
History & Culture
Explore Louisville's rich history and cultural experiences
Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778. While its initial growth was slow, the advent of the steamboat in the early 1800s sparked booming industrial development, and by 1830 Louisville had secured its place as the largest city in Kentucky.
During the Civil War, Louisville was an important Union base of operations and a major military supply center. In the postwar era, the city emerged even more prosperous than before, with merchant princes and manufacturers shaping the new economy. Owing to its strategic location at the Falls of the Ohio, Louisville was a major commercial center. River transportation was supplemented by the construction of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, which was chartered in 1850 and operated more than 1,800 miles of line in the state by 1920. Joseph E. Seagram and Sons opened the world's largest distillery in Louisville following the repeal of prohibition. Thanks to companies such as Dupont, the city became the world's largest producer of synthetic rubber during World War II.
Louisville was also a city of firsts. In the reform-minded progressive era of the 1880's the city was the first in the nation to introduce the secret ballot, significantly reducing vote fraud. It was the first city in Kentucky to adopt zoning and planning measures to control and shape urban growth. Home to the first bridge designed exclusively for motor vehicles to cross the Ohio River, Louisville was also the birthplace of Mary Millicent Miller, the first woman in the United States to receive a steamboat master's license.
The city has been home to a number of men and women who changed the face of American history. President Zachary Taylor was reared in surrounding Jefferson County, and two U.S. Supreme Court Justices, including Louis D. Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice, were from the city proper. John James Audubon was a local shopkeeper in the early years of his career, drawing birds in his spare time. Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald, stationed at Camp Zachary Taylor during World War I, was frequent presence at the bar in the famous Seelbach Hotel, immortalized in the novel The Great Gatsby. Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, was born in Louisville and won six Golden Glove tournaments in Kentucky."












MORE TO DISCOVER
Kentucky Science Center
727 W. Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
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Downtown
Experience the people, sights and sounds of the state woven together in a high-definition production that will excite your...
Little Loomhouse
328 Kenwood Hill Rd.
Louisville, KY 40214
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South
Three historic board & batten cabins circa 1870-1890. Weaving center, coverlet collection & exhibit of weaving looms,...
Louisville Free Public Library
301 York St.
Louisville, KY 40203
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Louisville Free Public Library
Old Louisville
All Louisville Free Public Library locations are offering curbside pick-up of library materials at this time. In-person...
Muhammad Ali Center
144 N. 6th St.
Louisville, KY 40202
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Downtown
Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, the Muhammad Ali Center is a cultural attraction and international...
National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, The - Genealogical Research Library & Museum
809 West Main St.
Post Office Box 1776
Louisville, KY 40202
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Downtown
Discover your family tree back to the American Revolution, while exploring a rare collection of artifacts from America's...
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad
201 E. Spring St.
New Albany, IN 47150
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Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad
Southern Indiana
The award-winning, multimedia exhibit Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad...
Promise, Witness, Remembrance Exhibit
2035 South Third St.
Louisville, KY 40208
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Promise, Witness, Remembrance Exhibit
Old Louisville
This exhibition will reflect on the life of Breonna Taylor, her killing in 2020, and the year of protests that followed,...
Roots 101 African American Museum
124 N 1st Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
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Roots 101 African American Museum
Downtown
Roots 101 Fall Fest will take place on Friday November 26, 2021, from 3-7 featuring local visual and recording artists,...
Thomas Edison House
729-31 E. Washington St.
Louisville, KY 40202
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Butchertown
1850's shotgun home of Thomas Edison while employed at Western Union. On exhibit are many of Edison's inventions,...
U.S. Civil Rights Trail
P.O. Box 4927
Montgomery, AL 36103
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The state of Kentucky holds a rich history in the struggle for civil rights and pioneered many efforts advocating for...
Unearthing the Truth: African Americans at Riverside
7410 Moorman Road
Louisville, KY 40272
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Unearthing the Truth: African Americans at Riverside
South
Riverside honors the lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked on this Ohio River farm by offering dedicated tours...
UnKnown Project Public Art Experience
Between 9th and 10th Street, Along the Louisville Riverwalk
Louisville, KY 40202
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UnKnown Project Public Art Experience
Downtown
Artist-led talks that delve into the history of enslavement in Kentucky and the birth of the project and creation of the...