Tours & Attractions - Area Overview
Welcome to Louisville, recently rated one of the top 20 cities in America to live by Outside magazine. But the accolades don’t stop there. In 2008, Louisville was recognized as the Most Livable Big City in America by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and it has been consistently ranked by Places Rated Almanac as one of the best places to live in the United States. Louisville has always scored high on “livability” rankings, but it’s also a great place to visit. It’s a community on the move, with big-city amenities like world-class performing arts, great sports, and a nationally acclaimed parks system, yet visitors find hospitality, warmth, and smaller-city advantages like shorter commutes and a lower cost of living. Whether planning a visit for pleasure or business, you’ll discover there’s a lot to see and do.
Tours & Attractions - Attractions
People know Louisville for several different things. It’s home to the most exciting two minutes in sports—the famous Run for the Roses at the Kentucky Derby—and as the home of the legendary Louisville Slugger baseball bats. Hardly surprising, it’s also where Kentucky Fried Chicken has its headquarters, and it’s a town that produces one-third of the bourbon in the world.
But there are some things you might not know about Louisville. For example, the fact that 90 percent of the world’s disco balls are produced here, or that it boasts one of the country’s largest Victorian neighborhoods. It’s also home to the nation’s largest urban forest, and its collection of cast-iron facades can rival those of New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. There are more than 120 parks, and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali grew up here. These are just some of the reasons that Louisville is an interesting city to explore. Take the time to discover Louisville and you might be surprised at what you learn.
Tours & Attractions - Day Trips And Weekend Getaways
Given its location, Louisville is the ideal base for exploring the rest of the state. In an hour you’re in the heart of Bluegrass Country, where some of the most scenic landscapes and vistas in the state await you; drive a little over three hours and you’ll be in the far reaches of the western part of the Commonwealth, where interesting destinations like Paducah, Henderson, and Owensboro require even less driving time. To the east, where the foothills of the Appalachians start to rise, three hours on the highway will get you to places like Pikeville and Ashland; drive two hours south and you’ll be in the hilly, cave-ridden bottom part of the state, where Bowling Green is the largest urban center. And with southern Indiana right across the river, it’s easy to make it to a wide variety of destinations in an hour or two. Wherever your day trip or weekend getaway takes you, you’re sure to see that Louisville was a good starting point.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 301 South Fourth St.
2. Travelhost Of Greater Louisville
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 241-2643
Address: 7202 Highway 329
Description: Published bimonthly, TravelHost represents Greater Louisville and southern Indiana to visitors and guests from around the world. It is the oldest and best-known visitor services publication in the country. TravelHost features relocation tips and comfort services in addition to a wealth of information about tour guides, lists of the region’s best restaurants, art galleries, day trips, historic places, performing arts, shopping, and museums. There are useful maps as well.
3. Welcome To Greater Louisville
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 584-2720
Address: 812 South Third St.
Description: Updated every other Wednesday since 1951, Welcome to Greater Louisville has lots of helpful hints for Derby City tourists. In addition to useful information about local points of interest, restaurants, shopping, and lodging, readers learn about the tours, conventions, and special events that make Louisville an interesting place to live and play. Tips on vacation rentals, spas, theater, and sports are included as well. The publisher, Editorial Services Company, also distributes an annual Kentucky Travel Guide that makes it easy to discover the best the state has to offer.
4. Belle Of Louisville
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 574-2992
Address: 401 West River Rd.
Description: Approaching a hundred years in existence, this historic steamer on Louisville’s downtown waterfront is still going strong today. When the calliope plays, you’re welcome to step on board and journey back in time when this, the oldest operating steamboat in the nation, carried passengers and goods to all major ports along the Ohio River. Tickets for regular sightseeing excursions start at $16 and can include lunch or dinner buffets. For the most up-to-date cruise calendar and listing of special events, call toll-free at (866) 832-0011. You can also get information about their smaller sister ship, the Spirit of Jefferson.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 433 South Fifth St.
6. The Embroiderers’ Guild Of America
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 589-6956
Address: 426 West Jefferson St.
