List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area explained
This is a list of visitor attractions and annual events in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Annual festivals and other events
Spring
- Abbey Road on the River, a salute to The Beatles with many bands, held Memorial Day weekend in Louisville 2005–2016,[1] but moved across the river to Jeffersonville, Indiana in 2017
- Cherokee Triangle Art Fair,[2] held the weekend before the Kentucky Derby
- ConGlomeration, a multigenre convention held in April
- Highland Renaissance Festival[3] in Eminence, festivities that reproduce aspects of Scottish life during the Renaissance period, along with highland games, held from late May through early July
- (Middletown), held in early May to coincide with the Kentucky Derby
- Kentucky Derby Festival, Kentucky's largest single annual event; includes Thunder Over Louisville, Great Steamboat Race, Great Balloon Race, Pegasus Parade and the miniMarathon & Marathon, and is held for two weeks from late April through early May, leading up to the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby thoroughbred races
- Kentucky Reggae Festival,[4] held Memorial Day weekend
- Starlight Strawberry Festival[5] (Starlight, Indiana), held during Memorial Day weekend
- VEX Robotics World Championships, held Wednesday through Saturday in the week of the Kentucky Derby (2015–17)[6]
- WHAS Crusade for Children, fundraiser held over the first weekend in June
Summer
- Jane Austen Festival,[7] a three-day event and the largest Jane Austen event in North America,[8] held on the third weekend of July at Locust Grove
- Derby City Comic Con,[9] held in late June
- Fandom Fest Comic Expo,[10] held in mid-summer
- Forecastle Festival, a three-day nationally renowned music, art and environmental activism festival, held in July
- Fright Night Film Fest, typically held in July
- Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival (Jeffersontown), held in September
- Kentucky Art Car Weekend, held in August
- Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Bardstown), held in September
- Kentucky Shakespeare Festival (commonly called "Shakespeare in Central Park"), with the main productions being a series of plays presented free to the public at Central Park during the summer
- Kentucky State Fair, Kentucky's official state fair, which runs for 11 days at the Kentucky Exposition Center; includes amusements, exhibits, competitions, concerts and the World's Championship Horse Show, ends on the last Sunday of August
- Kentuckiana Pride Festival,[11] series of events in June (around start of summer) in support of LGBT pride and rights
- Lebowski Fest, held in July
- Louisville Zombie Attack, where thousands of locals dressed and made up as zombies walk down Bardstown Road to a set location; annual event traditionally held on August 29 at 8:29 pm, but now held on the last Saturday in August at the same clock time
- Oktoberfest, held in September (late summer)
- St. Joseph Orphans Picnic,[12] held the second Saturday in August
- Steamboat Days[13] (Jeffersonville, Indiana), three-day festival held in early September
- Street Rod Nationals, held from Thursday to Sunday in the first full week of August
- WorldFest,[14] a four-day international festival, held on Labor Day weekend
Fall
- Asylum Haunted Scream Park,[15] the subject of the documentary Monsters Wanted, this is five haunted attractions in one location; held from mid-September through Halloween
- Cropped Out, a multi-venue music festival, held in early fall
- Danger Run, from the end of September through the end of October
- Farmington Harvest Festival,[16] held the second Sunday in October at Farmington Historic Plantation
- Garvin Gate Blues Festival,[17] held in Old Louisville in October
- IdeaFestival,[18] a three-day conference that seeks to engage attendees with innovative thinking, held in early fall
- Light Up Louisville & 40 Nights of Lights,[19] begins the day after Thanksgiving
- National FFA Organization Convention & Expo,[20] previously held in Indianapolis, Indiana, was moved to Louisville again in 2013 after a 14-year absence, held in late October/early November
- North American International Livestock Exposition, held in November
- Spirit Ball,[21] a Victorian-inspired masquerade ball held annually the Saturday before Halloween at the Conrad-Caldwell House on St. James Court
- St. James Court Art Show, one of the top-ranked shows of its kind in the country; held in Old Louisville the first weekend of October
- The World's Largest Halloween Party,[22] Louisville Zoo, held 14 nights in October
- Big Four Bridge Arts Festival, held on the first weekend after labor day.
