Things to Do In Louisville, Kentucky
By Jessica Elliott, About.com Guide to Louisville
If you can't find things to do in Louisville, you must not be looking very hard. Whether it’s a free outdoor concert during the summer, the Kentucky Derby in the spring, or a heated college basketball game in the winter, there's always something fun going on just a few miles from every neighborhood.
- Things to Do This Month
- Louisville Event Calendars
- Louisville Attractions
- Shopping Around Town
- Louisville Parks and Zoos
- Art Galleries & Museums
- Theaters and Performing Arts
- Annual Festivals and Events
- Kentucky Derby Festival
- Getting Out of Town
Things to Do This Month
Whether it's an event as big as the Kentucky Derby Festival or as small as the First Friday Trolley Hop, there are plenty of things to do every month in Louisville. The following events are some of the most exciting things going on this month in Louisville.
Louisville Event Calendars
Find out what's going on in your neighborhood each month by searching the listings in the Louisville Event Calendars. Have an event you'd like to see listed in the one of the monthly event calendar? Send it to me at louisville.guide@about.com.
- January Events Calendar
- February Events Calendar
- March Events Calendar
- April Events Calendar
- May Events Calendar
- June Events Calendar
- July Events Calendar
- August Events Calendar
- September Events Calendar
- October Events Calendar
- November Events Calendar
- December Events Calendar
Louisville Attractions
There's something to do in Louisville every day of the year. Whether you've lived here for decades or are just in town for a weekend, you'll want to make sure that you check out some of Louisville's best and least known attractions.
- Top Louisville Attractions
- Louisville Kids' Attractions
- Louisville Free Attractions
- Free Louisville Events
- Free Louisville Concerts
- Explore the Highlands
- Tour Historic Corydon
- First Friday Trolley Hop
- Farmington Historic Plantation
- Louisville Ghost Tours
- Belle of Louisville
- Muhammad Ali Center
- Louisville Slugger Museum
- Wheel Fun Bike Rentals
Shopping Around Town
Louisville has a lot of malls and even more unique, locally-owned corner stores. Whether you're interested in shopping the chains out in St. Matthews or the oddity shops on Bardstown Road in the Highlands, you'll find everything you're looking for in Louisville.
- Green Tree Mall
- River Falls Mall
- Find Louisville Free Stuff
- Louisville Costume Shops
- Local Goodwill Thrift Stores
Louisville Parks and Zoos
Louisville has one of the largest park systems in the country, many designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. Whether you're looking to go for a jog or looking to take the kids out for a day of summer fun, you'll want to check out these great outdoor attractions.
Art Galleries & Museums
Louisville itself is an artistic city. Exotic metal bike racks cover Downtown Louisville and portraits of community heroes hang from the city's skyscrapers. There are also at least three major art districts all within 15 minutes of each other.
- First Friday Trolley Hop
- 21C Museum Hotel
- PYRO Gallery
- Gallery at the Kentucky Center
- Actors Theatre Gallery
- Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
- Louisville Science Center
- Gallopalooza Photo Gallery
- Muhammad Ali Center
- Louisville Slugger Museum
Theaters and Performing Arts
From the Kentucky Center for the Arts to Baxter Avenue Theater, there are a ton of places in Louisville to catch the hottest movie, the best Broadway musical, the Humana Festival of New American Plays, or your favorite childhood ballet.
Annual Festivals and Events
Everyone has heard of the Kentucky Derby, but not everyone knows about the other great events that occur year after year in Louisville. From the Ford Ironman Triathlon to Art Car weekend, you'll find plenty to do every month of the year.
Kentucky Derby Festival
The Kentucky Derby Festival is a celebration of events that occurs in the two weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby. Thunder Over Louisville, the world's largest fireworks show, marks the beginning of the Kentucky Derby Festival and the Kentucky Derby itself marks the end.
- Kentucky Derby Visitor's Guide
- Kentucky Derby Facts and History
- How to Get Kentucky Derby Tickets
- The Kentucky Derby Infield
- Kentucky Derby Hat Buying Guide
- Millionaire's Row at Churchill Downs
- How to Get Kentucky Oaks Tickets
- Derby Festival Event Calendar
- Top 5 Kentucky Derby Festival Events
- Great Balloon Race and Festival
- Great Balloon Glow Photo Gallery
- Derby Marathon and miniMarathon
- Derby Festival Pegasus Parade
- Derby Great Steamboat Race
- Thunder Over Louisville
- Best Places to Watch Thunder
Getting Out of Town
Louisville is wonderful, but occassionally we all need to get out and explore a new place for a few days. Lucky for us, there are a ton of places close by where we can go for a day or weekend away, as well as a major international airport for longer vacations.
