My favorite Louisville weekend: a tour of Churchill Downs, a bourbon crawl down Whiskey Row and NuLu, a Hot Brown at The Brown Hotel, and dinner on Bardstown Road. These are the spots I send every friend visiting Derby City.
Map
I start at the Kentucky Derby Museum, where the 360-degree film and the walking tour of Churchill Downs get me hyped for race day.
Kentucky Derby Museum
I catch a live race under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, and Derby week is pure Louisville magic.
Churchill Downs
I walk past the giant bat into the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, watch bats get made, and leave with a free mini bat.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
The Muhammad Ali Center tells the Champ's story so well that I always leave inspired, and the river views upstairs are a bonus.
Muhammad Ali Center
I start my bourbon trail at the Frazier History Museum, the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail welcome center, with a lot of great history mixed in.
Frazier Kentucky History Museum
I bring kids to the Kentucky Science Center on Main Street for three floors of hands-on exhibits.
Kentucky Science Center
I book a tasting at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row, right where Kentucky's first commercial distillery stood.
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience
I watch barrels get charred right in front of me at Old Forester on Whiskey Row, and the tour ends with a great pour.
Old Forester Distilling Co.
I take friends to Angel's Envy downtown for a sleek tour and a taste of their port-finished bourbon.
Angel's Envy Distillery
Rabbit Hole's glass-walled distillery in NuLu is the coolest-looking stop on my bourbon crawl, and the tasting is excellent.
Rabbit Hole Distillery
I eat dinner at Proof on Main inside the 21c Museum Hotel, then wander the free contemporary art galleries afterward.
Proof On Main
I order the original Hot Brown at The Brown Hotel, where the open-faced turkey sandwich was invented.
The Brown Hotel
I spend a sunny afternoon on the Great Lawn at Waterfront Park watching barges float down the Ohio River.
Waterfront Park
I take a sunset cruise on the Belle of Louisville, the oldest operating Mississippi-style steamboat in the country.
Belle of Louisville Riverboats
I grab a wood-fired pizza and a bourbon on the patio at Garage Bar, the old service station in NuLu.
Garage Bar
I get a spicy chicken sandwich at Royals Hot Chicken in NuLu and always add a side of the mac and cheese.
Royals Hot Chicken
I order the cochinita pibil and the lima beans at Mayan Cafe, which is one of my favorite dinners in the city.
Mayan Cafe
I go to Feast BBQ for brisket and a bourbon slushie when I want casual barbecue in NuLu.
Feast BBQ
I stock up on Modjeskas, caramel-dipped marshmallows that are Louisville's signature candy, at Muth's, which has been making them for over a century.
Muth's Candies
Jack Fry's is my pick for a classic Louisville date night, with live jazz, old black-and-white photos, and a perfect steak.
Jack Fry's
I drink rare Belgian and German drafts at Holy Grale, a beer bar inside an old church on Bardstown Road.
Holy Grale
I wait in line for brunch at Gralehaus for the biscuits with duck gravy, and it's worth it every time.
Gralehaus
I go to Ramsi's Cafe on the World for its huge globe-trotting menu, and the late hours make it a perfect after-bar stop.
Ramsi's Cafe On The World
I celebrate at Seviche, where Chef Anthony Lamas mixes Latin flavors with Kentucky ingredients and the ceviche is a must.
Seviche A Latin Restaurant
I stroll through Cave Hill Cemetery's gorgeous grounds and pay my respects at Colonel Sanders' and Muhammad Ali's graves.
Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum
I run or bike the scenic loop in Cherokee Park, the Olmsted-designed park that makes the Highlands feel like the countryside.
Cherokee Park
I spend a slow morning at the Speed Art Museum, Kentucky's biggest art museum, right by the University of Louisville campus.
Speed Art Museum
I tour the Conrad-Caldwell House on St. James Court and then wander Old Louisville's huge collection of Victorian mansions.
Conrad-Caldwell House Museum
I head to Con Huevos on Frankfort Avenue for breakfast tacos and tres leches pancakes.
Con Huevos!
I ride the tram or zipline through the Louisville Mega Cavern, an old limestone mine under the city.
Louisville Mega Cavern
I visit the Louisville Zoo to watch the polar bears and sea lions at Glacier Run.