- Festival of Faiths,[23] a multi-day national interfaith gathering featuring music, poetry, film, art and dialogue with internationally renowned spiritual leaders, thinkers and practitioners, held at The Kentucky Center in November.
Winter
Distinctive locales
Louisville Metro
Southern Indiana
Historic properties
See also: History of Louisville, Kentucky.
- Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral (Bardstown), the first Roman Catholic cathedral west of the Appalachian Mountains
- Belle of Louisville, the oldest Mississippi-style steamboat in operation on the inland waterways of the U.S. (built 1914–1915 in Pittsburgh for service in Memphis as the Idlewild, renamed Avalon in 1948, purchased by Jefferson County and renamed Belle of Louisville in 1962)
- Bray Place, the land and 1796 home, now called the Bashford Manor Bed and Breakfast, one of the oldest houses in Kentucky
- The Brennan House
- Brown Hotel, where the Hot Brown was invented
- Cathedral of the Assumption
- Colgate Clock (Clarksville, Indiana), the fourth largest clock in the United States
- Colonial Gardens, a restaurant complex and local landmark in the Kenwood Hill neighborhood, originally built in 1902, and renovated 2017–2021
- Conrad-Caldwell House
- Crescent Hill Reservoir
- Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site (New Albany, Indiana), most noted for its annual haunted house located in the mansion's carriage barn
- Farmington Historic Plantation, including the Thomas Jefferson-designed home of the Speed family, visited by Abraham Lincoln
- The Filson Historical Society, a historical society and research library housed in the Ferguson Mansion, a Beaux-Arts style mansion built in 1906
- Fort Duffield, a Civil War fort
- Fort Knox, including the U.S. Bullion Depository and General George Patton Museum of Leadership (Bullitt, Hardin and Meade Counties)
- Fort Nelson Park, located in the same spot as the second on-shore fort in Kentucky
- Historic Locust Grove farm, home of George Rogers Clark and site of the homecoming of Lewis and Clark
- Little Loomhouse
- Louisville Stoneware, making pottery since 1815
- My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Bardstown), featuring the Federal Hill mansion (inspiration for Stephen Foster's My Old Kentucky Home) and Stephen Foster - The Musical [28]
- Peterson-Dumesnil House
- Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing
- Scribner House (New Albany, Indiana)
- Seelbach Hotel, the famous hotel written about by F. Scott Fitzgerald and frequently visited by Al Capone
- Spalding Hall (Bardstown)
- Thomas Edison House
- Union Station
- United States Marine Hospital of Louisville
- Vogue Theater, a movie theater in St. Matthews that closed in 1998, known for showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for 25 years. Its sign is being refurbished as a historical landmark.
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium
- Whiskey Row, located in the first block of West Main Street, a collection of Revivalist and Chicago School-style buildings with cast-iron storefronts built between 1852 and 1905
- Whitehall House & Gardens[29]
- Whitney Young Birthplace and Museum
National Register of Historic Places listings
Museums, galleries and interpretive centers
See main article: article and List of museums in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Art
Regional history
See also: History of Louisville, Kentucky and History of Kentucky.
Bourbon
Cities
Counties
More regional historical collections can be found at the Louisville Free Public Library and the University of Louisville.
