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Louisville

Things to do in Louisville

  1. Lynn's Paradise Cafe

    It's breakfast anytime at this psychedelic diner, marked by the 10ft-tall teapot outside. Don't miss the homemade biscuits with sorghum butter, or the Hot Brown sandwich, a Louisville classic invented in the 1920s at the Brown Hotel.

    reviewed

  2. Lilly's Bistro

    Chef Kathy Cary creates 'Kentucky tapas' (think catfish spring rolls, chorizo spoonbread) at this eclectic upscale eatery, a longtime Bardstown Rd favorite. The three-course lunch menu ($15) is a steal.

    reviewed

  3. Louisville Slugger Museum

    Look for the 120ft baseball bat leaning against the museum – ya can't miss it. Hillerich & Bradsby Co have been making the famous Louisville Slugger here since 1884. The admission fee includes a plant tour, a hall of baseball memorabilia such as Babe Ruth's bat, a batting cage and a free mini slugger. Customized bats are sold in the lobby. Note: bat production halts on Sunday, as well as on Saturday in the winter.

    reviewed

  4. Muhammad Ali Center

    A love offering to the city from its most famous native. Self-guided tours include a stirring film on Ali's life and video projections of his most famous fights, as well as exhibits about the racial segregation and humanitarian issues that so vexed the outspoken man once known as the 'Louisville Lip.'

    reviewed

  5. Kentucky Derby Museum

    On the grounds, the museum has exhibits on derby history, including a peek into the life of jockeys and a roundup of the most illustrious horses. There is a 360-degree audiovisual about the race, and a behind-the-scenes track tour ($10) that leads you through the jockey's quarters and posh VIP seating areas.

    reviewed

  6. Louisville Science Center

    The kids will enjoy the interactive exhibits at the this centre, which include the 'Chemical Kitchen', 'Inventors Garage' and a giant heart that beats like a real one. The centre also houses an IMAX theatre.

    reviewed

  7. Frazier International History Museum

    Surprisingly ambitious for a midsized city, this state-of-the-art museum covers 1000 years of history with grisly battle dioramas and costumed interpreters demonstrating swordplay and staging mock debates.

    reviewed

  8. Speed Art Museum

    A handsome Greek Revival-style building with more than 12,000 pieces of art, from classical sculptures to Kentucky mint julep cups.

    reviewed

  9. Actors Theatre of Louisville

    This highly regarded theater performs everything from Shakespeare to contemporary musicals and has premiered several Pulitzer Prize–winning plays.

    reviewed

  10. Rudyard Kipling

    In Old Louisville, this place is loved by arty locals for its intimate indie-bluegrass shows and Kentucky bar food (try the 'snappy cheese').

    reviewed

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  12. Falls of the Ohio State Park

    A shallow part of the river exposes fossils from an ancient sea at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

    reviewed

  13. Cahoots

    Try Cahoots, one of Bardstown's classic rock and roll dives.

    reviewed

  14. Molly Malone's

    The Molly Malone'sis a lively Irish pub with a big patio.

    reviewed

  15. Old Seelbach Bar

    In the Gilded Era Seelbach Hilton, this is the city's top spot for elegant bourbon-sipping.

    reviewed

  16. Holy Grale

    One of Bardstown's newest and most interesting bars is housed in an old church, with a menu of funked-up pub grub (Scotch quail eggs, kimchee hot dogs) and a dozen rare German, Belgian and Japanese brews on tap.

    reviewed

  17. Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar

    In an 1880s-era distillery trendily rehabbed with exposed brick and reclaimed wood, Louisville hipsters sip bourbon, slurp oysters and munch on house-smoked BBQ ribs.

    reviewed

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  19. Churchill Downs

    On the first Saturday in May, a who's who of upper-crust America puts on their pinstripe suits and most flamboyant hats and descends for the 'greatest two minutes in sports,' the Kentucky Derby. After the race, the crowd sings 'My Old Kentucky Home' and watches as the winning horse is covered in a blanket of roses. Then they party.

    To be honest, they've been partying for a while. The Kentucky Derby Festival, which includes a balloon race and the largest fireworks display in North America, starts two weeks before the big event.

    Most seats at the derby are by invitation only or they've been reserved years in advance. On Derby Day, $40 gets you into the paddock party scene (no…

    reviewed

  20. 610 Magnolia

    Only open three evenings a week, this sleek Scandinavia-meets-Kentucky bistro is Louisville's hottest-ticket restaurant (and the hardest to find – there's no sign, just look for the numbers '610' on the front). Local seasonal ingredients get a global treatment – chili-rubbed crispy pork belly, sashimi with bourbon-soy sauce, sweet-potato bread pudding – to jaw-dropping effect.

    reviewed