Louisville KY--- What to do there?

[kilee]

Looks like I'll be spending 6 days in Kentucky a little later this summer. I do have 2 full days and a 1/2 day of conferences. The rest of the days are free as some of what I need to attend is split up.

I'll be staying at the "Louisville Marriott Downtown". I will have a car and a rare treat I'll be bring my husband with me this time.

So what is there to do in or around Lousiville? It was never really on my radar for a place to visit.

 

[Buckalew11]

We were there 2 years in August for the Ford Ironman Race. We visited the Louisville Slugger Museum, Frazier Internation History museum (which was free that day because there was some sort of kid festival going on it the downtown). We ate at a really good pizza place downtown called Bearno's. (It was NJ pizza but it was very good--we ate there twice).

here is the link to their website with links to things to see and do there: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/Visitors/

DH spent from 7am one day until 10:30 pm that night swimming, bike riding and running all around Louisville. On the race course there was a very quaint little town with a small artsy-fartsy downtown area that looked really neat. We were trying to keep up with seeing him multiple times during the race so we couldn't see a lot of the "things to see" there. However, Louisville is a place I can say "been there, done that" and I'm hoping DH doesn't choose there to do another Ironman race.

 

[Maleficent Lives]

1. Drive the giant loop around the city, twice for good measure.
2. Drink AFTER you are done driving.

Everything else that I have is very mean spirited and based on one 16 hour experience in Louisville, so to be nice for once, I will leave it out.

 

[madge]

In addition to what there is to see and do in Louisville (I'll let the locals speak to that ) .. I'd suggest making a side trip to Bardstown, to see My Old Kentucky Home and some of the distilleries in the area. Not far from Bardstown is Hodgenville, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln.

 

[WDWBarb]

A visit to 4th Street Live to experience the nightlife (if that's your thing) is a lot of fun. Besides that, Louisville is near to many beautiful and interesting places to visit. Bardstown is nice (try the Talbott Tavern for lunch) and touring the nearby Maker's Mark distillery is an entertaining afternoon. Lexington is beautiful and the Horse Park is just north of Lexington in Georgetown (not much to do there, though, unless you are a serious horse fan).

If you care to drive a bit farther, the Red River Gorge area (Natural Bridge) is amazing...

And if you're really adventurous and like to ghost hunt... Louisville is home to one of the supposedly most haunted places on Earth - Waverly Hills Sanitorium. They book tours (but do typically sell out way in advance).

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Is there an "Old Kentucky Home"
Does it have something to do with Stepen Foster?

 

[WDWBarb]

Is there an "Old Kentucky Home"
Does it have something to do with Stepen Foster?

Yes - there's information at this site -

http://www.parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/mo/

This is the house that inspired Stephen Foster to write "My Old Kentucky Home."

 

[dispor]

It would be a shame to be that close and not visit Mammoth Cave. We went there last week on our way down to the Smoky Moutains. It's a little over 1-1/2 hours from Louisville.

 

[Magic Mom]

Have Lunch at Havana Rumba. Wonderful Cuban food. Go to the Derby Museum. Drive down to Mammoth Cave National park and take a cave tour. Go to Shaker Village at Pleasent Hill. Visit Makers Mark and take a Ky bourbon distillery tour. Spend an evening at 4th Street Live (night clubs, pubs, shows dining and shopping)

 

[Deb in IA]

Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. You may be able to catch some races and see the Kentucky Derby museum.

Take a cruise on the Belle of Louisville paddleboat.

Walk around the Belvedere.

If their season has started, see a show at Actors Theater of Louisville, one of the finest regional theaters in America. Their Festival of New American Plays is renowned.

One of my favorite restaurants is Yaching's, with Asian fusion cuisine,right in downtown. http://yachingsrestaurant.com/

 

[Poohlovr]

You should definitely plan to eat at Lynn's Paradise Cafe (http://www.lynnsparadisecafe.com/ ). You can really wear pajamas to breakfast (not that I would, but some people do). It's just a really quirky little place that is nationally renowned.

Spring racing ends the first week of July, so going to Churchill Downs for the races may be out, but the Kentucky Derby Museum is nice (http://www.derbymuseum.org/ ).

If you decide to visit "My Old Kentucky home". set aside a few hours to visit Bernheim Forest (http://www.bernheim.org/). They are in the same general area (if you take I-65 to Bardstown, you'll drive past Bernheim. Heaven Hill and Jim Beam distilleries are in the same area. (http://www.bourbonheritagecenter.com/)
(http://www.jimbeam.com/our-bourbon/visit-the-distillery)

Take a tour of Louisville Stoneware (http://louisvillestoneware.com/). You'll probably want to buy something, too.

You can take a walking tour of Old Louisville. There are excellent examples of Victorian homes. Too beautiful to describe. Of course, not all are refurbished, so some not so beautiful examples, too. (http://www.oldlouisville.com/walking_tours_of_old_louisville.htm)

Houses not your thing? Try a ghost tour (http://louisvilleghosttours.com/)

Twenty minutes from downtown is Caesars casino (http://www.horseshoe-indiana.com/casinos/caesars-indiana/hotel-casino/property-home.shtml)

Louisville Zoo (http://www.louisvillezoo.org/). We go here a lot.

There's also the Louisville Science Center, the Rauch Planetarium (love it!), the J B Speed art museum, the Louisville Slugger museum, and the Frazier International History museum (they all have websites you can google).

Just under an hour away is Taylorsville Lake State Park ((http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/tl/). Boat rentals, walking trails, etc. Lots of wildlife viewing (esp after dark-you can see hundreds of deer gathered on the main road).

Fourth street Live in downtown Louisville (http://www.4thstlive.com/)

I tried to keep things within an hour or so of downtown.

As others have mentioned, further out, there's Mammoth Cave, Kentucky Down Under, Kentucky Horse park, Red River Gorge (with Natural Bridge), Lincolns Birthplace, Pleasant Hill (Shaker Village).... Well, the list goes on and on.

There are things to see/do here. You just have to hunt them out. Louisville is not a tourist destination, so very few things will be "in your face". I think that's why people who come here don't like it. They don't see anything to do, when in actuality, there's a lot to do.

I really hope you enjoy your visit.

 

[jen0610]

I can 3rd the Fraizer Museum, if you are a history buff. My neice works there and she did quite a bit of work on the Pirate Exhibit. She was just home and had a whole lot of pictures of it for us to see.

 

[kydisneyfans]

If any kids are with you, the Children's Museum is a good stop. There are many festivals along the waterfront. The hubby may hang out at Bass Pro 5 miles north of downtown on the Indiana side.

Check the Exposition center for events there. The street rod nationals arrive in August, usually 10,000+ souped up vintage automobiles. The state fair is later in August.

There are a couple of malls on the east side if you are into shopping too.

We live an hour east of Louisville and visit often.

 

[kilee]

These are some great ideas!!!