Visit The Louisville Slugger Factory
Located in the Downtown area of Louisville, the Louisville Slugger Factory is a must visit! Im not super interested in baseball, but it was still very cool to see how the bats are made. Tours of the factory last about 30-45 minutes, and youll also have an opportunity to explore the small museum on your own. At the end of the tour, youll also receive a cute mini-bat which I thought was very cool. Tickets for adults are $16 and $9 for kids.
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Alexey Stiop / Shutterstock
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is located inside one of the most stunning vacation spots in the state of Kentucky: the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Spanning 1,657 acres and boasting a campground with 50 sites, a restaurant looking out to the river, a lodge, and a visitors center its among the best the state has to offer.
While youre in the park, you can visit Cumberland Falls, which arches 68 feet into the air, or even Eagle Falls, which falls second place at a still-impressive 44 feet tall.
You can take your time doing all sorts of things, like white water rafting, hiking, fishing, biking, horseback riding, catching a moonbow, and more.
On top of that, there are also a good number of events that occur throughout the year, so if youre lucky, youll be in the park at the right time to enjoy them.
The Overnight Canoe Adventures, the Kentucky Hills Craft Festival, the Native American Weekend, and the Nature Photography Weekend are all great!
Address: 7351 Hwy 90, Corbin, KY 40701, United States
Enjoy The Beauty Of The Cave Hill Cemetery
Garden State Hiker / Flickr
Cave Hill Cemetery is a Victorian-era cemetery and arboretum that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and free to the public to visit. People flock to this cemetery not because it’s spooky or to go ghost hunting, but rather for the lovely scenery and intricately designed gravestones. The land is incredibly photogenic and home to a cave, several lakes, and the graves of many famous Louisvillians, including Muhammad Ali and Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders.
W.marsh / Wikimedia Commons / CC 3.0
The Filson Historical Society runs a free museum that is located in a carriage house on the society’s grounds in the Old Louisville neighborhood. The museum houses artifacts that are important to Kentucky’s history including a sheep horn brought back from the Lewis and Clark expedition, Jim Porter’s musket, Daniel Boone’s “Kilt a Bar” tree carving, and many Civil War artifacts. Guests will also have the chance to see several portraits, landscapes, and still lifes in the museum’s fine art collection.
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Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
Nagel Photography / Shutterstock
The 16th American president was born in Kentucky, and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site celebrates that as one of the best and most symbolic tourist attractions youll find in the state.
But the site isnt just one specific area: its a collection of awesome things to see.
You can tour the John Russell Pope-designed First Lincoln Memorial of pink granite and marble, which has 56 steps that lead up to the peak.
These represent every year of Lincolns life.
The birth cabin of Lincoln is symbolically represented in one of the aforementioned locations.
There is also the Sinking Spring, which is where the president first drank water from after he was born.
Then, you can take a trip to Knob Creek, which is where Lincoln and his family moved later on.
Address: 2995 Lincoln Farm Rd, Hodgenville, KY 42748, United States
What To Pack For Your Trip To Louisville Ky
We have just a few final tips about what to pack for your trip! You can find all of our packing hacks and more on our dedicated Travel Packing page.
Walking Shoes
The sights in Louisville are spread across the city so you will want to make sure you pack a good pair of walking shoes! I like to wear lightweight sneakers but you can read our blog post, The Best Travel Shoes, for more tips!
Travel Camera
If you are anything like us, you will be taking heaps of photos on your trip Louisville is actually quite photogenic so make sure you have a real camera! For our travels, we use a Canon Rebel with an 18-135mm lens that is perfect for capturing all the sights. We offer tips in this article on finding the Best Budget Camera for Travel.
Day Bag
Whether you travel with a backpack or a suitcase, when you are out exploring the city, make sure you have a good day pack to carry everything you will need! On our long days of city exploration, we carry daypacks to stow our keys, phones, camera, jacket and other everyday travel items. Find the perfect day bag for your trip with the tips in our blog post, The Best Day Pack for Travelers.
We Want To Know: What are your favorite things to do in Louisville, Kentucky? What Louisville activities would you add to our list? Tell us in the comments!
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Meet The Animals At Louisville Zoo
Source: flickr
Louisville Zoo was founded in 1969 and covers 169 acres and has approximately 1,700 animals. There are six geographical setting in the zoo which are the Asian Plains, African Veldt, The Islands, Australian Outback and North and South America Panorama. The Gorilla Forest has proved extremely popular with tourists and is currently home to western lowland gorillas and patas monkeys. If you like polar bears then the Glacier Run exhibit is a great place to hang out and even includes a splash park for children to play in.