U.S. and world history
Other subjects
Parks and other outdoor attractions
See also: City of Parks and List of parks in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Louisville is home to many spacious city parks, several designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, as well as forested areas, trails and other outdoor attractions; distinctive examples include:
- Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve
- Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (Bullitt County)
- Big Four Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana
- Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead
- Bridges to the Past[41] (Fort Knox), closed indefinitely due to work on railroad bridge
- Camp Carlson[42] (Fort Knox)
- Cave Hill Cemetery
- Central Park
- Cherokee Park, includes the Hogan's Fountain Pavilion and Cherokee Golf Course, and many other landmarks and features
- Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area (Clarksville, Indiana), which includes Falls of the Ohio State Park and features the oldest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the United States
- Huber's Orchard, Winery and Vineyards[43] (Starlight, Indiana)
- Indiana Caverns (near Corydon, Indiana)
- Iroquois Park, includes the locally popular Iroquois Amphitheater, scenic overlooks and the Iroquois Golf Course
- Jefferson Memorial Forest, in southwest Louisville, the largest municipal urban forest in the United States
- Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay, previously known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, a 63acres amusement park with 50 amusement rides and a water park. Named by MSN Travel as one of the top ten amusement parks in America for 2015.[44]
- Louisville Clock, formerly at Theatre Square (dismantled in 2015)[45]
- Louisville Loop, a partially completed 110miles bike and pedestrian trail encircling Louisville, including:
- Riverwalk
- Levee Trail
- Mill Creek Trail
- Louisville Water Tower Park
- Louisville Waterfront Park, features annual Thunder Over Louisville fireworks and air show during the Kentucky Derby Festival
- Louisville Zoo
- McAlpine Locks and Dam[46]
- Mega Cavern
- Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area (Meade County)
- The Parklands of Floyds Fork
- Patriots Peace Memorial
- Renaissance Fun Park[47] (Middletown)
- Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, adjacent to Downtown Louisville and Louisville's wharf
- E. P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park
- Seneca Park, includes the Seneca Golf Course
- Shawnee Park, includes the Shawnee Golf Course
- Squire Boone Caverns (Mauckport, Indiana)
- Tioga Falls Hiking Trail[48] (Fort Knox), closed indefinitely due to work on railroad bridge
- Waverly Park,[49] includes the 9-hole Bobby Nichols Golf Course
- Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Shows and performing arts
See also: Performing arts in Louisville, Kentucky, Theatres of Louisville, Kentucky and Theater in Kentucky.
Venues
Performers
Sports-related attractions and venues
See also: Sports in Louisville, Kentucky.
- Alpine Ice Arena
- Churchill Downs thoroughbred racetrack and the Kentucky Derby Museum
- David Armstrong Extreme Park
- Freedom Hall
- Jim Patterson Stadium, home of University of Louisville baseball
- Kentucky International Convention Center
- KFC Yum! Center, home of University of Louisville basketball
- Knob Creek Gun Range (in Bullitt County near West Point), famous for its twice-yearly machine gun shoot
- L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, home of University of Louisville football
- Lindsey Golf Course[70] (Fort Knox)
- Louisville Champions Park,[71] a park that "offers flexible space for a variety of field sports", including soccer
- Louisville Metro Parks public golf courses
- Louisville Slugger Field, a baseball park that is home to the Louisville Bats
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
- Lynn Family Stadium, not to be confused with the above; home of Louisville City FC (USL Championship) and Racing Louisville FC (NWSL)
- Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium, home of University of Louisville soccer
- Muhammad Ali Center
- Owsley B. Frazier Stadium, home of several outdoor sports at Bellarmine University, most notably men's lacrosse
- Valhalla Golf Club, designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus
Miscellaneous
- Rooster Run (Nelson County), a general store well known for baseball caps featuring its logo and a 13.5feet-tall fiberglass rooster statue standing in front of the store. According to The Kentucky Encyclopedia, it is "one of the best-known general stores in the country and one of Kentucky's best-known unincorporated businesses".[77]
External links
Notes and References
- News: Abbey Road on the River Leaving Louisville in 2016. May 26, 2015. WFPL. May 25, 2015.
- Web site: Art Fair. Cherokee Triangle Association. February 19, 2015. dead. https://archive.today/20140613214102/http://cherokeetriangle.org/art-fair/. June 13, 2014. mdy-all.