Description: The Embroiderers’ Guild of America is a national nonprofit educational organization offering study and preservation of the heritage and art of embroidery. Their Embroidery Resource Center displays historic and modern embroidery from around the world. The Margaret Parshall Gallery displays needlework on a rotating schedule, as well as from individuals and groups outside the EGA. The Leslie Durst Gallery displays pieces from the EGA Collection. The galleries are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
7. Frazier International History Museum
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 753-5663
Address: 829 West Main St.
Description: Covering 1,000 years of history, the Frazier International History Museum houses a priceless collection in a 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on downtown Louisville’s historic West Main Street. Exhibits with a heavy emphasis on historical arms and weapons bring the past to life with the help of live multimedia presentations, educational programming, costumed interpreters, and hands-on experiences. Visitors come face-to-face with people and stories that changed the world forever, and leave with a broader understanding of history and an increased respect for the human spirit. Open seven days a week, a regular adult ticket costs $9—although the museum offers discounted tickets to children, seniors, and members of the military.
8. Glassworks
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 584-4510
Address: 815 West Market St.
Description: Located in the historic Snead Manufacturing Building in the heart of downtown Louisville, this multiuse facility with its working glass studios, galleries, and walk-in workshop showcases the wondrous art of glassblowing seven days a week. Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can take a self-guided tour ($4.50) that will reveal the versatile, magical nature of glass; on Saturday you can take a guided tour ($6.50) at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
9. Kentucky Museum Of Art And Craft
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 589-0102
Address: 715 West Main St.
Description: Open Monday through Saturday, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to promote and support art and craft excellence in the Bluegrass State. In addition to supporting creative types, this museum also provides educational programs to schoolchildren and adults, with partial support by the Fund for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council. The Gallery Shop features the work of approximately 200 artists at any one time, and offers work in all media, from folk art to furniture. The Gallery Shop works with artists and clients on commission and ships to all corners of the globe. A regular adult admission costs $5, but members get in for free. Their Web site is www.kentuckyarts.org.
10. Kentucky Show
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 562-7800
Address: 501 West Main St.
Description: Native Kentuckian Ashley Judd narrates this exciting, large-screen multimedia experience that captures the visual essence of the Bluegrass State. From its people and culture, to the history, music, and geography that define the Commonwealth, viewers get an eyeful of all things Kentucky. General admission is only $7, and the Kentucky Center is the location. Showings daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. except Monday; Tuesday through Saturday, there’s an 11 a.m. show as well.
11. Louisville Free Public Library
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 574-1611
Address: 301 York St.
Description: Just a block’s walk from the Brown Hotel, the Louisville Free Public Library is a favorite stop for lovers of neoclassical architecture. The 1906 structure—one of a number of Carnegie libraries from the turn of the last century—was designed by architects Pilcher & Tachau of New York City and offers an assortment of eye-catching details on the interior. The contemporary North Building, designed by architects Lewis & Henry of Louisville, was built in 1969. In the small garden to the west you’ll find one of only two public statues of Abraham Lincoln in the city. Open every day but Sunday, this, the main branch of the Louisville library system, also hosts regular exhibits, talks, and discussions that are open to the public.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 625 South Fourth St.
13. Louisville Slugger Museum
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 588-7228
Address: 800 West Main St.
Description: Since 1884, Louisville Slugger has been the name associated with the great American pastime of baseball, and craftsmen at the Louisville Slugger factory along downtown’s Museum Row have been putting prime lumber in the hands of the game’s most famous players ever since. A visit to the museum shows that the sport has changed in the meantime, but visitors leave convinced that the crack of the bat remains one of the sporting world’s most thrilling moments. Lasting approximately 25 minutes, guided factory tours begin at 9 a.m., with the last factory tour of the day departing one hour before closing. The museum is open seven days a week and admission runs $10 a person, with discounts available for seniors and kids.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 731 Brent St.
15. Mint Julep Tours
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (502) 583-1433
Address: 140 North Fourth St., Suite 326
Description: Located in the Galt House Hotel, Mint Julep Tours offers a variety of informative and entertaining guided tours of Louisville and nearby bourbon country that allow you to sit back and enjoy the sights. The bourbon country and horse country tours are among the most popular, but there are also tours for those interested in Derby City history and its haunted past.