The largest city in Kentucky, Louisville, was founded on the Ohio River in 1778 and named in honor of the French King Louis XVI. It is the headquarters of famous companies such as Philip Morris Tobacco, American Tobacco, Kentucky Fried Chicken, United Parcel and the Seagram's. Downtown Kentucky has the largest collection of cast-iron buildings outside New York. The J.B. Speed Museum has pictures by Rembrandt, Rubens, Picasso and Monet, whilst the Harlan Sanders Museum, dedicated to the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the Louisville Slugger Museum, devoted entirely to baseball, are thoroughly American. River trips on the Ohio can be taken on the venerable old sternwheeler "Belle de Louisville".
The Kentucky Derby is one of the world's most famous horse races. The event is held the first Sunday in May, as it has been since 1875, in the area known as Churchill Downs.
The Louisville Slugger Museum is located at the manufacturing plant and headquarters of the famous company. A 120-foot steel baseball bat rests against the wall of the building. Visitors can watch bats being produced on the guided tour.
Hours:
July 1 to August 15: 9am-6pm; Sun:12pm-6pm
August 16 to November 30: 9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm
December 1 to March 31: 9am-5pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
The American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville was founded in 1858. Visitors can take a plant tour and visit the Callahan Museum which is housed in the 1883 section of the facility. Exhibits include historic, tactile books, maps and globes, and a collection of mechanical Braille writers.
Address: American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206-0085, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 895-2405, Fax: 1 (502) 899-2274
The Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville was completed in 1852 with an interior that features Gothic arches, ornate columns and a vaulted ceiling. It is the third oldest Catholic Cathedral in the U.S. in continuous use.
Address: Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 South Fifth Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 582-2971, Fax: 1 (502) 582-3919
Designed as a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion, the Conrad - Caldwell House in Louisville was built for Theophilus Conrad, a Frenchman who made his fortune in the tanning business. Built in the 1890s the house features gargoyles, swags, massive arches and fleur-de-lis on the outside. The inside of the house features woodwork, stained glass and fixtures.
Address: Conrad/Caldwell House Museum, 1402 Saint James Court, Louisville, KY 40208, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 636-5023, Fax: 1 (502) 636-1264
Farmington in Louisville is a restored brick Federalist style mansion. It was the childhood home of Joshua Fry Speed who was considered to be Lincoln's closest friend. The house was built in 1810 with plans from Thomas Jefferson.
Entrance to Farmington, Louisville.
Address: Farmington, 3033 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205-3019, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 452-9920, Fax: 1 (502) 456-1976
Hours:
10am-4pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), American Independance Day (July 4), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Easter - Christian
The Filson Club is housed in the Ferguson Mansion in Louisville. It is said to be the oldest historical society in Kentucky dating back to 1884.
The Filson's museum is located in the Carriage House behind the Ferguson Mansion. Exhibits include a collection of Kentucky artifacts such as handmade quilts and various Civil War items. The library contains original manuscripts, portraits, landscapes, photographs and prints, genealogical materials, printed family histories and local business records.
Address: Filson Historical Society, 1310 South Third Street, Louisville, KY 40208, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 635-5083, Fax: 1 (502) 635-5086
The Frazier Museum in Louisville, in collaboration with the Royal Armouries (Britain's oldest museum), holds in trust a world-renowned collection of arms, armor and related historical artifacts. Some of the notable items on display include the ceremonial sword of Founding Father Josiah Bartlett, the family bible of Daniel Boone, the bow attributed to Apache warrior Geronimo, and the ivory-handled Colt pistols of General George Armstrong Custer.
Hours:
9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Locust Grove is located on 55 of the original 694.5-acre farm established by William and Lucy Clark Croghan in Louisville in 1790. Three U.S. Presidents, Monroe, Jackson and Taylor, were just a few of the distinguished visitors and it was a stopping point for famed explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The mansion has been restored and furnished to its original appearance.
Hours:
10am-4:30pm; Sun:1pm-4:30pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Easter - Christian
TheJefferson County Courthouse in Louisville was designed by Kentucky architect Gideon Shyrock in 1836. Joel T Hart's marble statue of Henry Clay is located in the rotunda and the statue of Thomas Jefferson by Moses Ezekiel is in front of the building.