- Web site: Kentucky Renaissance Fair. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Kentucky Reggae Festival. kentuckyreggaefestival.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Starlight Strawberry Festival. starlightstrawberryfestival.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: VEX Robotics World Championship. roboticseducation.org. April 17, 2017.
- Web site: The Jane Austen Society of Louisville, Kentucky. jasnalouisville.com. February 19, 2015.
- News: Chipman, Melissa . Louisville hosts largest North American Jane Austen Festival July 18–20 . Insider Louisville . July 8, 2014 . July 11, 2014.
- Web site: Derby City Comic Con -- Kentucky International Convention Center -- Louisville, KY. derbycitycomiccon.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Fandomfest - Bringing Pop Culture to Life. fandomfest.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Kentuckiana Pride Foundation. kypride.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: St. Joseph Children's Home, Louisville, KY - St. Joseph Orphans' Picnic. sjkids.org. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Steamboat Days. January 13, 2017.
- Web site: WorldFest. louisvilleky.gov. February 19, 2015. September 18, 2014.
- Web site: Asylum Haunted Scream Park - Halloween Haunted House - Louisville. Asylum Haunted Scream Park. April 17, 2015.
- Web site: EVENTS. FARMINGTON. February 19, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150220021040/http://farmingtondonations.com/events/. February 20, 2015. mdy-all.
- Web site: Garvin Gate Blues Festival - Louisville, Kentucky. garvingate.org. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: IdeaFestival. ideafestival.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Light Up Louisville & 40 Nights of Lights - LouisvilleKy.gov. louisvilleky.gov. February 19, 2015. September 16, 2014.
- Web site: National FFA Convention and Expo. ffa.org. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: The 9th Annual Spirit Ball Masquerade & Dance. Conrad-Caldwell House Museum. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: "The World's Largest Halloween Party!" presented by Meijer. Louisville Zoo. February 19, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150220013525/http://louisvillezoo.org/the-worlds-largest-halloween-party-2014-presented-by-meijer/. February 20, 2015. mdy-all.
- Web site: Festival of Faiths . August 26, 2016.
- Web site: Carl Casper Official Web Site. carlcasper.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Louisville Boat, RV, and Sportshow. louisvilleboatshow.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Republic Bank First Friday Hop. firstfridayhop.com. June 3, 2016.
- Web site: Louisville, KY's Urban Bourbon Trail (UBT) . BourbonCounty.com . February 20, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150219050143/http://www.bourboncountry.com/things-to-do/urban-bourbon-trail/index.aspx . February 19, 2015 .
- Web site: Stephen Foster - The Musical. October 4, 2014.
- Web site: Whitehall. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Evan Williams Bourbon. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Heaven Hill Bourbon Distillery - Bourbon Heritage Center. bourbonheritagecenter.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Kentucky Distillery - Jim Beam American Stillhouse. americanstillhouse.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Coomes. Steve. Bulleit Distillery Opens in Shelbyville, Kentucky Even As Expansion Is Considered. The Whiskey Wash. 4 July 2017. 15 March 2017.
- Web site: Visit Middletown Historic Museum Open Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. City of Middletown Kentucky. October 4, 2014.
- Web site: Jeffersontown, KY - Official Website - Museum. jeffersontownky.com. February 19, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120511222634/http://www.jeffersontownky.com/Museum%20Historic.html. May 11, 2012. mdy-all.
- Web site: The Bullitt County History Museum. bullittcountyhistory.org. February 19, 2015.
- News: Esarey. Jenna. Clark County Museum opens in Jeffersonville. February 11, 2017. The Courier-Journal. February 10, 2017.
- Web site: Henry County History. henrycountyky.com. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Oldham County Historical Society. February 19, 2015.
- Web site: Schimpff's Confectionery - Museum . October 3, 2014.
