Frequently Asked Questions

All tours depart from the Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center located at 366 Waller Ave., Lexington, KY 40504; Suite 119

Transportation for all guests on the tour is provided on comfortable 14-person passenger vans. Departure times are at 8:30am (Morning Sessions) and 12:30pm (Afternoon Sessions). These are Departure Times, so please plan on arriving 10-15 minutes before departure.

Using GPS navigation is a great way to find our address, but please do not plan your GPS Arrival Time for exactly the same time as your scheduled Departure Time as any traffic delays will cause you to be late. Give yourself a cushion. The Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center will be open to greet you and all of the other guests as you arrive. It cannot be guaranteed that the van can wait for you if you are late as the other guests will be ready for their tour to begin. This does include locals who are sometimes tempted to cut things close.

Guests will be returned to the Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center at the conclusion of the tour.

*** The Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center is the ONLY meet-up (pick-up) location. There are no other pick-up locations. ***

Parking

Parking is FREE with main parking at 366 Waller Ave., Lexington, KY 40504. When needed additional FREE parking is also available next door at 386 Waller Ave. and 354 Waller Ave.

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Proximity to Blue Grass Airport (LEX) (5.0 miles): The Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center is 5.0 miles east of Blue Grass Airport (LEX). The best case scenario for travel time is about 12-15 minutes, but that timing is best case and should not be counted on for planning. There will be a chance of traffic.

Proximity to Downtown Lexington (2.5 miles): The Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center is 2.5 miles west of downtown Lexington, including the downtown hotels Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Marriott and 21c Museum Hotel. Rupp Arena, home of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, is also downtown.

NEARBY HOTELS:

Hotels on Waller Ave.: Candlewood Suits (0.3 miles), Tru by Hilton (0.3 miles); Hotels on S. Broadway: Campbell House (0.5 miles), Elwood Hotel (0.7 miles); Downtown Hotels: Hilton Lexington (2.1 miles), 21c Museum Hotel (2.3 miles), Marriott (2.4 miles), Hyatt Regency (2.6 miles).

Meet the Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center: Pictures Gallery (Suite 119):

How much walking is there on the tour?

Part of the tour includes scenic drives through the Thoroughbred horse farm country, but there are normally at least 3 stops at destinations where guests are out of the vans and able to see farms and horses up close. (Please see the tour photos at the bottom of this page for examples of this.) There is definitely some walking at each of the farms and other destinations. The amount of walking at each stop is probably less than half a mile but can include walking in grass, barns and small hills.

The tour is primarily outside.

Please refer to the photographs at the bottom of this page as they show what tours are typically like in terms of walking and terrain to get close to the horses.

Does the tour go rain or shine?

The short answer is “Yes”, the tour does go rain or shine.

Our weather policy is that just rain itself does not cause the tour to cancel. If the weather is more severe then there is a chance of cancellation because transportation could become dicey. All guests are transported to the various destinations on a Ford Transit 14-person passenger van by their guide.

Also note that if there has been severe weather the private farms that we visit may have clean-up to do on the smaller roads on their property that would limit their availabilty for a period of time following the severe weather.

If the weather forecast looks at all threatening and any guest would like to cancel or rescheudle their tour based on safety concerns about traveling then we completely understand and will accomodate that with no problems. This is especially easy for guests who have booked their tour directly on our website (www.SeeTheChampions.com). For guests who have booked through a third-party travel angency (TripAdvisor, Viator, GetYourGuide, etc.) then there may be an extra step for them in contacting the travel agency that they booked through.

Tours during the winter months (November - February) are more susceptible to cancellation.

What should we wear?

Wear comfortable clothing including shoes that you can walk in as the tour is largely outside and there is some walking involved. Please dress for weather conditions including warm enough for cooler temperatures and dry enough in cases of rain. The tour is mostly outside.

Stay Hydrated!

Guests are very much welcome to bring hydration with them on the tour vans. Water bottles, Gatorade, Energy drinks ... it's all good! In addition to what guests may bring, we will also have waters available for everyone as well. We want everyone to stay hydrated and healthy!

Are there restroom breaks on the tour?

Yes. The Thoroughbred Heritage Visitors Center has restrooms available for use before you depart on the tour and after you return. In addition, there is an official restroom break scheduled part-way through the tour with an opportunity for an additional, second break about midway through the tour, as well.

Just note that there are NOT restrooms available at the farms that we visit. The farms are private, working farms that do not have public bathroom facilities.

Can we “follow behind” or “meet the tour” at a destination?

No.

All tour guests must be transported on one of our vans as the destination locations have authorized our vans and drivers to access their private property. We are not able to have other vehicles "follow behind" or "meet us" at locations. This is a safety measure.

Is there horseback riding on the tour?

No. There is no horseback riding on the tours.

What age group is the tour most suited for?

The tour is designed primarily for adults, senior guests and older children who have an interest in learning about horses. There is no horseback riding on the tour or open play spaces for younger children and the tour is not recommended for children under the age of 6. The farms we visit are working farms with professional people doing their professional work. For children, a local destination with open spaces, a playground and activities specifically designed for active young children is called the “Kentucky Horse Park”. The Kentucky Horse Park is located in Lexington.

Who are the guides and presenters?

Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours Proudly Features Premiere Horse Guides!

You will learn about Thoroughbred racing, breeding, training, aftercare and local horse culture from among a stable of experienced and enthusiastic horse guides who are eager to share their passion with you. Our guides are horse people with combined years (and decades!) of hands on work as Thoroughbred owners, breeders, trainers, farm owners, farm managers, handicappers, supporters and fans. Our guides all love horses and we think you will, too!