The Kentucky Center For The Performing Arts
4kclips / Shutterstock
Louisville understands the importance of the arts.
Tonight or months from now, there could be something amazing happening at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
Like the Louisville Palace, this is a great place for anyone who really wants to have a classy experience with live entertainment.
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts is a venue with multiple performance spaces.
First opened in 1983, its played host to artists like Ray Charles and Tony Bennett.
Visitors have commended it for qualities like its cleanliness and comfort.
Address: 501 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202, United States
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Visit The Home Of Jim Beam
A trip to the Jim Beam American Stillhouse allows you to experience the making and history of one of Kentucky’s signature products, bourbon. The original distillery and home of founder Jim Beam is located in Clermont, about 30 minutes outside of downtown Louisville. At the distillery, you can watch a video about the history of the Beam family, view the bourbon-making process, and see how the brand’s bottle art has changed throughout the years.
Best of all, there is no charge for any of these activities, though you’ll probably want to bring some cash to purchase a bottle of this iconic bourbon to go.
Understand What Makes A Thoroughbred At The Kentucky Derby
Source: flickr
We recently read about going to the Kentucky Derby but once you have done that you may like to learn what makes a great race horse. At the Kentucky Derby Museum you can learn about all the different stages of the horses life, from birth through to race day. There is also a section dedicated to the history of this great race and how many of the traditions you see today came about. In total there are more than 20,000 items to view including many items that jockeys and breeders have donated.
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A Dozen Fun Things To Do In Louisville Ky
Louisville is located along the Kentucky/Indiana and sits along the beautiful Ohio River. It offers Southern charms, a great bourbon scene, the legendary Churchill Downs horse racing track, and a few surprises. On my visit, my daughter and I enjoyed great eats, a fantastic zoo, and world-class museums On another visit, I stayed in a fantastic luxury hotel that originated right here in Louisville. Here are a dozen fun things to do in Louisville, Kentucky, that you might want to add to your future travels.
Watch The Kentucky Derby At Churchill Downs
Source: flickr
Churchill Downs is home to the world famous Kentucky Derby as well as thoroughbred horse racing in Louisville. The racetrack fills an area of 146 acres and features an oval racetrack, a one mile dirt track and a seven furlong race course. Churchill Downs has been home to the Kentucky Derby since 1875 which is one of the most popular races in the world. On Derby day you can expect to see over 165,000 racing fans packing the stadium and cheering on their favored filly. When the horses are racing around a different part of the track to where you are standing you need not worry, the track also features the largest 4K video screen in the world.
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Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
Take a trip down to “Whiskey Row” in Downtown Louisville and visit the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. With guided tours, an artisanal distillery, and some bourbon tasting. Learn the rich history of bourbon first hand in Kentucky.
- Address: 528 W Main St, Louisville, KY
- Website: Even Williams Bourbon Experience
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area
Piotr Kalinowski Photos / Shutterstock
The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is among the most beautiful places that you can find in Kentucky.
It is situated between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake and was made a national recreation area by President John Kennedy in 1963.
Theres plenty that you can see here, ranging from simple hiking trails to a breathtaking elk and bison prairie, including the biggest herd of bison that is publicly owned on this side of the Mississippi River.
The land itself is also an inland peninsula that is the second biggest in the country at 360 square miles.
While youre here, you can enjoy water sports like swimming, fishing, boating, skiing, and more.
You can also take your chance at spotting wildlife, such as bobcats, deer, eagles, and osprey.
There are a good number of historic areas to see, too.
On top of that, you should also take a trip to Homeplace, which is also in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
It is a recreated farm from the 1850s, and all staff in the area are dressed in costumes from the time and showcase period-typical crop-growing techniques.
Address: 238 Visitor Center Dr, Golden Pond, KY 42211, United States
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The Views From Rabbit Hole Distillery
You have fantastic views both inside and out with the windowed walls and outdoor seating area on the balcony.
Guests are recommended to arrive 20 minutes before their tour starts and the tour lasts about an hour. There is a parking lot available for guests at the distillery.
Its recommended to purchase your tour tickets a few days in advance and there are more tours available during the weekend.
If you dont want to take a tour, you can do a tasting downstairs for around $15 a flight.
After your tour, you can purchase your favorite spirits in the gift shop. They also have really cool merchandise if you want a t-shirt or other mementos from your visit.
Dont forget to ask a worker to stamp your Kentucky Bourbon Trail Passport before you go. If you dont have one already, you can get one there.