- Web site: Bridges To The Past in Radcliff, Kentucky. radclifftourism.org. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Carlson Campgrounds. Fort Knox Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR). February 20, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150602012357/http://www.knoxmwr.com/centerRecreationbrLeisurecenter/CampCarlson/tabid/119/Default.aspx. June 2, 2015. mdy-all.
- Web site: Huber's Orchard, Winery and Vineyards. huberwinery.com. February 20, 2015.
- News: Top 10 amusement parks includes Ky. Kingdom. June 8, 2015. The Courier-Journal. June 8, 2015.
- News: Martinez . Natalia . The Louisville Clock runs out of time . July 10, 2015 . . March 5, 2024.
- Web site: McAlpine Locks and Dam Visitor Information. US Army Corps of Engineers - Louisville District. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. October 6, 2014.
- Web site: Laser Tag, Go Karts, Mini Golf Louisville, KY - Renaissance Fun Park. Renaissance Fun Park. February 17, 2016.
- Web site: Tioga Falls in Radcliff, Kentucky. radclifftourism.org. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Waverly Park. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Baxter Avenue Filmworks. Apex Theatres. Apex Entertainment. February 21, 2015.
- Web site: RHPS Official Fan Site - Participation Showtimes for Baxter Avenue Theatres. March 17, 2009.
- Web site: Coming Soon To Apex Theatres. March 17, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090302070408/http://www.village8.com/comingsoon.htm. March 2, 2009. mdy-all.
- Web site: Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium. louisville.edu. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY Live Music. Headliners. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: HOME . 2024-07-14 . Highview Arts Center . en.
- Web site: The Laughing Derby. laughingderby.com. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: The Bunbury Theatre . 2024-07-14 . The Bunbury Theatre . en-US.
- Web site: The Chamber Theatre . 2024-07-12 . thechambertheatre.com . en.
- Web site: Commonwealth Theatre Center Louisville's Premier Youth Theatre . 2024-07-12 . Commonwealth Theatre Center . en-US.
- Web site: FAITH WORKS STUDIOS . 2024-07-14 . FAITH WORKS STUDIOS . en.
- Web site: littlecolonelplayers. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Home . 2024-07-14 . Looking for Lilith Theatre Company . en-US.
- Web site: Louisville Fringe Fest . 2024-07-14 . Louisville Fringe Fest . en-US.
- Web site: Mind's Eye Theatre Company. mindseyetheatre.org. February 20, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150215180306/http://mindseyetheatre.org/about.html. February 15, 2015. mdy-all.
- Web site: Pandora Productions - Profound relatedness and belonging by and for our diverse human community.. pandoraprods.org. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Family Theatre. stageone.org. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: 2023-10-26 . TEATRO TERCERA LLAMADA . 2024-07-14 . TEATRO TERCERA LLAMADA . en-US.
- Web site: Voices of Kentuckiana. voicesky.org. February 20, 2015.
- News: Kennedy. Brian. Previewing the Wayward Actors Company 2014-15 Theater Season. October 21, 2014. Louisville.com. August 11, 2014.
- Web site: Lindsey Golf Course. Fort Knox Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR). February 20, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120215184102/http://www.knoxmwr.com/centerRecreationbrLeisurecenter/LindseyGolfCourse/tabid/136/Default.aspx. February 15, 2012. mdy-all.
- Web site: Louisville Champions Park. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Charlie Vettiner Golf Course. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Crescent Hill Golf Course. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Long Run Golf Course. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Sun Valley Golf Course. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Web site: Bobby Nichols Golf Course. louisvilleky.gov. February 20, 2015.
- Book: Delong, Hettie . The Kentucky Encyclopedia . Rooster Run . Kleber, John E. . . 1992 . The University Press of Kentucky . Lexington, Kentucky . 0-8131-1772-0 . http://www.kyenc.org/entry/r/ROOST01.html . July 17, 2015.