Location: Central Business District
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9 Museums in Central Business District That You Shouldn't Miss
Each year, horse enthusiasts hoof it to Louisville and Churchill Downs, the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby. In addition to equestrian endeavors and bluegrass roots, Louisville boasts a range of exciting attractions the whole family can enjoy. Stroll through Central Park, in the historic district, to people-watch and get a real feel for the city. Visit other nearby parks for hiking, biking and fossil finding. Baseball fans will love the Louisville Slugger Museum, a celebration of the sport's legends. The museum is easy to spot, just look for the humongous bat that leans against the building.
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1. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,521 reviews
Batter up! It takes a special place to craft the #1 Bat in Major League Baseball. At Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, experience history-in-the-making as you stroll through the actual factory where world-famous Louisville Slugger bats are created. The award-winning factory tour is a highlight of the visit here, but there's plenty more to enjoy along with it. Admire the World's Biggest Bat - stretching 120 feet into the sky. Hold bats actually used by baseball superstars like Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken Jr. And Derek Jeter. Face down a 90-mph fastball hurled by a major league pitcher. Count the homerun notches Babe Ruth carved into his Louisville Slugger bat for every home run he hit with it. Step into the batting cages and take some swings with a replica model of your hero's bat. Guests even get a free miniature souvenir bat at the end of the factory tour. You can even create a bat with your own name on it, just like the pros. They make great gifts for all kinds of special occasions, from newborn babies, to groomsmen gifts, to team trophies and more. The museum store is also loaded with lots of sporty merchandise for every budget. Be sure to swing by!
Reviewed By Vmorris99 - Saint Louis, United States
Don't hesitate...go...and pay for the tour! We toured the museum while in Louisville for a convention and visit with friends. My husband and I took our 9 year old son. We all found the museum to exceed our expectations. You can pop into the museum, and you have the option to pay for a tour of the factory. We are so glad we took the tour! Our tour guide was knowledgeable, interesting and funny. You begin with a short movie about how they own their own forest, and how trees are selected, harvested for production and conserved. It was a short and interesting film. Then, our guide lead us through the factory and stopped at key points to describe the process of bat production, labeling and painting. I found the info on how MLB players select bats fascinating. At the end if the tour, each person receives a miniature bat. Afterwards, you are able to explore the museum, which contains baseball history, actual bats of famous players, clocked pitching speed demo, and fun photo opportunities including a dugout and pitching mound where you can pose with a famous player's actual bat. For fellow smashed penny collectors, the lobby features a crank machine with four designs for your smashing pleasure! The lobby also contains a nice gift shop where custom bats, hats, keychains and other souvenirs can be purchased. The ginormous bat on the outside of the building is Instagramable!
2. Muhammad Ali Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,242 reviews
Located in the heart of historic downtown Louisville, Kentucky, the Muhammad Ali Center is a cultural attraction and international education center inspired by the ideals of hometown hero Muhammad Ali. The Ali Center features 2 levels of award-winning exhibits, a five-screen orientation theater film, historic Civil Rights era media footage, video of Ali fights, interactive boxing fun, two art galleries, children's Hope and Dream wall, meeting and event space, retail store and more.
Reviewed By MDMRunner - Farmington, United States
My son (age 23) and I both enjoyed the Muhammad Ali center on our recent meet up in Louisville. This is a very well done center cover Ali's career in all its aspects. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to and came away with a much better appreciation of Ali the man. The historical context seemed to be done very fairly especially for some of the controversial parts of his career. There is a very good short film (approximately 15 minutes) that does a good job of introducing a lot of information that makes it easier to enjoy the rest of the museum. We spent about an hour and a half but you could definitely spend more time there if you wanted to.
3. Flame Run Glass Studio and Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 153 reviews
Flame Run is the largest privately owned hotshop in this section of the country. We welcome all visitors, young and old, to enjoy the beauty and magic of glass with us.
Reviewed By U7360PEsherryh - Lafayette, United States
What a great experience! It was a lot of fun to learn about the process of making glass. We learned so much! They were happy to answer all of our questions. They offered advice about colors to use and how they would look in the finished project. We can’t thank them enough for starting our mini vacation off with an amazing experience.
4. Frazier History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 789 reviews
The Frazier History Museum is located in the West Main District of downtown Louisville, a part of "Museum Row on Main." The museum features Cool Kentucky, the Lewis & Clark Experience, and the KentuckyShow! in addition to temporary exhibits that focus on the state's history and culture. The Frazier also houses a Founder's Gallery of historical arms and the Stewart Collection of historical miniatures, one of the largest collections of toy soldiers on public display in the world. In 2018, the Frazier became the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with the opening of the Bourbon Trail Welcome Center and Spirit of Kentucky exhibit. The museum has private event spaces for rent including the Rooftop Garden, the Great Hall, Speakeasy, Order of the Writ, Gateway Garden, and more. The Frazier is where the world meets Kentucky and seeks to ignite the human spirit with thoughtfully crafted stories to spark curiosity about who we are and our connection to the future.
