10 Best Things to Do in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky – the land of bourbon, horse racing, and fried chicken! The Ohio River winds serenely below the skyline and with plenty of lush parks, world-class museums, and unique distilleries to keep you busy for a visit, or two or three! There are so many excellent things to do in Louisville, Kentucky, and below we have highlighted some of the very best.
10 Best Things To Do in Louisville, kentucky
Take a Louisville Food Tour
When I visit a new destination I love booking a food tour to learn about the history, people, and of course, the best things to eat and drink there! Luckily, Louisville Food Tours tells the story of Louisville and Kentucky one bite at a time with local dishes like beer cheese, bourbon balls, fried chicken and so much more – there is a lot to taste! The food tours include:
- NuLu Food & History Walking Tour – Taste Kentucky and Appalachian classics like bourbon balls and fried chicken, visit a historic home once occupied by Thomas Edison, taste a curious confection inspired by a Victorian-era actress, trace the history of German immigrants in Louisville, and more.
- Highlands Heritage Tastes & Tales Tour – As you walk along some of Louisville’s oldest and most iconic streets, you’ll taste (and drink) delicious local specialties; visit the iconic entrance of Cave Hill Cemetery, the final resting place of Muhammad Ali and Colonel Sanders; try a dish inspired by the Hot Brown in Muhammed Ali’s former boxing gym; sip bourbon in Louisville’s oldest bar; trace the footsteps of the immigrants who shaped the city; and admire opulent Victorian homes and historic architecture near stunning Cherokee Park.
- Phantoms Of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour – Venture out with us and explore the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past. As you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row, you’ll meet the resident ghosts of Louisville’s historic downtown, trace the footsteps of bourbon magnates and mobsters, see Al Capone’s secret getaway, discover hidden speakeasies, and learn the shocking truth about Prohibition.
- Beyond The Barrel Bourbon & Food Tour – As you explore the vibrant NuLu neighborhood, you’ll discover hidden speakeasies, rooftop terraces, and cozy tasting rooms. This guided tour is both a fantastic introduction to bourbon for the uninitiated, and a master class in bourbon and food pairing for experienced aficionados. Book your tour now and uncover the secrets of Kentucky bourbon!
- Whispers On Whiskey Row: The Haunted History Of Derby City Tour – Food tours not your thing? Would you rather get sustenance from creepy stories instead? As the sun sets, step into the shadows of the past on a haunting history tour through the heart of downtown Louisville where you’ll uncover the sinister secrets that lurk behind bustling Whiskey Row and along the shores of the murky Ohio River. One part ghosts, one part grisly history that is sadly, entirely true, this guided 1.5-hour tour through downtown Louisville unveils the deepest, darkest corners of Louisville’s gruesome past.
Visit a Louisville Distillery
What do “Kentucky” and “Bourbon” have in common? They both have “U” in it (I’m sorry!). Bad jokes aside, “Bourbonism” is very much a part of the Kentucky, and Louisville, way of life. Some of the best distilleries to visit inside the city are:
- Angel’s Envy is a small-batch bourbon distiller situated in Downtown Louisville. On the one-hour guided tour of the industrial-chic distillery, you’ll learn about how grains transform into whiskey and how Rabbit Hole’s philosophy is changing the bourbon industry, with it ending at the overlook lounge for a generous bourbon-tasting with a view.
- The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience is located on Museum Row, and though most of their bourbon is actually distilled at the Heaven Hill Distillery (they make one barrel at day here), you can book a plethora of different tours or experiences. We recommend their hour-long Traditional Tour & Tasting which features a film and historical walkthrough of the founding of the distillery to today and of course a tasting of their signature products. The Speakeasy Tour, at 45-minutes long, celebrates of the end of Prohibition where you sneak through a safe into a hidden speakeasy and try plenty of samples of Evan Williams bourbon.
- Michter’s Distillery descends from one of America’s oldest whiskey companies and their tasting room and “micro distillery” is located in the historic Fort Nelson Building on Museum Row. Check out their Discovery Tour, which offers a one-hour overview of the Michter’s distilling, barreling, and tasting of five Michter’s expressions. The hour-and-a-half-long Founders Tour includes all the information of the Discovery tour, but also gives you the opportunity to delve deeper into the distillation process and ends with 7 samples, and they also send you home with a commemorative gift!
Take a Belle of Louisville Cruise
One of the most gorgeous ways to take in the city is from the scenic Ohio River, where the historic Belle of Louisville floats placidly down.
Louisville is a river city, and our history is deeply immersed in its connection to the river and the steamboats that once chugged along her mighty banks transporting goods. And today, one historic steamboat still glides along the waters of the Ohio: the Belle of Louisville!
Built in 1914 and originally named Idlewild, the Belle of Louisville still operates alongside her much younger sister, the Mary M. Miller. Take a cruise and pretend it’s the early 1900s and you’ve got a shipment of bourbon to send down the river!
Visit Churchill Downs
Nothing is as heart-poundingly exciting as watching your money sprint away from you down a track. Err, I mean a horse!
Even if you aren’t here at Derby time, cheering on your horse with a screaming crowd during a race at Churchill Downs is just as exciting as any other day at the track, particularly if you’re like us and only ever bet a couple dollars at a time.
Even when races aren’t running, Churchill Downs is home to a fantastic museum, the Kentucky Derby Museum. You can learn about the history of the Kentucky Derby, thoroughbred racing, Black heritage in racing, and more.
