Kart Kountry: lots more than just go-carts
With more than 1.5 miles of track, Kart Kountry Family Entertainment Center bills itself as the world's longest go-cart track. But there's plenty more at this amusement center in Shepherdsville, Ky., just 19 miles south of downtown Louisville.
Visitors to this Bullitt County attraction — especially boys obsessed with the need for speed — will want to start with the go-carts. Kart Kountry's track alternates straight-aways with hairpin curves for an exhilarating ride and offers several cart types. To drive its biggest and baddest, The Thunderbolt, you must be at least 16 with a valid driver's license or learner's permit. Other options include the Adult Kart (must be at least 14 and 5 feet tall), the Junior Kart (at least 10 and 5 feet tall), the I-Roc Kart (at least 7 and 4 feet tall) and the Double-Seater, which allows an adult to ride with a young child.
Tickets for one lap are $5.50 for Thunderbolts, and $4.50 for all other types of go-carts, or five tickets for $20.
The fun doesn't stop at the go-cart track! Kart Kountry has an 18-hole miniature golf course with waterfalls, streams and sand traps. The course's both wheelchair and stroller accessible. Tickets are $4.50 per round or five tickets for $20. Children 3 and younger play free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Familiar with bumper cars? Kart Kountry has bumper boats from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tickets are $4.50 per five-minute ride or five tickets for $20.
Kart Kountry's 10 batting cages accommodate different batting styles. Want to test yourself against a baseball hurtling at 70 miles per hour? More interested in slow-pitch softball? They've got both. Twelve pitches cost $1 (quarters only). Teams pay $30 per hour with a batting cage (reservations required).
Play JumpShot, a two-person basketball game ($4.50 for two players per five-minute game or five tickets for $20) or in the air-conditioned game arcade, where kids redeem tickets for prizes. (All games take quarters.)
Kart Kountry provides a special birthday-party package for eight. For $100, the birthday group gets 90 minutes in a decorated party room; each guest receives two tickets, a party favor, an ice cream cup and a 12-ounce drink. The birthday child also gets a Kart Kountry T-shirt and special gift. Each additional guest costs $9; each additional ride ticket costs $3.50. Bring your own food, beverages (non-alcoholic, of course) and birthday cake. Book a birthday party online, by e-mailing KartKountry@aol.com or by calling (502) 543–9588, extension 0.
Want a one-of-a-kind corporate meeting, retreat or company picnic? Kart Kountry charges $35 per person (100-person minimum) and $50 for groups of 50 to 99. For details, check Kart Kountry's Corporate Outings webpage. Kart Kountry has other group rates.
Kart Kountry's open daily from March to October, and weekends from November to February. Winter hours are generally noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Kart Kountry's open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. June, July and August. Check the Calendar.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro
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Ivonne RoviraA graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.
