Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – If you think of the city of Louisville, chances are the images of the first Saturday in May or the Kentucky.
Derby, with its proud horses and outrageous hats, comes to mind. Or perhaps it’s that sip of caramelized, barrel-aged bourbon that triggers a memory. And yes, that is Louisville, but it is also more than that, with fabulous museums, a world-famous cemetery, and an old historic district.
A little over 3 hours away from Clarksville, it’s a chance to get out of town and visit a unique city known as Louisville. As a horse race aficionado, I occasionally get up to Churchill Downs to observe horse racing’s finest, but also have had a chance to visit other activities surrounding the town.
Here’s a few reasons you need to get to Louisville:
Discover the Mystique of Horse Racing
Derby and Oaks Days get all the fanfare, including festivals and events during the preceding week, but Churchill Downs also offers racing several times during the year at reasonable prices.
Be sure to do the tour of the Kentucky Derby Museum, including a guided tour of the track and its many exhibitions, including the Origin of Secretariat and the Black Heritage in Racing. Did you know that 15 of the first 28 winners of the Derby were won by black jockeys?
Check out the Museums
Muhammad Ali is a Louisville native, and his museum, The Muhammad Ali Center, hallmarks his story. Inside, you’ll find boxing memorabilia, including an actual mock boxing ring. Exhibitions feature Ali’s core principles of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality.
If history is your passion, you’ll want to visit The Frazier History Museum with its artifacts on bourbon, Lewis & Clark and more. The museum’s first floor houses the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, which is the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Visit Cave Hill Cemetery
It’s known as one of the most famous cemeteries in the United States as well as an arboretum. A former farm, the Johnston property known as Cave Hill was once a stone quarry and home to a natural spring emitting from a cave. In 1846 the locale became a cemetery while preserving its natural features. Today, Cave Hill is the resting place for many notable persons including.
Colonel Harlan Sanders, George Rogers Clark, and Muhammad Ali, among others. It also is a national cemetery with over 5,500 soldiers from the Civil War and other American Wars.
Sip some Bourbon on Whiskey Row
On and off of Main Street, downtown, visit former tobacco and bourbon warehouses, which now serve as homes for major distillers in the area. Known as the Bourbon district, this is where you can sign up for tours and hit the tasting rooms of such notables as Evan Williams, Old Forester, Angel’s Envy, Bardstown Bourbon, and more.
But do reserve in advance. Bourbon’s craze has caught on, and it is difficult at times to visit your favorite bourbon brands.
Walk the Historic District
If you’re downtown on South Fourth Street, be sure to view the two hotel jewels, The Seelbach and The Brown. Now a Hilton property, the Seelbach with its Baroque decor is a marvel with its marble, imported furnishings, and grand ballroom; the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. With its Georgian detail, The Brown Hotel, with its granite bathrooms and host of celebrity clientele, is a must-visit to order a bourbon cocktail, its signature dish, “Hot Brown.”
Louisville’s wealth migrated to the area where elegant neighborhoods were formed with walking courtyards and gas lamps and a nearby Olmsted Park ( of Central Park, NY fame). The Old Louisville district is the largest collection of restored Victorians in the country (more than 40). A walking tour with one of the many companies is the way to view these wonders.
Sample the Local Cuisine
Louisville is no slouch when it comes to food. Specialties such as beer cheese, pimiento cheese, derby pie, bourbon balls, and burgoo can be found here at fine and casual dining establishments.
My favorite, however, is the Hot Brown, with its roasted turkey, served on toast points topped with Mornay sauce and Pecorino cheese. This dish doesn’t stop here. It is baked, then layered with bacon and tomatoes on top.
