Louisville is Kentucky’s largest city located on the southeast bank of the Ohio River and best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs every year in May. But there is more to this city than just the races. Home to the Louisville Slugger, the official bat used by Major League Baseball, visitors can tour the facilities and museum or check out the Frazier Historical Arms Museum, tour the beautiful old Cathedral of the Assumption, take a two hour cruise on a historic steamboat or visit the zoo to see the animals and do a little rock climbing. Plus don’t forget to check out some of the fabulous restaurants with their wide variety of dishes from around the world.

	Top rated hotels
	1. The Brown Hotel 335 West Broadway 4. Crowne Plaza Hotel Louisville-Arpt Ky Expo Ctr . 830 Phillips Lane 2. Embassy Suites Louisville 9940 Corporate Campus Drive 5. Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Louisville Airport 2850 Crittenden Dr 3. Drury Inn & Suites Louisville 9501 Blairwood Road 6. Microtel Inn Louisville East KY 1221 Kentucky Mills Drive View more Louisville hotel info »«

	Top rated attractions
	In Louisville 1. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park offers more than one-hundred-ten rides and attractions and a great place to take the family for a thrilling, fun-filled day. Some of the newest rides include a roller coaster called the Road Runner Express, and an ultimate space adventure called the Meteor Attack, which features motion simulator technology that puts the rider through a jet fighter flight.  « hide 2. Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is the one thing that Louisville is most known for as millions watch the Kentucky Derby run every year on the first Saturday in May. Races continue to take place from April to late July and from late October to November with general admission costing $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, and children twelve and under free. Also on the grounds is the Kentucky Derby Museum, Tel: 502-637-1111, which features exhibits, photos, and films along with a chance to sit on a saddle at a real starting gate. Guided tours are available every half hour.  « hide 3. Frazier Historical Arms Museum Frazier Historical Arms Museum opened its doors in 2004 and is an interactive museum sure to please those who love history as well as gun buffs. Exhibits include the largest collection of armor, arms, and related historical artifacts in the world.  « hide 4. Louisville Slugger Museum Louisville Slugger Museum gives its visitors a look into its one-hundred-fourteen year history as well as a look into America’s favorite pastime. It also features an outstanding collection of bats from famous players like Babe Ruth. Guided tours show visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing process of how the Louisville Slugger is made. Ninety minute tours of the factory leave every twenty minutes from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m.  « hide 5. Callahan Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind Callahan Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind offers a rare collection of artifacts that deals with the educational history of the blind as well as the history of the American Printing House. Exhibits include hands-on options for the sighted as well as the hearing, mobility, and visually impaired along with exhibits that simulate what it’s like to be blind to increase a visitor’s understand how the blind achieve self-sufficiency. Also available is a wide-range collection of research materials and guided tours.  « hide 6. 502-574-2355. Tourists interested in old churches should check out the Cathedral of the Assumption, the third oldest cathedral in the United States and fourth oldest building in Louisville. Built in 1852, its two-hundred-eighty-seven foot spire was the tallest in North America. This beautiful cathedral features ornate trappings and remarkable architecture that makes it a must see. Self-guided tours can be taken during open hours as long as services are not taking place and guided tours can be scheduled for groups of ten or more.  « hide 7. Louisville Zoo Another pleasant way for families to spend the day is at the Louisville Zoo, which features Pangari, a male koala on loan from the San Diego Zoo, as well as many other animals. Also featured is the twenty-foot Ayres Rock Climbing wall that has four degrees of difficulty, allowing visitors a chance to feel what it is like to go rock climbing without the danger.  « hide 8. Belle of Louisville While visiting Louisville, why not take advantage of being next to the Ohio River and hope aboard the Belle of Louisville, the oldest operating steamboat plying the waters of the Mississippi River system. A national historic landmark that is a stern-wheeler built back in 1914, the Belle of Louisville offers two-hour sightseeing cruises along with her sister ship the Spirit of Jefferson, a modern paddle-wheeler.  « hide View more Louisville attractions » « View less Louisville attractions

