Louisville is a city with Southern charm and rich heritage, where everyone can find something truly original to do. There’s only ONE Louisville Slugger, ONE Kentucky Derby and ONE Frazier International History Museum with the only British Royal Armouries collection in America and they’re all in Louisville! Did you know Louisville has more Victorian-style homes in ONE area than any other city in America? Louisville is also home to the ONE and only Belle of Louisville, the oldest operating steamboat in the nation.

To assist you in planning the most successful Derby City tour, we have created many themed itineraries. These itineraries are a mere sampling of what your group can experience on a trip to Louisville, a destination with true “horsepower.” You can customize each itinerary to fit your needs. You can also pick and choose destinations and experiences to create your own one-of-a-kind itinerary. This guide is simply meant to give you an idea of how things can be grouped to create lasting Louisville memories.

Local receptive operators are looking forward to helping you package these itineraries and providing step-on guide services. We feel confident that you will find this guide helpful and are happy to assist you with complimentary services such as a comprehensive group tour planner, videos and DVDs, digital photography, itinerary assistance, familiarization tours, meet and greets and much more! So sit back, relax and enjoy our themed itineraries and visit us soon with your groups in Louisville and “Do Something Original!”

For group tour information call your Louisville Group Tourism Team at 800-626-5646.

Arts & Culture

Experience Louisville’s thriving Arts & Culture scene where both the visual and performing arts flourish.

Over the course of four days, the Arts & Culture itinerary exposes you to contemporary and classic theatre productions, new and ongoing gallery shows and museum exhibitions, and hands on seminars and workshops with some of Louisville’s leading glass artists. Fresh dining experiences for brunch, lunch, and dinner abound.

From historic architecture to contemporary art, Louisville’s diverse artistic community also provides hands-on experiences. Expand your perspectives, and pick up some unique gifts for family and friends!

Run Before the Roses

Known as the “Run for the Roses,” the excitement of the Kentucky Derby can be experienced all year with the Run Before the Roses itinerary.

Blending original must-see destinations with the best of old Louisville, Run Before the Roses offers you a chance to get acquainted with Stephen Foster’s My Old Kentucky Home, tour the Louisville Slugger Museum, and relive the gilded age with a dinner cruise aboard the Belle of Louisville, America’s oldest operating steamboat. In between, enjoy breakfast at Churchill Downs, lunch at the Kentucky Horse Park, and dinner at the Claudia Sanders (wife of Col. Sanders) Dinner House. Visit Lynn’s Paradise Café, voted one of the four most fun restaurants in the country!

Multicultural Experience

Louisville enjoys a deep and rich African American heritage that includes prominent people, places and events. Feel the rhythm of our city as you stroll through the memories, achievements and contributions of an important culture within American history.

Covering all aspects of the African American story, Multicultural Louisville includes visits to Locust Grove, a historic home built by enslaved African Americans, and a tour of Division Street School, one of earliest schools for African Americans that remains today. At the Muhammad Ali Center, you’ll be inspired to find the “Greatness Within” as you learn about the life of Louisville’s most famous native son, his importance in the world of sports, and his impact on American culture.

Mystery Trip

In what other city can you discover “the greatest two minutes in sports,” the nation’s largest collection of Victorian mansions, and the oldest operating steamboat in the nation? It’s possible to solve these mysteries and more in Louisville.

Throw caution to the wind and dive right in to undiscovered Louisville. Explore new frontiers at the Louisville Science Center, have fun deciphering the Colonel’s secret recipe with a meal at the Claudia Sanders (wife of Col. Sanders) Dinner House, get a backstage look at what happens behind the scenes at Churchill Downs, hunt for ghosts in the historic homes of Old Louisville.

Blue “Grass” Christmas

In the Bluegrass State of Kentucky you can experience Bluegrass music, but one thing you won’t experience is a “Blue Christmas.” Join us in Louisville during our festive holiday season and experience both the pageantry and the beauty of the state.

Putting an original twist on the holiday season, you’ll find seasonal excitement with Reindeer Games at the Kentucky Derby Museum, enjoy an original rendition of A Christmas Carol at the Actors Theatre, find the perfect Christmas ornament at Glassworks, one of America’s leading glass art centers, and take in a home cooked meal at the Claudia Sanders (wife of the Col. Sanders) Dinner House. For the first time in 2010 experience "A Kalightoscope Christmas." This luminary exhibit is sure to become a new holiday tradition.

Saints & Sinners

Louisville is a place where many things are possible. It’s a city where the greatest boxer of all time can create an institution for world peace. It’s a city that’s turned a two-minute horse race into a two week celebration. There’s no limit to the experiences awaiting you in Louisville…from saintly to sinful.

Try your luck at Horseshoe Southern Indiana, the world’s largest riverboat gaming vessel and get the inside scoop on the thoroughbreds during a Backstretch Breakfast Tour at Churchill Downs, then repent at the ornate St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Get a taste of the days of the original “sin city” on the Moonshine and Madness Tour of Old Louisville and if you need to take the edge off, you’ll find your poison at Maker’s Mark, America’s oldest working distillery.