Home to the famous Churchill Downs racecourse this is a great attraction for horse racing fans. The venue also hosts other events such as twilight tour and family adventure day.
Heine Brothers, with 18 locations in Louisville KY, offers fair trade and organic coffee beans. Enjoy an essential blend or a unique drink such as the Beekeeper or the Iceberg.
Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum is located on the famed Churchill Downs racetrack. It celebrates tradition, hospitality, and pride in the world-renowned event. The facility opened in spring of 1985 and is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Thoroughbred horse racing.
The museum has a variety of indoor and outdoors exhibits that tell about the Derby. The museum also offers a golf-cart tour of Churchill Downs where visitors can watch the horses prepare for the race. The tour lasts 45 minutes and is included with the general admission ticket.
Visitors can also explore two floors of museum exhibits to learn about the storied history of the race, including eye-popping derby fashions and a rotating display of the Derby’s most famous hats. General admission tickets include a guided 30-minute tour of the racetrack, access to the gift store and Kentucky food in the Derby Cafe. Visitors can play Derby trivia, call races and enjoy mint juleps in the bourbon lounge.
Louisville Mega Cavern
The Louisville Mega Cavern, Kentucky’s biggest cave, is located under the Watterson Expressway. It also covers 70% of the Louisville Zoo. It was created as a limestone quarry through controlled dynamite blasts and is now an underground tourist attraction. Initially, it was used as a fallout shelter during the Cold War and was purchased by private investors in 1989. It became the first environmentally-conscious commercial storage facility in the country and now hosts a variety of adventure activities.
The cavern is a constant 58 degrees and features 17 miles of passages. Zip lines, mountain bikes, and ropes courses are available for thrill-seekers, while less adventurous visitors can enjoy the tram tour, which lasts an hour.
The cavern transforms into Lights Under Louisville in November and December. It is the only underground holiday light show. The cavern features over 900 illuminated reindeer and Nativity scene. Located in Louisville and with Louisville Mega Cavern reachable within 8.3 miles, Residence Inn by Marriott Louisville East/Oxmoor offers free bikes and a fitness center. It also has non-smoking rooms and a 24-hour front desk.
Louisville Zoo
The Louisville Zoo is a popular place to visit with children, offering multiple animal habitats on over 130 acres. The Gorilla Forest exhibit features Western lowland Gorillas playing and a daily training demonstration with Amur Tigers. You can also meet Australian parrots in Lorikeet Landing, and get up close to wallaroos or wallabies in the new Wallaroo Walkabout.
In the Africa section, you can find animals like lions (of course), dromedary calves, southern white rhinoceroses (also known as dromadaries), meerkats (also called naked mole rats), Masai Giraffes, Masai Zebras, wattled cranes or gray-crowned cranes. It is one of the first zoos to exhibit African and Asian elephants together and was the first to introduce natural predator and prey in its exhibits.
The HerpAquarium, and the Metazoo Education Center are also attractions. The Zoo also hosts special events throughout the year such as Earth Month, character appearances and holiday festivities including the 5K Throo the Zoo Run/Walk and Boo at the Zoo. Visitors can enjoy food, beverages and rides at the zoo such as the Conservation Carousel, Zoo trams and Zoo adventure ropes courses.
Paddock Shops
Paddock Shops is a popular shopping center that offers a wide selection of stores and entertainment options. The outdoor mall is home to a number of luxury fashion boutiques, restaurants, and shops. The beautiful ambiance, diverse stores and restaurants make this the ideal place to spend time with family or friends.
Paddock Shops has the best gift ideas for anyone in your life. The mall’s assortment of stores includes some of the most recognizable brands, including Anthropologie and J. They offer clothing and accessories.