Hi there! Planning a trip to Louisville? Welcome to your guide to the best things to do and places to go in Louisville, KY!
In this Louisville travel guide you will find 5 fun things to do in the city that are great for families, friends and solo-travelers. Louisville is a relatively low-key city, especially compared to other cities in the area like Nashville and St. Louis. However, there are still lots of great, fun and unique things to do in the area!
Louisville has great outdoor activities, as well as many free things to do! In this post you will find 5 great things to do in Louisville, that aren’t the typical horse racing or bourbon drinking! Those, of course, are also popular activities, but you likely knew that before clicking on this post.
Keep reading for the best places to go and things to see during your trip to Louisville, KY!
Things To Do and Places To Go in Louisville KY
1: Take a Walking Tour of Old Louisville
When in Louisville it is an absolute must to take a walking tour of Old Louisville!
It is so much fun to walk around beautiful Old Louisville, see the gorgeous homes, and learn about the history of the area.
In addition to being a great outdoor activity in Louisville, this is a fantastic tour for anyone who likes Victorian architecture, or enjoys learning about the history of the places they visit!
Walking tour options:
- Old Louisville Walking Tour as Recommended by the New York Times
- I went on this tour and it was amazing!
- Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour
If you like ghost stories and learning about haunted histories, there is also a ghost tour of Old Louisville that has great reviews! Nighttime walking tours are always fun, and when I visit the city again, I’ll definitely be doing a ghost tour.
2: Check Out Waterfront Park and Have a Picnic
Louisville has a gorgeous, and huge, waterfront park! Located right on the Ohio River in the downtown area, this 85 acre park is a great place for a walk, to relax with a book, or for a picnic!
You also have great views of Indiana, right across the river.
One of the best outdoor things to do in Louisville is definitely to spend some time in Waterfront Park. Especially when the weather is nice, this is a great place to relax for a few hours.
Waterfront Park is an especially great outdoor place in Louisville for families. There are play areas and lots of green space for kids to run around.
3: Visit the Louisville Slugger Factory
Located in the Downtown area of Louisville, the Louisville Slugger Factory is a must visit! I’m not super interested in baseball, but it was still very cool to see how the bats are made.
Tours of the factory last about 30-45 minutes, and you’ll also have an opportunity to explore the small museum on your own. At the end of the tour, you’ll also receive a cute mini-bat – which I thought was very cool.
This is a great activity for people of all ages. The museum portion of the tour is very interactive and fun, and is great for families! If it’s raining or very hot, this is a fantastic indoor activity for your time in Louisville. Tickets for adults are $16 and $9 for kids.
4: Visit NuLu for Brunch or Dinner
NuLu is a nice area to visit if you’re looking for restaurants in Louisville – in addition to Bardstown Road.
I specifically wanted to visit Biscuit Belly for brunch, and I’m so glad I did. Biscuit Belly has delicious brunch options. For dinner and happy hour there are many other restaurants and breweries in the area!
NULU is a nice place for families to enjoy a meal and spend time outdoors in Louisville!
5: Check Out Schimpff’s Confectionery
Right across the bridge in Jeffersonville, Indiana – about 10 minutes by car from downtown- you’ll find the adorable Schimpff’s Confectionery. Schimpff’s opened in 1891, and has been in the same family ever since. When you enter the soda fountain and homemade candy factory you really feel like you’re stepping back in time into the 1950s.
At Schimpff’s, you can see homemade candy being made and it is so much fun to see the process! The shop is famous for their cinnamon candy hearts, and when I visited they were demonstrating how they make these delicious candies. The shop also features a small candy museum, where you can see vintage candies and wrappers – and it is really cool to explore!
Schimpff’s is a fantastic attraction for families and it is such a fun place to visit for all ages.
Overall, I definitely recommend taking the drive over to Schimpp’s, it was one of the highlights of my trip! It is also a fantastic indoor activity in the Louisville area for a rainy day.
BONUS: Horse Racing + Bourbon
Of course, when in Louisville, travelers who are interested in the Kentucky Derby, or horse racing in general, will want to check out Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum!
These are two of the most popular places to go in Louisville, and there are tours available for visitors.
Additionally, Louisville is very known for its bourbon, and bourbon lovers should absolutely take distillery tours!
Angel’s Envy Distillery in Downtown Louisville is one of the most popular. However, there are many options to choose from. A distillery tour is a fantastic indoor activity when visiting Louisville.
Distillery Tours:
- Bourbon Distillery Tours and Tastings- Half Day
- Bourbon and Derby: Makers Mark or Other + Churchill Down
- Bourbon Tour: Woodford or Four Roses or Wild Turkey or Other
I hope you enjoyed my recommendations for the best things to do and places to go in Louisville, Kentucky! There are many indoor and outdoor activities around the city, and there are numerous activities for families!
This all being said, I recommend only spending a day or so in Louisville. In a single afternoon you can easily see many of the top attractions in the city.
Be sure to check out my guide with everything you need to know (and travel advice!) for visiting Louisville!
From Louisville, many other cities are also easily accessible – and they make great weekend trips or road trip destinations. Check out my post about The Best Day Trips from Nashville, Tennessee to see other fun cities and attractions in the area.
Lastly, if you found this post helpful, we really appreciate you sharing it with others on social media!
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♡Kate
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Nice post! Would love to visit one day…
Did you really eat that whole biscuit platter?
I’ve only been to Louisville once for a wedding so didn’t have time to explore. These sound like great things to do in Louisville!
What an adorable town! I would love to visit someday
I love, love LOVE factory tours! I can’t believe I missed the Louisville Slugger factory when I was there. I’ll have to return and do Factory + Bourbon next time!
I loved reading about your experience in Louisville, Kentucky. Your descriptions really made it come alive for me. Happy travels!
The horse racing seems like such a fun event to attend. I loved how picturesque the homes are.
You must have read my mind, I was thinking about Kentucky this morning! It is a place I don’t know very much about. Now I know there are lots of things to do in Louisville – it looks fun!
What a beautiful place and such a comprehensive guide!
Nice post. I live in Louisville and you hit a few highlights. The walking bridge traverses the Ohio River and connects the Louisville waterfront to Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Speed Art Museum is also definitely worth visiting. Like the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Muhammad Ali Museum is also impressive.
Thanks for providing a detailed guide of things to do in Louisville! I could see visiting and trying the ghost tour and enjoying the waterfront.
At first I had read it as “check out the slug factory”. I was thinking, how many types of slugs can there actually be 😉