Nestled in the little town of Newport, Kentucky, travelers will find the Newport Levee. Our Research TravelingMom explains why the attractions on the Levee are just what her family needs for a quick getaway!

I live with my family in Louisville, Kentucky, there is always something new and different to see on any given day of the week. However, sometimes you need to get out of town to feel refreshed. When we want to get out of town but don’t have the time to head out on a big vacation we head to Newport!

Newport, Kentucky is situated right across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact they are so close when strolling along the levee, the view is of the Cincinnati skyline. If your children are anything like mine the river traffic and people watching is enough to keep them busy for a good portion of the trip!

Places to Eat

The Newport Levee is home to fantastic restaurants. There are spots like Tom + Chee ( a grilled cheese restaurant that adults and kids alike love), Dewey’s Pizza ( a pizza joint that is so loved by my family, that my sister in law named her dog Dewey!) and Dick’s Last Resort (a restaurant where the meaner the waiters, the better). Those restaurants are just a small example of the different places to choose from while you are in town.

Attractions at the Levee

The Newport Levee is also home to the Newport Aquarium, it is hands down the largest attraction of it’s kind in Kentucky. They have over 65 different exhibits for your family to explore, including an awesome tunnel to walk through housing sharks that swim all around as your group passes through. There are quite a few interactive exhibits where visitors are encouraged to get hands on!

The Newport Aquarium also has some additional activities that can be added on to your visit, like the penguin encounter, backstage encounters or even overnights at the aquarium.

Also located at the Newport Levee is a bowling alley called Axis Alley, that has food and an arcade in addition to the expected 10 pins!

The levee is also home to the Ride the Ducks attraction which is an amphibious attraction that takes passengers of a tour of the city both by land and in the water! Read more about the Ride the Ducks here.

 

If you need to stretch your legs and burn off some energy, then the purple people bridge is a great option! While it is not technically part of the Newport Levee, you can’t miss the big purple bridge on your walk up to the levee from the parking area. The purple people bridge is an old railway bridge that has since been turned into a pedestrian walking bridge. There is no fee to walk across the bridge, however for a fee you can pay to walk across the very top. Harnessed in, of course!

Why we Love the Levee

My children are fairly easy to please, and while they love taking bigger vacations, they are just as happy with a short day trip. We are able to get up and back all in one day without breaking the bank or burning up vacation days. The area attractions often run fantastic money saving deals, so the attractions can be done even more economically, just by watching their social media pages!

If you visit the Newport Levee be sure to let me know what your family loved about the trip!