Take in History On Museum Row
If you want to peruse as many museums in Louisville as possible in the shortest amount of time you must check out Museum Row, located on Main Street smack dab in the middle of downtown. Some of the best ones to check out are:
- The Muhammad Ali Center – Muhammad Ali was one of Louisville’s most famous residents and he co-founded the museum during his lifetime. The museum explores Ali’s illustrious boxing career and examines, with a critical eye, the man himself – with all of his flaws – as well as the racist and turblent society from which he emerged.
- The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory – Louisville sluggers, perhaps the greatest contribution to baseball ever are made right here in Louisville at the Slugger Factory! Taking a tour of the Louisville Slugger factory at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory shows you how they’re made, and you can try your hand at the batting cage using bats from famous baseball stars. You also leave with an awesome souvenir: a mini Louisville Slugger bat!
- The Frazier Kentucky History Museum – Here you’ll learn about the story of bourbon, the role of Kentucky in the Civil War and the Lewis & Clark expedition, and the complex story behind Louisville’s segregated and redlined West End. No other museums in Louisville can boast such a large collection of Kentucky-centric artifacts, but also other objects like Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” (spoiler: it’s a gun), a bourbon history collection, and the most unique and adorable collection, the Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection.
- Not located on Museum row but rather 10 minutes away adjacent to the University of Louisville’s campus in Old Louisville, the Speed Art Museum is the oldest and largest museum of art in Kentucky! Called one of “The World’s Most Beautiful New Museums” by Travel & Leisure Magazine (the building is gorgeous, seriously… you should visit just for the selfie) the museum features rotating exhibitions on a diverse array of classical, ancient, and modern art. The museum is free to visit on Sundays!
Eat and drink your way down whiskey row
Whiskey Row on the 100 block of W. Main Street was once home to the bourbon and tobacco industries at the turn of the century, and today bourbon is still celebrated with places to drink the golden amber stuff itself! Not only that, there are plenty of places to get incredible food as well.
- Hell or High Water – This beautiful speakeasy is located underground, and immediately transports you back to the roaring 20s with excellent cocktails like the Calling Card No 1., their signature bourbon drink. Though it may seem hoity-toity and fancy, be sure to check out their cheeky wallpaper and you’ll see they have a sense of humor! You need a reservation to enter, or you can book the Phantoms Of Prohibition: Ghosts, Cocktails, & Bites Tour!
- Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar – As you can see from the name, they have everything from ribs, brisket, and pulled pork to some of the freshest oysters you’ll find. Since this is on Whiskey Row, you better believe their Bourbon is on the menu, from the “Greatest Old Fashion” to a slew of Bourbon flights.
- Old Forester – This distillery on Whiskey Row is home to the only cooperage in downtown Louisville, where they make and char their own barrels – a unique experience and a highlight of their 75-minute Old Forester Tour. On this tour you’ll also see the fermentation and distillation processes, as well as how the whiskies are maturated & bottled in their state-of-the art facility. At the end, you’ll get to taste four expressions and is great into intro bourbon making!
- Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen – This is one of the liveliest places on Whiskey Row to come sip some bourbon, listen to live music and enjoy some good eats. Try George’s Famous Old Fashioned made with Old Forester Signature, muddled fruit and agave and nectar bitters, or even dip into some of their handpicked barrels. Food-wise, they have award-winning fried chicken, candied bourbon maple bacon, and plenty of other twists on southern classics!
Visit the Lush Serenity of Cherokee Park
Cherokee Park is a big, beautiful forested park in Louisville winding through the Highlands neighborhood with over 389 acres. There are a myriad of walking paths, hiking trails, biking routes, and even a 2.4-mile scenic loop that you can walk or do by car.
The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who not only designed Louisville’s other major parks, Iroquois and Shawnee, as well as the city’s four parkways, but also New York City’s Central Park.
The main hiking trial of Cherokee is like a second loop surrounding the paved scenic loop, so it’s easy to pop in and out of the trails where you like. Taking the trails means you get to discover hilly forests, boardwalks over swampy areas, and even a bird sanctuary!
Get a Thrill at Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom is Louisville’s very own awesome amusement park, full of roller coasters and wave pools and waterslides and funnel cakes and definitely-not-rigged games with giant stuffed animal prizes. It’s a fever dream of rides for thrill seekers, kids, with an impressive waterpark that seems to grow by the year.
If you’re here in August, be sure to check out the Kentucky State Fair – which is better than every other state fair because the ride section is literally an entire amusement park – Kentucky Kingdom is right next to the Fair & Expo Center! Also because they have an entire room of rabbits, but I digress.
Walk around St. James-Belgravia Historic District
Old Louisville is literally like stepping back in time, with its historical landmarks and the most extensive collection of restored Victorian Homes in the country. With over 40 city blocks of Victorian-era homes, it’s easy to wander for hours and see the ornate homes, black iron gas lamps, manicured gardens, and the whispers of lives past.
One of the most scenic areas is the St. James-Belgravia Historic District, with its huge central fountain, the historic Pink Palace, and pedestrian-only residential streets.
Go Ziplining at the Mega Caverns
2 words: Underground. Zipline. That’s right. Zip through a freaking enormous limestone cavern underneath the city of Louisville at the Louisville Mega Cavern! And, if you’re wondering, there is nothing else like this in the entire world. How cool is that!
Recently, they’ve added glow lights and music, making it an even more psychedelic and exciting experience.
Plus, while you’re down under, there are tons of other ridiculously nonsensical and super cool activities you can do too, like an underground aerial ropes course, walking tour, or even an underground bike tour.
Are you ready to explore these fabulous things to do in Louisville?
About us: we run walking food tours of Louisville, Kentucky. Come with us to experience the story of Bourbon City one bite at a time!
Hope to see you on a tour soon!
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