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Attractions
With more than 120 attractions, many of them one-of-a-kind, Louisville has something for every age and interest. Discover the history of the city’s beginnings on the Ohio River, the traditions of the Kentucky Derby or the makings of the legendary Louisville Slugger. London’s Royal Armouries are on display at their only location outside of England, the Frazier International History Museum. Take time to explore the city’s nooks and crannies in neighborhoods like Old Louisville. Visit the “Urban Bourbon Trail,” where you can raise a glass at six of the world’s best-stocked and most-celebrated whiskey bars. Or take a short drive to one of Bourbon Country’s famous distilleries.
Spectator sports include a Triple A baseball team at Louisville Slugger Field, an indoor football league and the college sports of the University of Louisville Cardinals and Bellarmine University Knights. Live Thoroughbred racing is offered at Churchill Downs in the spring and fall, and simulcast wagering is offered year-round.
Louisville is also an art city. The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft and the new 21C Museum Hotel offer permanent and changing exhibits. Galleries abound with monthly “trolley hops” to showcase exhibits. Blown glass is a popular medium with two downtown studios – Glassworks and Flame Run. Louisville is one of only a few cities in the U.S. with a professional full-time orchestra, opera, ballet, children’s theatre, dinner theatre and Broadway series.
The list of must-see attractions goes on and on, from baby animals at the zoo to unique museums and historic homes. So what are you waiting for? Dive into the details of the search and we think you’ll agree that Louisville has something for everyone!
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"SWEET 16 "
Named after King Louis XVI (the sixteenth) of France for his assistance in the Revolutionary War, here are the Top 16 Attractions in the Louisville area as ranked by attendance in Business First (Louisville's Business weekly). They are listed in alphabetical order. For the young and the young-at-heart, the possibilities for fun in Louisville are endless.
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1. Belle of Louisville: No other river steamboat in American history has lasted as long, been to as many places, or traveled as many miles as the Belle of Louisville, commissioned in 1914. The Belle, a National Historic Landmark, is now recognized as the oldest river steamboat still in operation. Now in her nineties, the Belle continues to journey back to the time when she carried passengers and goods including Kentucky bourbon to ports all along the scenic Ohio River. |
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2. Caesars Indiana: Caesars Indiana, just a short drive from Louisville, offers world-class gaming action for every level of player, with over 130 gaming tables and 2000 slot machines. Caesars guests enjoy the largest variety of customary casino games in Indiana - 24 hours a day. With four floors of gaming and dining, guests can take their pick of luxuriously decorated casinos. Also check the calendar for their monthly feature of music and comedic entertainment. |
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3. Cave Hill Cemetery: Originally part of William Johnston's Cave Hill Farm in the 1770s, Cave Hill Cemetery contains one of the city's finest collections of outdoor monumental sculptures, ranging from decorative tombstones to mausoleums. The Cemetery is the burial site for many famous people including George Rogers Clark, Colonel Harland Sanders and bourbon legends. Guided tours are available. |
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4. Churchill Downs: Recently completing a $121 million renovation and expansion, the racetrack is most famous for the oldest continuously run sporting event in the United States the Kentucky Derby. Known as the 'Run for the Roses' or the greatest two minutes in sports, the Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing. In addition to the Derby, Churchill Downs hosts spring and fall race meets and simulcast throughout the year. |
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5. Fourth Street Live!: Louisville's $70 million entertainment district has revitalized downtown, adding a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues, all within walking distance of the majority of downtown hotels and the Kentucky International Convention Center. Tenants include; Hard Rock Café, Howl at the Moon, Sully's Restaurant Saloon, Saddle Ridge, Red Star Tavern, The Pub; Lucky Strike Lanes, Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge, Tengo Sed Cantina and Hotel. |
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6. Frazier International History Museum: Located in the heart of Louisville's downtown cultural arts district "Museum Row", the Frazier Arms Museum is a collaboration with Britain's Royal Armouries. Visitors enjoy interactive exhibits and live reenactments including sword demonstrations. Many of the artifacts once belonged to noted politicians, celebrities, frontiersmen and soldiers including Geronimo's bow, Custer's rifle and Roosevelt's "Big Stick." |
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7. Heaven Hill Distilleries Bourbon Heritage Center: As you pass the second largest supply of Bourbon in the world, and enter the elegant white oak and limestone Center, you suddenly realize this is more than just another distillery tour. Whether you love Bourbon, Kentucky lore, filmed entertainment, shopping, local legends, or interactive excitement, you’re going to have a barrel of fun!