	Top rated restaurants
	1. Mike Linnig’s Mike Linnig’s has been in business since 1925 and is known for its generous portions of American cooking that includes chicken, fish, shrimp, frog legs, turtle soup, onion rings, and cornbread. On nice days, seating is available outdoors as well.  « hide 6. Azalea Azalea serves up yet another eclectic mix that smoothly blends Southwestern, Italian, and Asian flavors served with a flourish. Menu items include slow-braised lamb rib rack, seared Hawaiian snapper with potato-broccoli casserole, and a catfish appetizer that is filleted tableside as well as savory pastas and gourmet pizzas.  « hide 2. The Oakroom The Oakroom combines Kentucky-grown foods and bourbons with a European and Asian influence and comes up with dishes like Kentucky beef Wellington and Bluegrass free-range chicken with country ham pesto stuffing. There is also an excellent wine list for an excellent addition to go with the meals.  « hide 7. The Irish Rover The Irish Rover resides in a former saloon and features authentic Irish dishes like Guinness beef stew, fish and chips, cottage pie, bangers and mash, leek and mushroom quiche, Scotch eggs, smoked salmon and potato gratin and much more. Their Saturday brunch includes traditional Irish breakfast fare.  « hide 3. Jack Fry's Jack Fry’s opened its doors in the early 30s and features top notch cuisine that includes appetizers like Medjool dates stuffed with chorizo and goat cheese wrapped in bacon, classic shrimp, and grits with shiitakes and tomatoes. Diner selections include beef tournedos, herb-crusted pork chops, and honey-roasted crimson snapper.  « hide 8. Vincenzo’s Vincenzo’s features truly excellent Italian cuisine in a romantic setting with tempting dishes like roasted rack of lamb, swordfish with crushed olives and capers, spaghetti with lobster and asparagus, and several varieties of veal scaloppini.  « hide 4. Café Kilimanjaro Café Kilimanjaro offers an eclectic mix of Southern, Caribbean, South American, and African cuisines that produces dishes like Ethiopian chicken in a spicy tomato stew, Jamaican jerk chicken, Ghana-inspired beef and chicken with peanut sauce as well as other pasta, rice and vegetarian dishes.  « hide 9. The Grape Leaf The Grape Leaf serves up fantastic Middle Eastern cuisine with a menu that includes plenty of vegetarian dishes as well as gyros, Falafels, and baba ganouj.  « hide 5. Lilly’s Bistro Lilly’s Bistro specializes in traditional Kentucky dishes that have French, Italian, and Vietnamese flavors thrown in to jazz them up including items like local catfish spring roll, rabbit croquettes on grilled corn with oregano aioli along with sautéed shrimp and smoked bacon, seared sea scallops and summer succotash, and duck served as seared breast or confit.  « hide 10. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub Molly Malone’s Irish Pub is an Old World pub with an outdoor deck that offers its guests live entertainment along with wonderful Irish food like lamb stew, poached salmon, shepherd’s pie, char-grilled pork chops and corned beef brisket sandwich, topped off with their wonderful bread pudding. Along with the lively Irish music, guests can also watch international rugby and soccer matches on the telly.  « hide

	Louisville Insider tips
	1. Minor Crime in Louisville Like any sprawling metropolis, Louisville has its share of problems with the criminal element. For the most part, fortunately, it is a pretty safe city to visit as long as unknowing tourist stay away from the part of town that houses the seamier side of life. Basically, that would be the west side starting about where the street numbers get above Twentieth Street. It certainly is not a ghetto or anything quite that serious, but just to be on the safe side, stick to the tourist areas and stay away from the west end, especially at night.  « hide 2. Handouts to the Homeless The other thing tourists might want to be aware of is the homeless problem that exists in the city. Most of the homeless people probably do not pose a threat to visitors, but they could become annoying if they are bothering you for money or handouts and while some people can just ignore it, others might become irritated to a point of doing something irrational or stupid. Of course, it is up to the individual how they want to handle it if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, but it is probably best to just mind your own business, unless handing out money to all of them doesn’t hurt your pocketbook.  « hide

	Louisville nightlife
	In Louisville 1. Headliners Headliners is one of the newest contenders to the Louisville nightlife scene that spreads out over two whole floors and can seat a capacity of around six-hundred people. They also provide live entertainment from both regional and nationally known entertainers. Event dates and times vary. Admission varies.  « hide

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