Things to Do in Louisville

Top things to do in Louisville

  • Kentucky Derby & Churchill Downs. The longest continuously held major sporting event in North America, the Kentucky Derby thunders to life on the first Saturday in May at the iconic Churchill Downs racetrack. Even off-race days, the Kentucky Derby Museum offers 150+ years of racing history, a 360° immersive film, and guided track visits.
  • Muhammad Ali Center. Born and raised in Louisville, Muhammad Ali's namesake cultural center on the downtown riverfront weaves together two-and-a-half floors of exhibits tracing his legendary boxing career and six core values — respect, conviction, giving, and more. The five-screen orientation film and Civil Rights-era footage make it one…
  • Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. A 120-foot bat leans against the facade of this downtown museum where the world's most famous baseball bat has been handcrafted since 1884. Factory tours walk visitors past the actual production line, and every guest leaves with a miniature souvenir bat.
  • Urban Bourbon Trail. Louisville is the undisputed capital of American bourbon, and the self-guided Urban Bourbon Trail links 40+ bars, distilleries, and restaurants — all within a walkable city grid — into a passport-stamping adventure. Collecting six stamps earns a limited-edition Trailblazer t-shirt.
  • Whiskey Row & Museum Row (West Main Street). A single mile of West Main Street packs in one of the country's largest collections of cast-iron-facade architecture alongside the Frazier History Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum, Muhammad Ali Center, Angel's Envy Distillery, Old Forester, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center — making it the most walkable…
  • Frazier Kentucky History Museum. A Smithsonian affiliate on Museum Row, the Frazier reinterprets Kentucky and American history through artifacts and daily live performances by costumed teaching artists. It also houses the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, the logical first stop before any distillery crawl.
  • Big Four Bridge & Waterfront Park. A converted 1895 railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River, the Big Four Bridge is free to walk 24/7 and delivers sweeping views of the Louisville skyline and Indiana shore. The adjacent Waterfront Park hosts festivals, picnic lawns, and a dramatic LED light show at night.
  • Old Louisville Victorian District. Forty-plus blocks of the country's largest collection of restored Victorian homes, complete with Richardsonian Romanesque mansions, gas-lit streetlamps, and the annual St. James Court Art Show each October. Guided ghost tours and architecture walks depart from Central Park.

Top-rated tours & activities in Louisville

  • Private Tour of Kentucky's Small Batch Bourbon DistilleriesPrivate Tour of Kentucky's Small Batch Bourbon Distilleries — 5.0★ (123 reviews)
  • Old Louisville Ghost Tour as Recommended by The New York Times @ 4th and OrmsbyOld Louisville Ghost Tour as Recommended by The New York Times @ 4th and Ormsby — 4.8★ (1,260 reviews)
  • Kentucky Derby Museum - General Admission and Guided Track VisitKentucky Derby Museum - General Admission and Guided Track Visit — 4.6★ (950 reviews)
  • ORIGINAL Old Louisville Walking Tour seen in The New York Times!ORIGINAL Old Louisville Walking Tour seen in The New York Times! — 4.9★ (770 reviews)
  • Bourbon Tour (03) : Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, OtherBourbon Tour (03) : Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Other — 4.3★ (660 reviews)
  • Kentucky Bourbon Experience: 3 Iconic Distilleries & TastingsKentucky Bourbon Experience: 3 Iconic Distilleries & Tastings — 4.3★ (51 reviews)
  • Secrets of Louisville: 3hr NuLu Food & History Walking TourSecrets of Louisville: 3hr NuLu Food & History Walking Tour — 4.9★ (472 reviews)
  • Old Louisville Ghost Tour as Recommended by The New York Times @ 4th and OrmsbyOld Louisville Ghost Tour as Recommended by The New York Times @ 4th and Ormsby — 4.8★ (197 reviews)