Louisville Beyond Bourbon: 5 Must-See Attractions
When most people think of Louisville, Kentucky they are most likely immediately thinking bourbon. And with good reason! The city is the bourbon capital of the world and is home to the famous Bourbon Trail. But what if you want to visit and don’t want to experience bourbon? Let me tell you, there so much more to Louisville than bourbon tastings! From underground adventures to river cruises, museums, and iconic landmarks, Louisville has unique experiences for everyone. Whether your here for the weekend or just looking to add something to your itinerary around your bourbon tastings, ere are five of the best non-bourbon things to do in Louisville that you won’t want to miss!
Louisville Mega Cavern
Louisville Mega Cavern, an underground adventure beneath the city, was the first thing we did when we got to Louisville. Honestly, we had no idea what to expect, but had so much fun! The Cavern began as a limestone quarry before being turned in to a nuclear bomb shelter in the 60s. In the 1980s, it was purchased and repurposed into a storage facility—though before that could happen, the owners had to raise the floors, which they did using recycled materials!
Today, Louisville Mega Cavern serves as both an active storage site and one of the most popular Louisville attractions. The cavern spans over 100 acres underground (so big that it’s officially classified as a building!). Visitors can choose from tons of activities, including underground ziplining, a rope adventure course, a walking tour, and a tram tour.
We chose to go on the tram tour and loved it! It was a great way to be able to cover so much of the cavern while also learning about it’s history! Our guide took us through the history of the cave and how it’s evolved over time. It was great fun for us! If you’re looking for something more adventurous, the ziplining and rope course looked incredible! They would be great options for families or groups! If you’re there in November/December, they transform the cavern in to a holiday wonderland called “Lights Under Louisville” (a drive-thru light display)! As a lover of the holidays, I am 100% planning a trip back to see them.
Another big perk? Since it’s underground, the Louisville Mega Cavern is a perfect rain-or-shine activity. With it being underground, it does average around 58F year round, so even in the summer, you’ll want to bring a jacket with you as it can feel pretty chilly! During peak tourist season, you’ll want to book your tickets in advance as they have limited space on tours and activities that can book up quickly. I’m a planner when it comes to travel and booked our tickets months in advance and had no issues getting them!
2. Churchill Downs
Okay, being honest, Churchill Downs is like 75% of why I wanted to come to Louisville. I watched the Kentucky Derby in May and loved the vibe, so immediately started planning when I could make it down to Louisville so I could experience a portion of the magic myself. I would have loved to go to a race at the Downs, but our itinerary didn’t quite have room for it If you’re planning a trip, make sure to check check the Churchill Downs race calendar ahead of time so you can grab tickets to a race if possible
If there isn’t a race while you’re in town, no worries! Churchill Downs still has so much to offer. You can take a guided tour, explore the Kentucky Derby Museum, and sip on a classic mint julep at the on-site café and bourbon bar. For best value, I would recommend doing the tour! With a tour ticket, you also get access to the museum, a short movie (on a 360 screen which I thought was quite fun!), and you can visit the cafe. We were there on a race day, so there was a lot of announcing over the loudspeakers that made our tour a little different (most of our tour information was given outstide of the stadium and we went in for a short time to take videos, see the track). Although it was a little bit shortened/different experience I still think it was worth it!
The Kentucky Derby Museum allows tickets to be bought same day, but tours do sell out, so if you want a specific time or you want to ensure you’re able to get tickets, make sure to purchase your tickets in advance! There is no dress code for taking a tour, but I think it’s fun to dress up cute like you were attending the Kentucky Derby! This is such a great way to spend a morning/afternoon for families, sports fans, and history buffs alike!
3. River Boat Cruise on Belle of Louisville
Okay, so I said Churchill Downs was the reason I wanted to go to Louisville, but the sunset river cruise with Belle of Louisville Riverboats was my favorite part. It was equal parts fun and relaxing and the vibes were perfect! The Belle of Louisville Riverboats have 2 boats: Belle of Louisville and Mary M. Miller. The Belle of Louisville is the oldest-operating Mississippi-style steamboat in the US! The company really does capture the historic charm on the cruise!
