have a lot of fun exploring and enjoying the park.
My family and I visited Louisville, KY earlier this summer and we vowed that we’d make it back. Obviously Kentucky has so much more to offer than just Louisville. Thank you for the information on Shelbyville.
OH wow looks like a great time, Kentucky really is a must go to on my list now!
When I was younger my family was relocated to Louisville, Kentucky and we absolutely LOVED it there. Kentucky as a whole actually. It’s such a beautiful state with so much to offer! I’ll definitely have to add this to the places I’d like to visit one day.
This looks like a beautiful place totake the family on a vacation. There is so much to see and do here! That water park would be so much fun for the kids!
That outdoor water park looks like such fun. My kids need something like that around here. I would love to visit Kentucky someday!
I would love to visit Kentucky!! This looks like a town that my kids would have a blast to visti!
I’ve never been to Kentucky but I want to make it to all 50 states someday! Thanks for the tips on Shelbyville!
We love our community pool and center. I try to take our granddaughters a few times over the summer. it’s so much fun.
I have never heard of Shelbyville, but it seems like really cool place. I like that it has a laid back aspect and you can take your family and just surround the area.
We have never visited there but it sounds like our kind of place. Plus I like that it is not too far away for a fun weekend getaway. We need to check this out!
I’ve been on several vacations to the states, but I’ve never been to Kentucky. It looks like such a beautiful state.
What a fun place to go on vacation. The Ocean Beach Sundae looks so yummy. You can never go wrong with Ghirardelli.
I would love to go explore Kentucky again. There is so much in that beautiful state to check on. I have not been back in years I will have to add this to my travel list.