Explore The Awesome Caverns
Louisville Mega Cavern is an enormous man-made cavern that can be explored from a mega tram that goes deep into the Earth. It is a 17-mile green-building technology that allows space for storage, mining, recycling, underneath the city, and is the first of its kind in the world.
Mega Cavern features ropes challenge course, cavern ziplining , and motorbike paths for the more active travelers. A newer option is the funderground adventure by E-bike, where you can bike in the only underground bike attraction in the country.
Taylor and I both loved visiting the unique Mega Cavern. The tour operators are entertaining be sure to tip them!
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Things To Do In Louisville Kentucky
Our list includes the best Louisville things to do! Whether you are traveling as a family, a couple, a group of friends, solo or even for work, you can use our list of the fun places to go in Louisville, Kentucky to plan your trip.
After we list our top picks for fun places to go in Louisville, KY, we share a Louisville Itinerary as an example of how you can plan your trip to the city day by day.
Save, Pin or Bookmark this blog post of top Louisville, Kentucky places to visit so that you can easily access it as you plan and during! your trip.
Check Out Schimpffs Confectionery
Right across the bridge in Jeffersonville, Indiana about 10 minutes by car from downtown- youll find the adorable Schimpffs Confectionery. Schimpffs opened in the 1891, and has been in the same family ever since. When you enter the soda fountain and homemade candy factory you really feel like youre stepping back in time into the 1950s.
At Schimpffs, you can see homemade candy being made and it is so much fun to see the process! The shop is famous for their cinnamon candy hearts, and when I visited they were demonstrating how they make these delicious candies. The shop also features a small candy museum, where you can see vintage candies and wrappers and it is really cool to see!
Overall, I definitely recommend taking the drive over to Schimpps, it was one of the highlights of my trip! It is super family-friendly and also a fantastic indoor activity for a rainy day.
- candy museum
- famous red cinnamon hearts!
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With More Time In Louisville
With more time, there are a few more things to see and do.
The Big Four Bridge
This pedestrian bridge is awash in a rainbow of colors at night. From here, you get an interesting perspective of the Louisville skyline. This bridge connects Kentucky with Indiana so you can walk from one state to the other.
Fourth Street Live
Looking for Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Fridays, or the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse? They can all be found here, along with many more restaurants, bars, and activities for the entire family. Fourth Street Live also hosts concerts and events. For the full schedule, visit their website.
Have you been to Louisville? What are your favorite things to do? Tell us in the comments section below.
Are you planning a trip to the United States? Read all of our articles about the USA in our United States Travel Guide.
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Get Lost For The Day In Nulu
NULU, (meaning New Louisville is the trendy revitalized district on East Market Street. Its packed with hip boutiques, speciality shops, and local eateries, with a unique Louisville flair. You can walk along on foot, or on the first Friday of the month, hop aboard a ZeroBus for the First Friday Hop.
Visit Garage Bar, a former auto service station turned wood fire pizzeria, complete with outdoor ping pong tables. For an more upscale romantic dinner, sit on the cozy open patio at . Craving something sweet? Pop over to historic Muths Candies, inventors of the famous Modjeska , and you may just want to get a box to take back home!
Find quirky homegoods and handmade accessories, by visiting Revelry and Scout, and head to Joe Ley Antiques for a mind blowing 1890s schoolhouse filled with eye catching treasures. If youre still not done adventuring, try your hand at indoor rock climbing at climb NULU, or visit Louisvilles only axe throwing venue, Flying Axes.
Thanks so much for reading this guide of fun things to do in Louisville Kentucky! I had such a great time writing about my favorite things to do in my hometown, and I hope you have a blast on your trip to the Bluegrass state!
If youre looking for more fun travels to take this year, be sure to check outa few of my favorite places to visit and these handy travel guides, where I cover some of my favorite things to do in Los Angeles, and Europe!
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My Old Kentucky Home State Park
James Kirkikis / Shutterstock
The My Old Kentucky Home State Park is among the places to see in the state that has plenty of things to do.
It houses a campground with 39 spots, the Kenny Rapier Golf Course with 18 holes, a conference space, a wedding space, and The Stephen Foster Story, a touching outdoor musical with 50 years under its belt.
Of course, the top famous spot in the state park is Federal Hill, which has the titular My Old Kentucky Home.
It was once the home of John Rowan, the US Senator, and is now open for tourist visits.
It is a very crucial political site in America, and its architecture is a sight for sore eyes.
The home has a garden house, a stable, windowsills, and mantels that are meticulously carved by hand, a brick exterior, and more.
In addition, the staff there dress in period outfits and spout interesting facts as they bring you around on tours.
Address: 501 E Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY 40004, United States