There are many different cruises the company offers from historic cruises to dinner cruises to themed party cruises. There’s really something for everyone! We did the sunset river cruise. No specific reason we chose this other than I love a sunset and I love being on the water and a sunset cruise felt like the perfect marrying of the two. The sunset river cruise sets off right before sunset, letting you take in the sunset from the boat and experience the river and all it has to offer after dark. Honestly, no matter what cruise you pick, you’re going to have fun. Each boat has a bar and concessions and entertainment! The cruise we were on was on the Belle of Louisville which has a dance floor and a DJ, so there was definitely some partying going on in there!
Of course, if you aren’t in to that party scene (I am decidedly not), there is still so much fun to have! We got a seat on what I would consider the deck of the boat, got a couple of drinks, and sat and watched the world float by why we drank and talked. Even though the boar is old, there are still modern amenities like heating and air conditioning, so even if the weather isn’t perfect, you’ll still be comfortable.
And adding one last plug about the sunset river cruise: it has one of the best views of Louisville you’ll get!
4. Louisville Slugger Museum
As someone who grew up watching baseball and playing softball, this was a must do for me in Louisville! The Louisville Slugger Museum is where Louisville Slugger bats have been made for over 100 years. The tour & museum is 100% worth every penny you pay. It’s such a cool experience for baseball lovers.
The Louisville Slugger Tour tickets includes entry in to the museum. The tour takes you through the process of how the bats are made starting with choosing which trees/wood to use to how they are decorated. During the tour, they have a section which has a model of the bat style of players for you to interact with, which I thought was a pretty cool experience!
Either before or after your tour (after if your like us and were running behind haha), you’ll have time to explore the museum, which I recommend! There is lots of history and some interactive stuff to do as well! The Louisville Slugger Museum also offers the ability to create your own custom mini bat! Each person who goes on the tour will get a mini bat, so no need to purchase an additional, customized one unless you want it as a souvenir! They recommend placing your order before your tour and it’ll hopefully be done by the time you’re ready to leave!
Make sure you head out to the front of the museum to see the world’s largest baseball bat! You’ll see it on the way in if you’re going through the front entrance, but not if you park in the garage behind the museum, so make sure you check it out! It’s such a great photo opportunity!
Whether you’re a baseball fanatic or casual watcher, this museum is perfect for you! Definitely make sure to add it to your Louisville Itinerary!
5. Muhammad Ali Center
I’m going to be honest, I did not know much about Muhammad Ali until I went to the museum, so definitely had no idea what to expect! The museum experience starts with a short film before walking you through Muhammad Ali’s life as a boxer and humanitarian!
As someone who is not a boxing fan, I still recommend it to anyone visiting Louisville! Just like Ali, the center is more than just boxing, it’s about his humanitarian efforts, and the six core principles he lived by: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality. There’s also plenty of interactive experiences such as shadow boxing to keep you fully engaged as you meander through the center!
There was so much to learn and do, you’ll want to make sure to dedicate a couple of hours if you want to fully explore and experience everything the center has to offer! Ticketing wise, you can purchase tickets online in advance, but they can be used any day within 1 year of purchase and it wasn’t super busy while we were there, so definitely don’t need to purchase tickets in advance for this one!
Tips for Visiting Louisville Without Bourbon
While these are my top 5 for must visit Louisville attractions, there’s also the Louisville Zoo and Kentucky Science Center which would be great if you’re traveling with kids! We didn’t visit either of these, but have heard good things about them! If you check them out, let us know in the comments below what you thought!
Alright, now that we know what we’re going to be doing, lets talk about when to go! My favorite times to travel are spring and fall. I feel like the weather isn’t too hot or too cold and most people are winding up/down from summer, so you have more of the location to yourself. And I think that extends to Louisville! We went in the fall and it was great! The weather was still a little warm, but not stifling summer warm and we found that a lot of the tours and museums weren’t super busy! That being said, if you want to experience the excitement of the Derby, definitely head to the city in May!
Conclusion
Louisville might be known for bourbon, but the city’s charm and unique attractions are what make it a great weekend getaway. Whether your exploring an underground world in the Mega Cavern, soaking in the history at Churchill Downs, or being inspired by the Muhammad Ali Center, there’s something in Louisville for everyone. Next time you visit and need a break from the distilleries, check out one of these Louisville experiences!