Louisville Kentucky was founded in 1778 by George Rodgers Clark and named in honor of King Louis XVI of France for his support during the Revolutionary war. Louisville’s early growth was due mainly to it’s strategic location on the banks of the Ohio River. The 16th largest city in United States, Louisville shows up year after year on lists of the most livable, and most affordable cities in which to live, and has more parks per capita than any where else in the country.

Louisville has followed the economic trends of the rest of the country. Over the past few decades manufacturing has given way to tourism in Louisville and for good reason. The list of things to do in Louisville is seemingly endless. Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby are the most well known attractions, but it is certainly not the only ones. As a cultural center Louisville is in the top ten. One of only nine U.S. cities to have professional opera, ballet. Theater, children’s theater and orchestra. Louisville annually hosts the St. James Court Art Show, one of the largest, most respected outdoor art shows anywhere. The Speed Art Museum is the oldest in the state, and is visited by 180,000 people yearly. The Louisville Slugger Museum is a must see and a can’t miss with a giant replica of Babe Ruth’s 34" Louisville Slugger out front.

For the more adventurous tourist, an afternoon at Churchill Downs, with a stop at the Kentucky Derby Museum is an exciting way to spend the day. Caesar’s Indiana Glory of Rome is the largest floating casino on the planet. The oldest Mississippi Style River boat operating today. If you don’t gamble but still like excitement, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom has the “Chang” stand-up roller coaster that at 63 mph holds five world records.

For their guests who like a more relaxing experience, Old Louisville has some of the largest, most beautifully preserved Victorian homes in the country. Historic West Main Street is second only to New York’s Soho district in the number of cast iron storefronts it has.

Louisville has 17,000 hotel rooms, and 2,500 restaurants with something for nearly every taste. The Seelbach Hotel is a four star hotel with a five star restaurant The Oak Room. The Seelbach made famous as the backdrop for a wedding in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece “The Great Gatsby”.

Simpler and less expensive accommodations can certainly be found, but if you plan to visit Louisville on the First Saturday in May, you may want to start making reservations on the first Saturday in June.

Author Ron Stemple
Copyright 2006, Ron Dowell