Thoroughbred Horse Farm Tour in Lexington, Kentucky

The farms themselves decide which horses you'll meet on the day you visit.

A 3.5-hour narrated tour of Lexington's Thoroughbred horse farms and Keeneland Race Course, with transportation in a 14-person van and a professional local guide. The specific farms and horses available change daily based on farm schedules, so each tour is different. Pickup and return happen at Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center, which has free parking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Thoroughbred horse farm tour

• Meet at Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center
• Travel to Thoroughbred horse farms
• Learn about breeding, training, and racing
• Interact with horses at farms
• Return to Visitors Center

The Experience

You start at Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center, where you board a comfortable van with up to 13 other guests and a guide who knows the region's breeding, racing and farm history. The tour runs 3.5 hours and includes stops at Keeneland Race Course and one or more of the working Thoroughbred farms that make Lexington the center of the breed in the United States. Because farm schedules shift and venues close on certain days, the exact itinerary changes — you might visit different farms depending on when you book, which is why the guide's knowledge of the whole region matters more than a fixed route.

At the farms, you walk the grounds and get to interact with horses as they're available that day. A guide shares stories about Thoroughbred breeding, training, racing and aftercare — the full arc of how these horses move through their lives. The van handles all the driving between stops, so you're not navigating or parking yourself. Bottled water or covered drinks are allowed on the tour; comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you'll be on farm ground.

The tour returns you to the Visitors Center at the end. No food is permitted on the tour, and no animals — including service animals — can come along. Children under six are not recommended, though there's no age limit if you want to bring younger kids; Kentucky law requires car seats and boosters for children under eight depending on height and weight.

What’s included

• Transportation in a 14-person van.
• professional local guide.
• access to Keeneland Race Course and working Thoroughbred horse farms.
• interaction with horses as available on the day of your tour.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guided van tour with stops at working farms and Keeneland—choose it over self-driving options when you prefer a local guide's commentary and don't have your own transportation.

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Top questions

What exactly happens at the Thoroughbred horse farms on this tour?

At the farms, you walk the grounds and interact with horses as they're available that day. A guide explains Thoroughbred breeding, training, racing and aftercare while you're there, sharing the history of how these horses are raised and what happens to them throughout their lives.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation to the tour start?

Pickup and return happen at Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center in Lexington, which has free parking. The van transportation between the Visitors Center and all tour stops — Keeneland and the farms — is included.

Why does the itinerary change from one tour date to another?

The specific farms and horses available depend on farm schedules and venue closures on the day of your tour. Keeneland and the Thoroughbred farms may not be accessible on every date, so the guide adjusts the route to show you what's open and available that day.

How long is this tour and what's included?

The tour runs 3.5 hours and includes transportation in a 14-person van and a professional guide who shares stories about the region's Thoroughbred history, breeding and racing. Bottled water or covered drinks are allowed; food is not.

Can I bring children on this tour?

Children of any age can attend if they have a ticket, but the tour is not recommended for children under six. Kentucky law requires car seats for infants and toddlers up to age two, and booster seats for children under eight who are between 40 and 57 inches tall.

What should I wear and bring for this tour?

Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you'll be on farm ground. Bottled water or covered drinks are allowed on the tour, but food is not. No animals, including service animals, can come along.