Though shorter than nearby skyscrapers, the Muhammad Ali Center towers over Downtown Louisville. Much more than a boxing museum, the values, influence and remarkable life of the most recognizable man in the world unfold in a waterfront complex. It’s the Must-See landmark in this friendly city. While here, enjoy the most famous thoroughbred horse racing track, the place that gives major league baseball its swing, and even more captivating attractions.

    Louisville is widely recognized for breeding champion thoroughbred horses and hosting the fabulous Kentucky Derby. The limestone-rich water here is said to cultivate the famous Kentucky bluegrass, which is a prime staple of these beautiful fast creatures. For all its pageantry and fame, the Kentucky Derby is only one of 70 events in a two-week period surrounding the annual race held the first Saturday in May. Baseball fans also consider the Louisville Slugger Museum a must-visit shrine. See baseball bats swung by baseball heroes such as Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey, Jr., and buy an official Lousiville Slugger bat for the little hero in your home!

    A tribute to its art philanthropy and patronage, few cities of this size can boast their own opera, symphony orchestra, ballet, theatre, dinner and repertory theatres, and a major Shakespeare festival. Other general attractions include the Kentucky Center for the Arts, KFC Yum! Center, Speed Art Museum and Frazier Historical Arms Museum. Families feel right at home when they visit the Louisville Science Center, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, and the excellent regional Louisville Zoo. The redeveloped Waterfront Park has enjoyed critical international acclaim since its dedication in 1998. A well-endowed restaurant scene starting with Fourth Street Live downtown keeps the city buzzing with activity most nights. Many other fine eateries are dotted along Bardstown Road. In terms of past times, sports fans enjoy the University of Louisville for a steady diet of good basketball and football. Not resting on its laurels, the city is in the midst of major waterfront projects that enhance all of downtown.

    Louisville resident, Ed Hamilton, is adding to his resume as one of America's foremost sculptors with hometown as his playpen. Although we have multiple works around town, you must see his prominent York Monument on the downtown waterfront. For those who forgot their history lessons, York was the enslaved guide who helped Lewis & Clark explore the Pacific Northwest. By most accounts, L&C would have been no-shows in the Pacific Northwest if York's skills hadn't saved them. You can learn more about where this remarkable and friendly sculptor works when you first visit this page.

    The Muhammad Ali Center, Juneteenth Legacy Theatre and the Kentucky Derby Museum with its "African Americans in Thoroughbred Racing" exhibit, are just the beginning for sites of African American interest. Several important sites of the Civil Rights Movement dot the landscape. Louisville’s historically Black Russell Neighborhood will receive a completed Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage in the near future. Designed to celebrate the rich heritage and contributions of African Americans in Kentucky, this museum will feature nine thematic alleyways such as Africa, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement, in addition to a genealogy component, allowing individuals to conduct genealogy research.

    Major heritage sites, attention to the arts, and diverse restaurants are good reasons to include Louisville on your itinerary. In fact, Louisville has as many new tourism attractions as other Renaissance River cities such as St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

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