Worth the Drive: Kangaroos and caves? See them both at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo

Key Points

• The Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo is located just off Interstate 65 in Horse Cave, Kentucky.
• Guests can enjoy an array of animal exhibits and a 30-minute tour of the Mammoth Onyx Cave for the price of admission.
• Bill and Judy Austin opened the park’s zoo in 1990 in an effort to distinguish the caving experience from others in the area

Kangaroos and caves may seem like an unorthodox combination, but this Kentucky attraction brings them together in memorable fashion.

The Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo, located just off Interstate 65 in Horse Cave, takes interactive exhibits and family fun to new heights with its animal habitats and on-site cave tours — wrapped into one experience. The park is often recognized by Kentucky Living in its “Best in Kentucky” contest in the “Kid-Friendly Attraction” category.

Bill Austin, a National Science Foundation engineer, met his wife Judy in New Zealand in the 1960s during a layover en route to Antarctica for an expedition. They eventually married and spent some time living in Washington, D.C. before moving to Horse Cave, Kentucky — Bill’s hometown — to manage the cave Bill’s grandfather had bought in the 1920s.

Looking for ways to distinguish their cave from others in the cave-rich region, they started introducing animals that guests could admire and interact with between tours.

Judy, a native to Australia, suggested bringing in kangaroos and other Australian animals, which would become one of their most popular attractions, said Brian Dale, the park’s marketing manager. In 1990, they opened the zoo to the public.

The park was sold in 2012, Dale said, but it continues to adhere to the original owners’ vision, with several species of animals, educational programming and cave tours that provide an eclectic experience in South Central Kentucky’s Hart County.

Animals at the Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo

The Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo’s animal exhibits sprawl across roughly 25 acres, Dale said.

People can come face-to-face with about 40 kangaroos in the zoo’s six-acre Outback exhibit. Although wild kangaroos do have the capacity to be aggressive toward humans, the park’s kangaroos are rather friendly as long as guests interact with them respectfully, Dale said.

“Ours are tamed after generation and generation of being around people. They’re soft and, you know, they’re fun,” Dale said. “You can feed them by hand, pet them. Some people lay down, take naps with them. I mean, it’s amazing what you can do.”

Kangaroos are most active during the night and early morning because they’re nocturnal. Dale recommends people who want to interact with the kangaroos plan their visit for before 12 p.m. — when they start napping and become less approachable.

The park also offers a petting zoo with goats, horses and sheep, as well as a bird garden with various exotic birds like cockatoos, laughing kookaburras and lories, Dale said. Other animals at the zoo include a dingo, woma pythons, servals and more.

Every few hours, park staff members host animal shows, during which they introduce a selection of animals and teach guests about their habitats, diets, behaviors and more.

Mammoth Onyx Cave tour

The adventure doesn’t stop at the zoo, however. Also included in the price of a ticket is a 30-minute tour of the Mammoth Onyx Cave.

The tour is relatively flat and gentle, Dale said, making it accessible for beginners. Interesting formations, like stalagmites and stalactites, furnish the cave.

It is a live cave, Dale said, meaning water flows through it and formations are still growing. Moisture sometimes builds up inside the cave as a result, so guests are advised to wear shoes with strong grip.

Visitors sometimes get to see wildlife during the tours, including bats, cave crickets or cavefish.

The temperature inside the cave holds steady at around 58 degrees all year, Dale said. In the hot summer months, many guests appreciate the opportunity for relief from the heat.

The park is open year-round, though spring and summer are popular seasons to visit. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the park’s main ticket office.

This is an article from Louisville Courier Journal, published March 29 2025, written by Killian Baarlaer. Photos by Scott Utterback/Courier Journal.

Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo: Attractions, how to go, history

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Thanks to Louisville Courier Journal for allowing us to post this article on our website.