Location: Central Business District
Top Things to do in Central Business District
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What to do and see in Central Business District, Kentucky (KY): The Best Things to do
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.
Restaurants in Louisville
1. Sons of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Library
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 49 reviews
The SAR Genealogical Research Library is currently closed to the public due to coronavirus. We will update this listing when we re-open. As always, we have plenty of free genealogy videos posted on Facebook/YouTube and our website to keep you busy while we are closed. Discover your family heritage at the SAR Genealogical Research Library, located in a late 19th century building in the heart of Louisville's "Museum Row". With over 55,000 items in the collection, including family histories, state records, and online databases, there is something for even the most seasoned researcher to explore! Adjoining the library is the Mary & James S. Craik Special Collections Room, a small gallery featuring artifacts from the era of the American Revolution. Admission- $5 for general public. Free for SAR, spouses of SAR, DAR, C.A.R., and SR members and Friends of the SAR Library.
Reviewed By dabollinger1973 - Radcliff, United States
My wife took me here as a birthday surprise to research family that I had suspected being involved in the American Revolution. The people that work here are fantastic and were extremely helpful in pointing me in the right direction and showing me how to use the genealogy searches they have on the computer. The “Library” they have is VERY impressive and any information they have about family heritage and genealogy is the best I’ve ever seen. To be honest, I had NO IDEA this place existed and is 45 minutes from my house! I will be back soon to do more research and fill out the forms associated with my family history to prove that my 7th Great Uncle was in fact a 2nd Lieutenant in the American Revolution. I recommend this place to ANYONE who is serious about their family heritage and love to do historical research. I could spend hours and hours in this place!
2. Kentucky Opera
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Experience Everything! Music • Theatre • Singing • Drama • Dance • Spectacle Kentucky Opera brings you all-live stage productions filled with remarkable voices, an outstanding orchestra, enthralling theatre, and captivating dance - all of the art forms working together to tell a story.
3. Kentucky Derby Festival Great Balloon Glimmer
4. Angel's Envy Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 813 reviews
Built in the heart of Louisville, the Angel’s Envy Distillery is downtown’s first fully operational whiskey production facility. Angel’s Envy puts you in the center of our distilling process for a unique tour experience. TOURS ARE BY ONLINE RESERVATION ONLY.
Reviewed By victoriaef2017 - Elizabethtown, United States
A classy distillery with history.... Minimalist surroundings Jimmy James was a fun & informative tour guide, answered all questions with a grin Loved having a drink In the bar reserved for those completing the tour And Kelly was a very friendly mixologist....fun to watch creating tasty as well as attractive libations A must if you are doing the Kentucky Bourbon Trail!
5. Bourbon Hall
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
The bourbon boom continues in Louisville, KY, with a new twist. Walking distance from the Omni Hotel and Downtown Marriott is our premier mid-size performance venue. The Bourbon Hall’s open layout creates a unique, up-close experience. We offer a diverse collection of Kentucky’s finest bourbons for our concert-goers to enjoy. We work hard to bring in the acts that YOU want to experience.
6. 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!
7. Actors Theatre of Louisville
8. Louisville Slugger Field
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 690 reviews
The baseball-specific stadium opened in 2000 with a seating capacity of 13,131. It is currently home to the Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and Louisville City FC of the United Soccer League.
Reviewed By ohltb - Raleigh, United States
Haven't been to a baseball game since I was 7 and living in Williamston, NC. This was a nice park, clean, friendly, lots to do for the kids, a great night out for the family.
9. 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.
10. West Main Historic District
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Reviewed By fenleft
If you like museums, W. Main is the place to be. There are several as you go down the street. The most popular one is the Slugger Museum. There you can take a factory tour and see how baseball bats are made and browse the museum to see the evolution of the baseball bat. But there is also the Frazier History museum, the kids Science Museum and a couple of others as well. And there are several bourbon distilleries in the area as well.
