Attractions

Louisville is many things- original, eclectic, historic, dynamic, and energetic. You could spend a lifetime getting to know our city, the people, the neighborhoods, the culture, and the history that make Louisville truly original.

With so much to see and do, you may want to brush up on all that Louisville has to offer in advance of your visit. Exploring Louisville online gives you a chance to get to know our city before you arrive. Below are just a few of the attractions this great city has to offer.


Actors Theatre of Louisville
For nearly a half-century Actors Theatre of Louisville has been captivating audiences with its innovative performances. Home to the Humana Festival of New American Plays for 34 years, this annual pilgrimage brings theatre lovers and critics from around the world to get the first look at the future of the American theatre. Actors calls a 1837 former bank building at 316 West Main “home,” where its season runs September to May. Perennial favorites include Dracula and A Christmas Carol. www.actorstheatre.org

Belle of Louisville
In 2009 the Belle of Louisville celebrated her 90^th year and is one of the last authentic sternwheelers in operation in the country. Much like her days as a floating USO nightclub during WWII the Belle offers a variety of entertaining cruises. No other river steamboat in American history has lasted as long, been to as many places, or traveled as many miles. That’s one of the reasons she’s a Louisville treasure, and a National Historic Landmark. She cruises the Ohio River from Memorial Day to Labor Day. www.belleoflouisville.org

Churchill Downs
The thundering hooves of Thoroughbreds echo through legendary Churchill Downs during the spring and fall meets. Churchill Downs is the most famous racetrack in America and the home of the pinnacle of horse racing success, The Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs also offers and exciting simulcast racing environment year-round with its wagering tele-theatre. www.churchilldowns.com

Dining
With more than 2,500 restaurants, cafes, diners and bistros, dining in Louisville is always an experience. Louisville has steadily gained notice as one of the country’s most vital restaurant scenes. From award-winning Louisville Originals to popular chains, the options are many. http://www.gotolouisville.com/eat/index.aspx  www.louisvilleoriginals.com

Fourth Street Live!
The Fourth Street Live! entertainment district is just a few blocks from the Kentucky International Convention Center, Museum Row on Main and many downtown hotels. The complex offers bars, restaurants and clubs, including Hard Rock Café, TGI Friday’s and Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge. www.4thstlive.com

Frazier International History Museum
History comes alive at the internationally-acclaimed Frazier International History Museum as it portrays the history, artistry and technological significance of weaponry and armor in the context of events that have shaped our country. It is one of nine museums along Museum Row on Main. www.frazierarmsmuseum.org

Glassworks
Explore Glassworks, featuring hot glass, flame-working and cold glass studios, where artists create their delicate crafts. It is one of nine museums along Museum Row on Main. www.louisvilleglassworks.com

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
The Kentucky Center for the Arts is the performing home for the Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Ballet, Kentucky Opera and Stage One: The Louisville Children’s Theatre and the KentuckyShow!, as well as the city's largest venue for traveling Broadway shows. The building houses an impressive collection of modern sculpture, too. It is one of nine attractions along Museum Row on Main. www.kentuckycenter.org

Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum, next to Churchill Downs, captures the thrill and traditions of the Kentucky Derby every day in an exciting 360-degree high-definition multimedia show. The museum has exhibits, memorabilia and art to delight all ages. There’s a fine gift shop and a café overlooking a paddock with a resident horse. www.derbymuseum.org

Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft
Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft is a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports art and craft excellence in Kentucky with several annual events and exhibits, as well as a Gallery Shop with works by more than 200 artists. Located on historic W. Main Street, KMAC is a member of Museum Row on Main. www.kentuckyarts.org

KentuckyShow!
KentuckyShow! is the spirit, culture, people, music and history of Kentucky encapsulated in a 35-minute film. Narrated by Ashley Judd, KentuckyShow! combines historic footage and stunning photography for an enjoyable and educational experience. It is one of nine attractions along Museum Row on Main with showings Tuesday through Saturday at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. www.kentuckyshow.com

Louie Link Skywalk
Directional signage, called Louie Link, is installed throughout downtown Louisville’s skywalk system that stretches some six city blocks and connects 2,300 hotel rooms, 7,100 parking spaces and 300,000 square feet of event space, with access to hundreds of businesses along the way.


