Experiencing Louisville

For the first time, the GIE+EXPO show will be held in the birthplace of whiskey bourbon, the “Louisville Slugger” and the Kentucky Derby. Show attendees will find the city has a history, culture and vibe that’s all its own.

Louisville, Ky. is one of the oldest settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains and was founded in 1778 by revolutionary war hero George Rogers Clark. It was named in 1780 after Louis XVI of France for their assistance during the American Revolution.

With more than 120 attractions, Louisville has something for everyone. Baseball fanatics can stop by the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory where the official bat of major league baseball was created. After touring the facility and seeing the bat production head down the street to Louisville Slugger Field where the Louisville Bats play.

Museum lovers can walk through Museum Row, a six block historical neighborhood, and explore Glassworks, Frazier International History Museum, Louisville Science Center & IMAX Theatre, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 21C Hotel and Museum and the Muhammad Ali Center.

Located at 829 West Main Street, the Frazier International History Museum contains artifacts such as the only known surviving rifle that belonged to President George Washington and the rifle famously named “the Big Stick” which belonged to President Theodore Roosevelt. Boxing fans can go to 144 North Sixth Street to visit the Muhammad Ali Center. The center focuses on Ali’s message of peace and includes interactive exhibits such as a life-size boxing ring and a replica of Ali’s training center.

Louisville is most widely recognized as the site of the Kentucky Derby, a thoroughbred horse race held in May at the Churchill Downs racetrack. Visitors can go to Churchill Downs at 700 Central Ave and tour the grounds which are also home to the Kentucky Derby Museum. Visitors can get a behind the scenes look at the Museum’s paddock area, as well as the actual finish line used at Churchill Downs and the gravesites of three famous Kentucky Derby winners.

If you’re hungry Louisville has something to satisfy even the pickiest eater with over 2,500 restaurants including quiet cafes, coffee houses, ethnic restaurants, bourbon lounges and casual eateries. If you’re craving meat Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is for you. This “Las Vegas styled” New York steakhouse is also a sushi bar and supper club serving USDA prime beef. If you’re a breakfast lover or just looking for a light lunch try Toast on Market located in the historic Downtown gallery district.

Visitors also have the option to dine at “Louisville Originals” which is a group of fifty plus restaurants where the locals dine and patrons are likely to be greeted and seated by the owners.

Depending on your mood you may want to try Asiatique which serves a Pacific Rim cuisine in a new metropolitan atmosphere; Avalon, a contemporary casual restaurant serving American cuisine or Bourbon’s Bistro which offers fine Southern-inspired cuisine and 130 bourbons to choose from.

Louisville has come along way from its beginnings as a transshipment point and river port for the Midwest and the Northeast. From dining at “Louisville Originals” to enjoying world-class whiskey on the Urban Bourbon Trail to touring the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, there’s something to peak everyone’s interest.