100 Things To Do in Louisville Kentucky

USA TravelKentuckyTravel Guide
Written By Morgan Lewis

Home of the Kentucky Derby, KFC, Jack Harlow, and ya girl Morgo. They call Louisville many names but the local pronounce it like you have a mouth full of marbles, “Luhvulle”. I was born and raised here and graduated college from the University of Kentucky in 2014. And while I have not lived in my hometown since 2016, I return often visit friends and family. If you are looking for the locals perspective on what to do while in town visiting family or a wedding weekend, here are 100 things to do in Louisville Kentucky…

Free Things to Do

Louisville Kentucky things to do

Free 99 aka the best way to spend a day around Louisville. There is a lot of green space and days where there is free admission.

  • Walk the Pedestrian Bridge

  • Window Shop on Baxter Ave

  • Mural hunt for your Photo Dumps (check out The Door to Nowhere)

  • Hike Fairmont Falls

  • Cave Hill Cemetery- visit the graves of famous Kentuckians like Colonel Sanders, George Rodgers Clark, and Muhammad Ali

  • Explore the gardens and home of Whitehall- historic mansion

Experiences

Louisville Kentucky things to do belle of Louisville

Museums

Fun fact: did you know that Louisville is home to one of the last original disco ball makers from the 70’s?! Did you also know that the baseball bat factory that has been the National Baseball League’s official bar?! Head to museum row and check out these pieces of history.

Shopping

There is a large community of vintage dealers and creatives in Lou. For the last 20 years, the areas of the Highlands and Butchertown (downtown) have seen loads of new trendy shops popping up. There are the usual malls and Targets, but I love the small town selection of unique shops. Here are the best places for retail therapy around town…

Parks

Louisville Kentucky waterfront park

Photo Cred: Go to Louisville

Kentucky is iconic when it comes to their outdoor spaces. They have world renowned horse farms, state parks and intricate cave systems. Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and the Biltmore, was commissioned to design a park system making Louisville known as the “City of Parks”.. Here are some of the best places to stretch your legs. Make sure to pack the bug spray…

  • Bernheim Forest

  • Waterfront Park- botanical gardens, pedestrian bridge, Ohio River Greenway

  • Cherokee Park

  • Jefferson Memorial Park

  • Iroquois Park

  • Seneca Park

  • Watertower Park

  • Blackacre State Nature Preserve

Mammoth Cave- Keep scrolling for Day Trips from Louisville

More hikes further out that you will need a car to reach-

  • Beargrass Creek Greenway

  • Anchorage Trail

  • Parklands of Floyds Fork

  • Waverly Hills Park

  • E.P. Tom Sawyer Park

  • Morgan Conservation Park

  • Squire Boone Caverns

Day Trips

  • Mammoth Cave- check out Sand Cave

  • The Bourbon Trail

  • Bardstown KY- The Bar at Willet

  • Lexington, KY- Football game at UK, Keeneland Horse Track

Drinks

Kentucky knows how to throw down, famous for the Mint Julep and bourbon forward cocktails. After all, we have more bourbon barrels than people in this state. Here are the best bars, distilleries and events that you should come to town for to let loose and maybe a learn a little something about Kentucky’s largest industry.

Photo Cred: Molly Malone’s

Concerts

Louisville is one of only a handful of U.S. cities with a professional full-time orchestra, opera, ballet, children’s theatre, dinner theatre and Broadway Series. If you happen to miss one of the many music festivals or you are a local, here are the best places to catch some live music, play, or comedy event on the weekends…

Forecastle Music Festival Louisville Kentucky

Photo Cred: Forecastle

Photo Cred: Unsplash

Eats

Before you start partying, make sure to grab a hearty meal. There is no shortage of fried chicken of course but make sure to try some twists on the classic Kentucky Hot Brown and other home cooking. Lou has an up and coming scene that is impressing the culinary world.

Coffee

Kid Friendly

With you kiddos or need somewhere to take your younger siblings?! Here are a few ideas I remember from my childhood and some new places that are the perfect spot!

  • Science Center

  • Kentucky Kingdom

  • Louisville Zoo

  • Falls of the Ohio State Park- where Lewis & Clark met prior to their westward expedition, hunt the fossil beds that are more than 390-million-years-old

  • Kayak- Louisville Kayak Company

  • Glassworks- bigger kids because fire….

Events

Not only are there concerts and plays, there are events that happen every year that people from all over the country come to Louisville for. Here are a few that may be worth experiencing once or twice in your life.

Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs

Photo Cred: Hello Louisville

Where to Stay

There are some iconic hotels in town along with historic homes that are now available for Airbnb. I would recommend staying in the Highlands, St. Matthews, or Old Louisville. There are some cool hotels though if you wanna do less chores and get pampered like the king/queen that you are…

And there you have over 100 things to do in Louisville, Kentucky. I couldn’t help myself but to throw in a few more things to do. While Lou has had a rough couple of years between the Breonna Taylor and LMPD cases, the downtown area is being restored and can be unpredictable after dark. So be careful loitering outside bars downtown and make sure to Uber if you are drinking! Click here to check out Go to Louisville for more ideas on where to visit when you are in Bourbon Country.

Morgan Lewis https://www.morgogoes.com
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