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The football program has enjoyed something of a renaissance, although it continues to struggle to establish itself in one of the country's most competitive football conference. Nonetheless, the team frequently sells out the on-campus Kroger Field (formerly Commonwealth Stadium), at least for SEC home games and the major rivalry game with University of Louisville (hosted by UK in odd-numbered years).
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A 100-acre botanical garden located next to the University of Kentucky. This park is jointly owned by the city and university. Two miles of walking paths meander through representations of different areas of the state.
Henry Clay Estate
Home of the famous Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, set near downtown Lexington. Beautiful park surrounding the home accessible even if you do not wish to take a tour.
The Red Mile hosts harness racing, where horses pull a two-wheeled cart. The one-mile track is made of red clay, whence the name.
A historic two-screen cinema with restored architecture and beautiful interior murals located downtown on Main Street. Its schedule tends to emphasize foreign, independent, and art films, plus occasional concerts and panel discussions at the premiers of controversial films. During the Summer Classics Series every Wednesday night a classic film is shown. The theatre has an offbeat side as well, and raucous midnight showings of movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show draw crowds of nearby university students, adults, and teens every weekend.
The Central Library is worth a quick look for its art installations. Rose-colored granite covers the facade, and the airy atrium houses a 5-story-tall Foucault pendulum, which tells time using the rotation of the Earth. In front, Phoenix Park offers some nice greenery and fountains, and a small statue of a Bedouin on a camel marks the "zero milestone", the point from which all distances to Lexington are measured. However, the view is hampered somewhat by a building across the street.
especially at night
Enjoy slipping off your shoes or sandals in the summertime and wandering in the step-like fountains that ring the backbone of this park. Get plenty of pictures of the illuminated fountains against the Lexington Convention Center. Events throughout the year include summer movies on alternate Friday nights, a winter ice skating rink, and occasional concerts. Cross the street and talk to the concierge at the Hilton Hotel to book a horse-drawn carriage tour of downtown.