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8. Jim Beam American Outpost - Come visit the world's largest bourbon distiller. Start your visit at the Outpost Theatre; there you can view the "First Family of Bourbon,"which details the Beam family's rise and influence as the number one producer in the world. Stroll around the grounds and visit the T. Jeremiah Beam home and sample a selection of the hand crafted Small Batch Bourbons. From the front porch be sure to look for the life size memorial to Booker and his beloved Jack Russell Terrier.
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9. Huber's Orchard & Winery and Joe Huber Family Farm & Restaurant: At Joe Huber Family Farm choose from a wide variety of just-picked fruits and vegetables in the Farm Market and Gift Shop. In the restaurant, everything is made from scratch. Huber's Orchard & Winery includes over 550 acres of farmland and offers a children's farm park, farm market, cheese shop, ice cream factory, winery and gift shop. Just across the Ohio River, enjoy this scenic drive along Indiana farmland. |
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10. Kentucky Derby Museum: The Kentucky Derby Museum, located 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 and art to delight all ages. Guests can also take a walking tour through historic Churchill Downs to see the Grandstand, the Finish Line and Winner's Circle. Visit the barn to pet Inky, the resident thoroughbred.
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11. Louisville Science Center & IMAX Theatre: Kentucky's largest hands-on science center with about 150 interactive exhibits and activity stations, a 4-story tall IMAX Theatre, teaching laboratories, a variety of educational programs and distance learning capabilities. Permanent exhibits include, The World We Create, The World Within Us, The World Around Us and a Kids Zone for children under seven. Climb aboard an airplane, ambulance and mass transit bus. |
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12. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: See the world's biggest bat at six stories tall! Exhibits at the interactive museum honors baseball's greatest hitters. The fun and fascinating tour includes a walk through of an underground locker room into a full-size dugout and a virtual home plate where guests can test their skill against a fastball. See how the official bats of Major League Baseball are made before being shipped to your favorite player.
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13. Louisville Zoo: The Louisville Zoo has more than 1,300 animals from all over the world, exhibited in beautiful natural settings. Favorites include gorillas, lions, tigers, penguins, pygmy hippos, orangutans, reptiles, hundreds of colorful birds and many more. Enjoy the popular, interactive Lorikeet Landing, the award-winning Gorilla Forest featuring 11 gorillas, a new elephant and the newly opened Glacier Run Splash Park. The zoo is open year-round. |
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14. Muhammad Ali Center: The Muhammad Ali Center serves as both a cultural attraction and international education center tha tis inspired by the ideals of its founder. The Ali Center's innovative and immersive visitor experience, public and educational programming, and global inititatives carry on Muhammad's legacy and continue his life's work. At the Center, you can shadow box with the champ, watch legendary boxing clips in a model ring and be inspired by the ideals of one of the world's most celebrated athletes and humanitarian.
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15. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom: Featuring more than 110 rides and attractions, including eight roller coasters, innovative shows, special concerts and events, games, gift shops and restaurants Six Flags suits all tastes. Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals walk around Looney Tunes MovieTown. Splashwater Kingdom features Deluge, a one-of-a-kind water coaster, a gigantic wave pool, water slides and a relaxing lazy river. |
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Speed Art Museum
: Established in 1927, the Speed Art Museum is Kentucky's oldest and largest art museum with 12,000 pieces in its permanent collection. The museum has distinguished collections of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, 18th century French art, Renaissance and Baroque tapestries, and significant holdings of contemporary American painting and sculpture. Painting highlights include Paul Cezanne's "Two Apples on a Table" and works by Picasso, Chagall, Rembrandt, Claude Monet and Mary Cassatt.
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