Louisville Mega Cavern
Created over 42 years by a limestone rock quarry, Louisville Mega Cavern is now the largest recycling center in Kentucky, as well as the largest building in the state. Located underneath the Louisville Zoo, a 60-minute tram tour includes a replica of Louisville’s Cuban Missile Crisis Fallout Shelter. www.louisvillemegacavern.com

Louisville Pride
Famous Louisvillians can be seen around the city in a series of large scale photographs displayed on buildings. Known as the Louisville Pride Banners it’s an initiative to honor current or former Louisville residents who have been recognized for excellence in their fields. www.louheroes.org

Louisville Science Center
The Louisville Science Center features a four-story IMAX® Theatre. Experience nearly 40,000 square feet of hands-on science exhibits about space exploration, river habitats and the human body. It is one of nine museums along Museum Row on Main. www.louisvillescience.org

Louisville Slugger Field
Along downtown’s East Main Street you’ll find Louisville Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats baseball team (AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). Opened in 2000, this minor league ballpark was built by converting a warehouse and train shed, while offering a continuous concourse around the field with views of the city. www.batsbaseball.com

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
You’ll know when you’ve found the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory when you see the world’s largest baseball bat, standing 120 feet tall and weighing 68,000 pounds, just outside the entrance. Exhibits at the interactive museum honoring baseball's greatest hitters include a walk through an underground locker room into a full-size dugout and a virtual home plate where you can try your skill against a fastball. There's a large collection of custom-made Sluggers signed by the stars who used them, including Ruth, Mantle, Mays and DiMaggio. After a walk through a replica Northern White Ash forest, take a guided tour of the plant to see how wood bats are turned for today's major league players. It is one of nine museums along Museum Row on Main. www.sluggermuseum.org

Louisville Zoo
The Louisville Zoo is situated on 73 rolling acres and home to 1,300 exotic animals living in botanical settings, which replicate their native habitats. Other outstanding adventures include the Gorilla Forest Exhibit, African Panorama, the Islands exhibits and daily animal training demonstrations. Human comforts include a playground, African petting zoo and Calistoga Splash Park at Glacier Run, plus the antique Conservation Carousel. www.louisvillezoo.com

Muhammad Ali Center
Louisville is the birthplace of Muhammad Ali, one of the many reasons he chose to locate the $41 million Muhammad Ali Center, honoring his life, here. The 24,000 square-foot facility, which opened in 2005, houses exhibit space, classrooms, theatres, a library and function space. It is a place that redeems and esteems the core values behind Ali himself - peace, social responsibility, respect and personal growth. The Center not only explores Ali’s life and what makes him such an enduring hero, it also touches visitor’s lives and inspires them to emulate his discipline, perseverance and willingness to stand up for one’s beliefs. It is one of nine museums along Museum Row on Main. www.alicenter.org

Museum Row on Main
Museum Row on Main is a stretch of nine museums located on Louisville’s historic W. Main Street, all within walking distance of each other. Show your ticket stub from any of the member attractions at any of the other attractions, and they'll knock $1 off the admission price. www.museumrowonmain.com

Shopping
Shopping possibilities in Louisville are as limitless as your imagination. For the shopping enthusiast there are several major shopping malls featuring nationally recognized retailers. For antique lovers there are shops with amazing finds, ranging from jewelry to furniture to collectibles, scattered throughout the community. The Bardstown Road, Frankfort Avenue and NuLu are among several areas loaded with antique shops, art galleries and unique boutiques.

Skyline
Nestled on the banks of the Ohio River, Louisville, Kentucky has loads of small-town hospitality, a cosmopolitan riverfront district linked to the city’s park system, a diverse arts scene, downtown’s Museum Row on Main, and a growing foodie market with its own Restaurant Row. There’s a lot to do in Louisville; as in, whatever you want. www.GoToLouisville.com

For more information, visit
gotolouisville.com