Soak in the city

Louisville is known for its cool attractions, cocktails and new twists on southern food. Why not stay in town an extra day or two and take a stroll around the city to try out some of the sights, sounds and tastes.

Swing a Louisville Slugger.

The most famous brand of baseball bats has a museum and factory right in the middle of downtown. Outside you can see a 120-foot replica of Babe Ruth’s famous 34-inch Slugger. Made of steel and weighing 68,000 pounds, it’s the largest baseball bat in the world.

If you tour the museum, you’ll see pieces of baseball history like Hank Aaron’s 700th home run bat or Joe DiMaggio’s 56 gam hit streak bat.

And if you want to get in on the action, head to the batting cages and see if you can knock it out of the park with replica bats of legends like Jackie Robinson and Derek Jeter.

Travel the Bourbon Trail.

Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail will take you around downtown and beyond, to explore the city’s rich bourbon heritage. Whether you like to sip it straight or prefer to taste one of the state’s two signature drinks – the old fashioned and the mint julep – the trail will lead you to some of the finest bourbon bars in the world.

There are two ways to travel the Urban Bourbon Trail. You can either pick up a free passport at the Visitors Center (4th and Jefferson Streets in downtown Louisville) or at Urban Bourbon Trail stops.

You can also download an electronic passport using an iPhone or Android app.

After making a purchase at one of the trail stops, simply ask your bartender or server to validate your passport (or app) before you leave. Once you visit six stops along the trail and turn in your passport, you’ll earn the rank of official Bourbon Country Citizen, a special Urban Bourbon Trailblazer T-shirt and an official Citizen of Bourbon Country certificate.

Chow down on a hot brown.

Perhaps the most iconic Louisville dish, the hot brown is an open-face turkey sandwich with bacon, tomato, cheese and Mornay sauce. If you want to get an authentic one, head to the Brown Hotel, where the dish was invented for hungry guests who had spent the night dancing.

The dish’s popularity has also led restaurants around town to come up with their own iterations of this rich and delicious meal. You’ll find pizza, French fries, and even breakfast hot browns on menus throughout the city.

Sample southern cuisine.

If you’re looking for southern food, head to Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar where you’ll find classics like baby back ribs, grits, pulled pork and fried green tomatoes. And, of course, there’s a wide selection of bourbons to try.

If you’re looking for a burger, head over to Mussel & Burger Bar for new twists on classic burgers and six different kinds of mussels. And for dessert, head to Sidebar for one of their famous bourbon milkshakes.

Sway at the Hyatt Regency is where farm-to-fork meets southern cuisine. They only use the freshest ingredients to create seasonal menus with the flavors of the South. Located right next to Fourth Street Live!, Sway provides a convenient place to get your bourbon fix and some dinner before heading across the street to GIE+EXPO’s free concerts.

Take in Fourth Street Live!

Fourth Street Live! has a wide variety of dining and entertainment offerings, including the free nightly concerts sponsored by BOB-CAT on the Mercedes-Benz stage. You’ll find all kinds of cuisine from Brazilian to artisan pizza to a raw bar.

If you want more music, try Howl at the Moon, the city’s dueling piano bar where you’ll hear musicians playing everything from classic rock to pop. You can request your favorite song or just enjoy the party.

To register for the show, click here.