Things to Do in Jeffersontown

In 1987, Brian McInerney was careening around Italy in a four-wheel, multipassenger Surrey cycle. An avid cyclist, he fell in love with this quirky contraption that he'd never seen in the United States, and he immediately sought out the manufacturer and purchased a crate of them. Wheel Fun Rentals traces its origin to this very moment, as Brian changed his surrey-distribution company into a rental and tour company that spans the nation. In spite of a general suspicion of unicycles and their ulterior motives, the company's corporate philosophy espouses "Supporting active healthy lifestyles for our customers and maintaining a healthy environment for all." Wheel Fun's fleet of rentals now includes bicycles, multipassenger Surreys, scooters, surfboards, and paddle-based watercraft. The company also promotes green communities by offering free rentals to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

A solitary moan drifts across a 15,000-square-foot warehouse. Lights flicker, and performers with horns, tattered clothes, and fake wounds surge through The Devil’s Attic. Guests scatter in terror across cinema-quality sets populated by professional actors in makeup that lends to an environment reminiscent of a childhood nightmare or the time you got lost in the clown-art section of a museum. The scarred, bloody ghouls and sinister monsters offer scares suitable for humans aged 12 and older.

Classic Biplane Tours' certified pilots helm modern versions of the 1935 Waco YMF, as they trace premapped and custom routes through the sky. Each pilot possesses years of professional flight experience, whether working as a missionary pilot, corporate pilot, or commercial pilot, and cheerfully shares savvy knowledge of the skyways throughout each flight via voice-activated headphones and microphones. Once safely returned to earth, passengers are bestowed certificates that designate them as qualified barnstormers, which budding aviators can then proudly display at home or use to legally commandeer an eagle.

Hoofbeats resound across cropped-turf grounds at Shelby Trails Park Equine Education Center. Here, 25-year equestrian Corinne Bradley teaches dressage and jumping techniques to riders of every stripe, from beginner to advanced to honorary centaur. She works with all ages but especially enjoys teaching young people, perhaps because she was only a child herself when she mounted her first horse. By the time she got to high school, she was steering her steeds through full-on equestrian events. Today, Bradley manages an equine paradise. Indoor riding areas introduce barn stormers to their mounts in a controlled environment, and winding trails encourage human and beast to bond while taking in the scenic countryside.

A student of the Parelli way of riding, Bradley’s style emphasizes the horse-rider relationship. Through the Parelli philosophy, students learn to communicate effectively with equines, earning the horses’ trust by eating salt licks and respecting how they react to their natural environment.

Along 1,000 feet of an indoor raceway, up to eight Sodi competition karts snake around bends and blaze through straightaways at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Instead of creating a typical tiny, circular path, the designers of Bluegrass Indoor Karting are proud to present a track that celebrates speed and skill. Their karts protect drivers from bumps and rolls with a three-point safety harness, bumper system, and no diving policy. They also design karts specifically for kids, which share the same specs as the adult karts but only max out at a speed of 25 miles per hour. From the 2,000-square-foot viewing area, guests can watch their friends chase down checkered flags, and the facility's 5,000 square feet of conference rooms accommodate youth birthdays and corporate events.

From its site on Bowman Field, Eagle Aviation lets humans defy gravity by slicing through the skies in a Piper Warrior airplane. Though experienced pilots can rent the aircraft for themselves, instructors escort novices in supervised trips to the clouds, sharing tips on taking off, landing, and avoiding midair collisions with basketball players.