Louisville on the Ohio River

Louisville is Kentucky’s largest city. It sits on the Ohio River along the border with Indiana.

The Kentucky Derby Museum is where visitors can find out everything about the fantastic experience that is the Kentucky Derby. It highlights the history, hospitality, and tradition of this world-renowned event. Here you’ll find world-class exhibits among them the Guinness World Record’s Largest Horseshoe, Resident Thoroughbred and Miniature Horse, and the World’s Greatest Race. The admission to the museum includes a historic walking tour of Churchill Downs Racetrack and a look at the race on a state-of-the-art 360-degree-high-definition film.

Churchill Downs is the home of the famous Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks which are two of the longest continually running sporting events in America. It opened in 1875 on Central Avenue in South Louisville and hosts three races per year. It has been host to the Breeders’ Cup World Championship eight times.

The race track features a seven-furlong turf racecourse and a one-mile dirt oval racetrack. There is a grandstand topped with Twin Spires which is the world-renowned symbol of this racetrack. The clubhouse is beautifully designed with private luxury suites and The Big Board is the largest in the world with a 4k video screen.

The Mega Cavern offers visitors an underground adventure where they can explore the history, geology, mining, and building of Louisville. It is home to the only underground zip line course in the world. It is a vast man-made cavern stretching beneath the city and offers lots of fun-filled adventures.

The MegaZip Tour lets you zip line into parts of the cavern never seen before and explore it on challenging rope walkways or you can hop on the MegaTram and take a Jeep-drawn ride through the vast halls and caves. Tours are given by professionally trained guides.

Locals know Frankfort Avenue as “The Avenue.” It is a section of road that connects some of the most charming and historical neighborhoods in the city. There are boutiques, art studios, galleries, cafes, and restaurants.

The last Friday of every month is FAT Friday Trolley Hop where visitors can hop on and off free trolleys that take them along Frankfort Avenue. Annual events are also hosted like the Easter Parade, the OldeTyme Christmas Celebrations, and the Old Fashioned 4th of July Art and Music Festival.

The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge known as the Second Street Bridge by locals crosses over the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville. The bridge was made famous in the movie “Stripes” where the character played by Bill Murray got out of a cab and threw his keys into the river. It is the center point of the annual Thunder Over Louisville event, where a waterfall of fireworks lights up the sky. The bridge was named in honor of the founder of the city, George Rogers Clark.

The Big Four Bridge is the former railroad truss bridge spanning the Ohio River and also connects Louisville with Jeffersonville in Indiana. This six-span bridge was constructed in 1895 and was converted into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge in 1969 with the nickname “Bridge That Goes Nowhere”. The bridge offers people from Louisville, Jeffersonville, New Albany, and Clarksville a scenic and safe way to travel between the cities. At either end of the bridge are urban green spaces with lawns, fountains, pavilions, and playgrounds.

The Muhammad Ali Center is a cultural center and museum which is devoted to champion boxer Muhammad Ali. It opened its doors in 2005 and is part of “Museum Row”. The six-story building features a 40,000-square-foot two-level theater, interactive exhibits, galleries, and a plaza. A walkway connects the center to other downtown attractions. It also offers education outreach through films, lectures, and tours.

The Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is an important house in the St. James-Belgravia Historic District in Old Louisville. It was built in 1893 and nicknamed “Conrad’s Castle”. It was built in the Richardsonian-Romanesque style. The exterior features coned, hexagonal, and pyramid-shaped towers with decorations like gargoyles, carved animals, and others. Tours are offered and the house can be rented for special occasions.

Louisville Waterfront Park is a municipal park stretching along the Ohio River. The park offers great views of the river and hosts outdoor festivals and concerts. Thunder Over Louisville is the annual kickoff celebration of the Kentucky Derby Festival. Highlights of the park include the Promenade along the river, Adventure Playground, Lincoln Memorial, Swing Garden, and more.

Beckley Creek Park is a large park that is part of the Parklands of Floyds Fork system featuring trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a water park.

The Egg Lawn is a 22-acre egg-shaped lawn that is popular for soccer, Frisbee throwing, flying kites, and festivals. Two paddling areas in the park are for canoeing and kayaking. The park hosts many different events.

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory arriving at the museum the first thing you’ll see is the 120-foot replica of Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger at the entrance. You can see the factory where the Louisville Slugger is made and see how it is made for professional baseball players. There is memorabilia and exhibits about some of the most legendary players who have used it. Among the highlights are the bat used to hit Hank Aaron’s 700th home run, Joe DiMaggio’s bat from his 56-game winning streak, and the bat used by Babe Ruth for 21 of his 1927 home runs and much more. The museum has batting cages, a pitching simulator, and a 17-ton limestone baseball glove.

Whitehall House & Gardens includes a historic house that is surrounded by gardens. It was built around 1855 by John Marshall on land through which runs Bealls Branch, a tributary of Beargrass Creek. The house was renovated as a Southern-style Greek Revival Mansion. It has become a popular venue for weddings.

The Frazier History Museum is also located on “Museum Row” and was named after its founder Owsley Brown Frazier. The collection includes American and international artifacts from the 16th century to the 20th century. Some of the highlights include Daniel Boone’s Bible, General Custer’s pistol, and President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big Stick”. There are temporary exhibits as well and the museum offers many educational programs and hosts different events.

Louisville Palace is a historic theater that opened in 1928 located in Louisville’s theater district. It hosts events like concerts, films, performances by the Louisville Orchestra, and children’s performances.

It was built in the Spanish Baroque style and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The interior has a curved vaulted ceiling in the lobby decorated with 139 sculptures of the faces of famous historic figures.

Old Louisville is a historic district north of the University of Louisville. It consists of 48 blocks and is the third-largest historic district in the U.S. You can see Victorian architecture and houses with stained glass windows.

Locust Grove is an 18th-century farm and mansion listed as a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It consists of a 1792 Georgian mansion built by William and Lucy Clark Croghan, who was the sister of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and this was where famous explorers stayed when returning from expeditions. It was also visited by several U.S. Presidents among them James Monroe and Andrew Jackson. Today it is open to the public.

The Louisville Zoo was established in 1969 and is also known as the Louisville Zoological Garden and the State Zoo of Kentucky. There are over 1,500 animals in their natural habitats. Some of the exhibits include Africa, Australian Outback, Glacier Run, and Gorilla Forest. The zoo is known for its conservation efforts and work with endangered species. Other highlights include the Conservation Carousel, ZooTram Shuttle, and a petting zoo. There are concessions, playgrounds, and gift shops.