The Joseph A Callaway Archaeological Museum in Louisville is housed on the campus of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The museum features the Eisenberg Collection of Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities and the Nicol Collection of Biblical Archaeology.
The Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation in Louisville plays host to 12 exhibitions a year. The work of approximately 200 artists are on display, featuring work in folk art to furniture.
Address: Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation, 715 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 589-0102, Fax: 1 (502) 589-0154
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sat:11am-5pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Little Loomhouse in Louisville is a collection of 19th C log cabins with two centuries of weaving drafts and coverlets on display as well as weaving and spinning demonstrations.
Hours:
10am-3:30pm; Closed: Sun, Mon, Fri, Sat
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
Tips: Also open third Saturday of each month 10am to 3:30pm. the Loomhouse is operated strictly by volunteer staff, call in advance to ensure that someone is there to greet you.
The Louisville Extreme Park provides 40,000 square feet of skating surface for skateboarding, in-line skating and biking opportunities for all ages and skill levels. Highlights include a 24 foot full pipe, street course, various bowls, and fun boxes.
Louisville Mega Cavern is a 17 mile underground attraction with tours conducted by a jeep and tram. Some of the more interesting points of this attraction lies within the history. During the 1940's until the 1970's, Civil Defense had chosen this particular cavern to use in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. This is highlighted midway through each tour along with a short movie.
The Louisville Palace was designed by John Eberson, a prominent architect who was known for his atmospheric theaters. The Palace opened in 1928 and has been restored to feature the ornate plaster work and baroque decor.
The Louisville Zoo features more than 1,300 exotic animals including gorillas, lions, tigers, polar bears, penguins, and birds in their natural indoor and outdoor habitats within its 134 acres.
Hours:
March 1 to May 31: 10am-5pm
June 1 to July 30: 10am-5pm; Thu:10am-7pm; Fri:10am-7pm; Sat:10am-7pm
August 1 to September 6: 10am-5pm
September 7 to February 28: 10am-4pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The NSSAR Historical and Genealogical Library is housed in the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution headquarters in Louisville. The library has more than 50,000 items including records from the Civil and Revolutionary War periods. The George Washington Collection consists of the Morristown Manuscript Collection and the George Washington Papers.
Built c 1837 by Gabriel Farnsley in Louisville, Riverside is a red brick Kentucky "I-House" with a two-story Greek Revival portico and an incredible river view. The Farnsley-Moremen House served as the center of a large farming operation with an active riverboat landing. The mansion has been restored to its original grandeur and is open to the public.
Hours:
10am-4:30pm; Sun:1pm-4:30pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Tours startat 10:30 am and every hour at half past. The last tour is at 3:30 pm.
Collections of 17th C Dutch and Flemish painting; 18th C French art; Renaissance and Baroque tapestries; American painting and sculpture are featured at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville which was established in 1927.
Address: Speed Art Museum, 2035 South Third Street, Louisville, KY 40208-1812, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 634-2700, Fax: 1 (502) 636-2899
The Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville is home to the Kentucky Opera, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Children's Theatre and the Louisville Orchestra. A collection of 20th C art is displayed throughout the building.
Night view of The Kentucky Center for Performing Arts in Louisville.
The Thomas Edison House in Louisville was home to the inventor during his brief stay as a telegrapher after the Civil War. Some of Edison's inventions are displayed.
Address: Thomas Edison House, 729 East Washington Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1050, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 585-5247, Fax: 1 (502) 585-5231
Whitehall was built in Louisville in 1855 as a two-story eight-room brick building. In 1909 the home was remodeled and expanded to a 15-room Classical Revival mansion. The grounds feature a 2-acre formal Florentine garden.
Address: Whitehall, 3110 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40206-3061, United States
Phone: 1 (502) 897-2944, Fax: 1 (502) 897-7737
Hours:
10am-2pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
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Louisville Zoo, Louisville
Louisville Zoo, Louisville
Kentucky Derby, Louisville
Louisville Zoo, Louisville
Farmington, Louisville
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville
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