Reviewed By CPGTheATeam - Fort Worth, United States
As a "Lover of History," my "Must See Attraction" during a recent visit to Louisville was the Frazier History Museum. The Museum is located in a three-story building in downtown Louisville, contains an impressive collection of historical items, and includes a large gift shop located on the Museum's first floor. The exhibits focus on Kentucky history, but also contain extensive collections of artifacts that will be of interest to residents of Louisville, tourists from Kentucky, and TripAdvisor Travelers. Among the Museum's many exhibits, my favorites were the Lewis and Clark Expedition Exhibit, the History of Bourbon Exhibit, and the Museum's World-Class Exhibit of Arms and Armor. Individual artifacts in these exhibits were impressive and included George Washington's Long Rifle, Theodore Roosevelt's Famous "Big Stick" (actually a rifle, not a stick), George Custer's Ivory-Handled Pistols, and Daniel Boone's Family Bible. In spite of the Museum's World-Class Exhibits and all the interesting artifacts in these exhibits, the favorite part of my visit to the Frazier History Museum were the "Living History Presentations" by the Museum's Teaching Artists. On the day I visited the Museum, there were five 20-30 minute "live" presentations on famous, but lesser known Americans, including local fashion icon Madame Glover, female pirate Anne Bonny, and Lewis and Clark's slave York. Unfortunately, because of time limitations, I was only able to view the presentation on "Madame Glover." Her impact on Louisville and the city's expanding fashion industry was interesting, entertaining, and skillfully presented by Melinda B. a Teaching Artist at the Museum. In appropriate attire for a fashionable lady of Louisville's Gilded Age and with an appropriate background setting, Melinda assumed the role of Madame Glover. She made an excellent presentation on this women and her impact on Louisville's fashion industry. After watching Melinda assume the role of Madam Glover and telling "her story," I wished I had had time to see other presentations and will return to the Museum for other "Living History Presentations," Hopefully, Melinda will still be assuming the persona of famous individuals and sharing their accomplishments and historical contributions with Museum visitors. My visit to the Frazier Museum was a most enjoyable educational and entertaining experience. Because of the Museum's schedule of visiting exhibits as well as its multiple and ever-changing "Living History Presentations," I am looking forward to a "return visit. Of special interest to me is the Museum's Edger Allen Poe Program presented annually in October. For TripAdvisor Travelers living in Louisville or visiting the city, I highly recommend a visit to the Frazier Museum of History and consider it to be one of Louisville's "Must See Attractions."
5. 21c Museum Hotel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 335 reviews
Consume global culture and connect with local communities when you visit 21c Museum Hotel - a multi-venue contemporary art museum, coupled with a boutique hotel and chef-driven restaurant. Founded by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, contemporary art collectors and preservationists who believe in the power of contemporary art. Experience our curated rotating exhibitions, commissioned site-specific installations, and regular cultural programming at each location.
Reviewed By Ccoug19 - Louisville, United States
The museum was highly recommended by some friends and so of course we had to go check it out. This location has a hotel (which we did not stay in) and a restaurant in addition to the art. I loved the variety of artistic expression, the different canvas. It was definitely a unique experience and above all,free. I look forward to visiting again but this time to go to the restaurant.
6. KMAC Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 57 reviews
Art is the Big Idea, and Craft is the Process. Connecting people to art and creative practice. KMAC Museum is a contemporary art museum located in Louisville's historic downtown on Museum Row. The Museum explores the relationship between art and craft by identifying art as big idea and craft as the intersection between process, materials and labor. Our goal is to educate and inspire while promoting a better understanding of art through exhibitions, education and collections.
Reviewed By hrobinson1114 - Hopkinsville, United States
Smaller museum in clean, modern digs. The staff are super nice and they are taking the utmost precautions during COVID 19. Modern art. When I went, they had a very good exhibit on southern artists featured in the book “Walks to the Paradise Garden.” They also had an exhibit from a local Louisville artist. Neat gift shop with lots of upscale fare. In the past they had a Picasso exhibit and other thoughtfully, well curated shows. This is a great museum to see over an hour or an hour and a half. It’s not overwhelming and worth a stop. You may see things here that you won’t see other places.
7. Kentucky Science Center
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 443 reviews
Explore 3 floors of exhibit experiences offering interactive science fun for the whole family! Plus, enjoy amazing movies in our NEW 4-story digital theater.
Reviewed By besspiata12345 - Louisville, United States
This place will keep your children playing for hours. It is also a great learning experience for adults and children. They have a great IMAX theater also. There are so many things for the children to do with some exhibitions that teach you about how things work. It's a must see if you have a few hours to spend.
8. Mark Payton Glass Center @ The Glassworks Bldg
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 105 reviews
Glassworks houses the Mark Payton Glass Center and Flame Run. See live demonstrations in Glassblowing and Flameworking on our daily tours. Make a project in our Walk-in Workshop. Shop around in one of our two galleries. Hours are 10-5pm Monday - Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Reviewed By 70kathleenmb
There are two glass shops in this building, but Mark Payton's workshop is where our family of 6 landed. Mark brought me behind the glass shield to make an imploded glass flower pendant--the kind of experience you rarely, if ever, get to participate in! He took point, but I helped keep the glass moving and followed the instructions so I was part of every stage in the process except the finishing. Then he amused my kids by taking pictures of me breathing fire. :) The heated glass work is not available to all ages, but I think older kids can participate as well. What all ages can do is a fused glass project--cutting or gluing crushed glass to another glass surface, which will then be fused in the kiln. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Louisville! We got lucky and were able to do it all on walkins--but I'd recommend calling ahead to make sure the staffing is available for whatever you want to do.
9. Shop and Gallery at The Brown Hotel
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 1 reviews
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