Guests Coming To Town? Here Are The Best Places to Take Anyone Visiting Louisville

Cave Hill Cemetery

701 Baxter Ave
LEO’s former investigative reporter Josh Wood dubbed this the Best Place to Bring Out-Of-Towners in our staff Best Of list this year, and he knows that that label might be a little surprising –– it is, after all, a cemetery. But he’s got a point: Cave Hill is a historic destination where you can see the final resting places of famous Louisvillians like Muhammad Ali and Colonel Sanders, and the grounds are very pretty. Enjoy a calm walk through the labyrinthine paths before the air gets too cold.
Photo by Kathryn Harrington.

Lynn Family Stadium

350 Adams Street
Out-of-towners deserve to see the colors, the lights, the action, and the spectacle that every game at Lynn Family Stadium brings. We're proud of our professional soccer teams, LouCity and Racing Louisville, and we're just as sure that that pride is both infectious and fun.
Photo via LouCity FC

The Kentucky Science Center

727 W. Main St.
Even if you haven’t been since a fourth-grade field trip (those were the days…), the Science Center remains a cool destination in downtown Louisville for kids and adults.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

Play Louisville

1101 E. Washington St.
Louisville’s celebrated dance bar puts on drag shows for straight and gay audiences alike. Remember to tip your performers!
Photo via Play Louisville

The Sauerbeck Family Drive-In

3210 D.W. Griffith Lane, La Grange, Kentucky
This is a bit of a drive from most of our other tourist attractions, but no problem –– it’s a great space for cars anyway. They even host showings in the colder months.
Photo via Sauerbeck Family Drive-In

A novelty bar

Thankfully, we have too many of these to list separately –– Keep Louisville Weird is a way of life, after all –– so there are plenty of options. Love dogs? PG&Js is the place to go. Total weeb? Plan a fun night at Kaiju. Pinball wizard? RecBar will help you get your fill.
Photo by Carolyn Brown.

Bardstown Road

This walkable haven of local businesses is full of Louisville flavor and culture. Bring your dollars and your out-of-town guests and support the stores and restaurants that make The Highlands so vibrant.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

The Olmsted Parks

Multiple locations
These parks have plenty of space to walk and run with family members and friends (both humans and pets.) Take a guest to one (or all) of these when you want a relaxing day away from the hustle and bustle of life in the city. Louisville’s biggest and grandest are Cherokee Park, Iroquois Park and Shawnee Park.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

The Speed Art Museum

2035 S. Third St.
Even if you don’t do a full tour of UofL, make sure to at least stop by the Speed. They’ve got a Supernatural America exhibit that runs through Jan. 2, plus a sizable collection of artworks from centuries past and present.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

Logan Street Market

1001 Logan St.
On weekends, this indoor-outdoor bazaar in Germantown is absolutely packed to the brim with dozens of vendors selling food, clothes, jewelry, home decor, and more. Try the purple ube cookie at Boba Fête, which comes from a traditional Filipino recipe and apparently tastes like vanilla.
Photo via Logan Street Market

Actors Theatre of Louisville

316 W. Main St.
Louisville may not have as many theaters as other cities, but our biggest theater company is just as good as any. Snag a ticket to their upcoming productions for yourself and your guests.
Photo via Actors Theatre of Louisville, by Jonathan Roberts

A local music venue

LEO loves local bands, we love touring bands, and we love anything to do with live music. The heart of Louisville’s music scene beats in places like Headliners, Zanzabar, Mercury Ballroom, and Diamond Pub Highlands. Give your guests the chance to experience it the same way that we do.
Photo by Carolyn Brown.

A drive through downtown Louisville

Blast a local artist on Spotify, roll down the windows, and enjoy the sounds, sights, and lights. You don’t need a set destination in mind –– just make your way wherever the one-way streets allow, and let your out-of-towner guests do some people-watching.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

Carmichael’s Bookstore

Multiple locations
Visiting these cozy bookstores makes for a nice relaxing break in the middle of an otherwise tourism-filled vacation. You'll be supporting a local business and expanding your literary knowledge at the same time.
Photo via Carmichael’s Bookstore

Derby Dinner Playhouse

525 Marriott Drive, Clarksville, Indiana
Technically, this isn’t in Louisville; it’s in Clarksville, across the river, but hey, it’s got “Derby” in the name and Louisvillians in its seats. Enjoy fun dinner theater productions of new and familiar shows.
Photo via Derby Dinner Playhouse

The Muhammad Ali Center

144 N. Sixth St.
Given how much we pride ourselves on being the hometown of the G.O.A.T., it’s only right that you should take an out-of-towner to the museum that celebrates his legacy.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

Walk around UofL

2301 S Third St.
A walk around UofL’s downtown campus gives visitors to Louisville plenty of space for people-watching –– almost 300 acres, in fact. Make sure to snag an obligatory photo with The Thinker. If it’s too chilly, head inside to cozy up with one of the thousands of books (and other materials) in the Ekstrom Library.
Photo via Flickr/ConspiracyofHappiness.

Fourth Street Live!

411 S. Fourth St.
Petula Clark once sang that the lights downtown were so bright, you could “forget all your troubles, forget all your cares.” We can’t guarantee that’ll happen at the downtown “entertainment and retail complex” that is Fourth Street Live!, but there’s definitely a lot to do: you can ride a bull at PBR Louisville, eat dishes straight from Flavortown at Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, or sing along with strangers at Howl at the Moon. If nothing else, you can always “linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty –– how can you lose?”
Photo via Louisville Tourism

Any distillery

If you and your guest have an interest in bourbon, our city has plenty of options for in-person experiences that let you learn about the distillation process and try bourbon samples yourself. The Urban Bourbon Trail is a good start.
Photo via Louisville Tourism

A Louisville Orchestra show

Although Louisvillians already know why music director Teddy Abrams has fully earned his international acclaim as a conductor, our friends from out of town might not. Take them to a concert (or “The Nutcracker” in December) to see what Teddy and the talented musicians of the Louisville Orchestra have to offer.
Photo via Louisville Tourism