• Kentucky Kingdom will open for the 2026 season on May 9.
• The Hurricane Bay water park will open on May 23.
• The park will feature a new $14 million roller coaster, the Flying Fox.

Kentucky Kingdom opens for the 2026 season on May 9.

Whether you’re looking to soak up some sun at Hurricane Bay or check out the new $14 million roller coaster, the Flying Fox, it may be time to plan your next visit.

Here’s what to know.

When does Kentucky Kingdom open for the 2026 season?

Kentucky Kingdom will reopen for its 2026 season on May 9.

When does Hurricane Bay at Kentucky Kingdom open?

Hurricane Bay opens for the 2026 season on May 23.

How much is a season pass to Kentucky Kingdom?

Season passes start at $79.99 and go up to $209.99. Pre-K children’s passes are free.

How much is a single-day ticket to Kentucky Kingdom?

Single-day ticket costs vary by day. There is currently an opening sale, with single-day tickets available for $34.99. Tickets are valid for one day admission from May 9 to June 15.

When is Kentucky Kingdom open in May?

Beginning May 9, the park operates on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The park opens on weekdays beginning May 25, which is Memorial Day. Typical weekday hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

What are Kentucky Kingdom’s hours during the summer?

During most of June and July, Kentucky Kingdom is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The park stays open longer from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 3-4 for its Bluegrass & Booms event.

When is Kentucky Kingdom open in August?

After Aug. 5, Kentucky Kingdom is closed on weekdays. The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 8-9, before hours switch to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Aug. 15.

The park will also be open on Sept. 7 for Labor Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

When does the summer season end at Kentucky Kingdom?

Hurricane Bay closes after Sept. 7, and Kentucky Kingdom closes for the season after Sept. 13. Hours will be reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12-13.

When do Halloween hours start at Kentucky Kingdom?

The Halloween-themed Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom event begins on Oct. 2 and operates from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. The last day for the event is Nov. 1.

When are Christmas hours at Kentucky Kingdom?

Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom opens on Nov. 21. Hours and days of operation vary. Visit kentuckykingdom.com for more details.

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run in the Preakness Stakes next weekend, trainer Cherie DeVaux announced Wednesday.

DeVaux and owners decided to skip the Preakness and set their sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. DeVaux, who became the first woman to train a Derby winner, is from Saratoga Springs, which is hosting the Belmont for a third and final time this year.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run,” DeVaux said in a statement. “Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”

Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness. For various reasons, it is the sixth time in eight years the Preakness will happen with no chance of a Triple Crown on the line. American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 are the only horses to sweep all three races over the past four decades.

The two-week turnaround from the Derby to the Preakness, which used to be commonplace, is considered a nonstarter for many trainers and owners given that most elite thoroughbreds now typically go a month or more between races. It has caused endless debate in horse racing circles about the spacing of the Triple Crown in modern times.

Maryland racing officials are considering moving the Preakness back from the third Saturday in May to the fourth to increase the chances of not just the winner but other horses from the Derby being considered for the second leg of the Triple Crown. None of the 18 who ran this year at Churchill Downs are heading to the Preakness, with Golden Tempo the only one considered.

The Preakness is taking place at Laurel Park between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., this spring while its longtime home, Pimlico Race Course, is rebuilt as part of a massive construction project that included demolishing the debilitating old structure. Pimlico is set to become the site for year-round racing in Maryland beginning next year when the state takes control from 1/ST Racing, with Laurel becoming a training venue.

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby as a 23-1 long shot in spectacular fashion, making a charge from the back of the pack down the stretch to the finish line a neck ahead of morning line favorite Renegade. DeVaux and co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito said they would see how the colt came out of the race before making any decisions.

They followed the lead of trainer Bill Mott and Godolphin Racing, which last year chose to bypass the Preakness with Derby champion Sovereignty to give him extra rest for the Belmont. Sovereignty rewarded them by winning the Belmont and the Travers Stakes and is back racing as a 4-year-old.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Some relief is coming for Kentucky drivers.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday he is freezing the gas tax and preventing a future price hike.

The current gas tax is about 26 cents per gallon. Without the freeze, it would have risen to 27 cents in July.

Officials said the freeze is projected to save Kentuckians about $1.7 million combined per month.

“The American people are paying the costs of the war, and families are struggling at the gas pump, grocery stores and more – including right here in Kentucky,” Beshear said in a news release. “I recognize the pain our families are feeling and I’m taking steps to help because it’s the right thing to do.”

Beshear also declared a state of emergency related to gas prices. The executive order would reduce the gas tax by 10 cents per gallon.

It will take effect Monday, May 11, for both regular and diesel gas.

The order still needs to be approved by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman. Coleman said in a statement that he will sign and publish the executive order before May 11, when it takes effect.

The state’s price gouging statute will be activated as well.

Beshear also signed an executive order to freeze the 2026 motor vehicle assessment rate ahead of an expected increase at the beginning of 2027.

This comes weeks ahead of an expected price decrease in Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties.

Beshear requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove the Louisville area from the federal Reformulated Gasoline Program. It was approved in February.

Kentuckians living in those counties have been paying 10 to 25 cents more per gallon. The change will take place on May 27, 2026.

Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.