Churchill Downs

Watch Thoroughbred racing beneath the Twin Spires at the track that has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875.

700 Central Ave · Louisville, KY

Plan your visit

Price: Under $25
When it runs: Live racing during the Spring, September and Fall Meets
Good for: First-time visitors
History lovers
Public transit nearby: 3rd @ CollinsBus 04, 93, 99 · 0.3 mi away
3rd @ Central Station BlvdBus 04, 93, 99 · 0.4 mi away
4th @ HeywoodBus 04 · 0.4 mi away
Stops and lines from the USDOT National Transit Map. Check times with the agency before you go.
Flying in: Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is about 3 miles away.
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About Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs opened in 1875 and has run the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown, ever since. The twin spires above the grandstand are the track's symbol, and the complex is a National Historic Landmark. General admission on race days during the Spring, September and Fall Meets lets you sit on the first floor and in sections facing the finish line. The Kentucky Derby Museum next door adds two floors of exhibits, a 360-degree film and a guided track visit.

#horse racing
#kentucky derby
#racetrack
#twin spires
#historic landmark

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Churchill Downs, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Museums
Iconic
Kentucky Derby Museum
Under $25
Explore two floors of Kentucky Derby history, watch a 360-degree film and join a guided track visit at Churchill Downs.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Museums
Rainy-Day Pick
Speed Art Museum
$25–$50
See art from antiquity to the present, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Monet, at a Louisville museum founded in 1927.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Attractions
Family Favorite
Kentucky Kingdom
$25–$50
Louisville theme park with six coasters and the Hurricane Bay water park on one ticket, open select days May to early January.
1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Sightseeing
Cave Hill National Cemetery
Check prices
A Civil War-era veterans' cemetery in the northwest corner of the larger Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
Transit: reachable by public transit
4.2 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Outdoor Adventure
Big Four Bridge
No admission fee
Walk or bike a half-mile 1895 railroad bridge over the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana.
4.7 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
Under $25
A Second Empire mansion in New Albany, Indiana, built for a wealthy 19th-century businessman and philanthropist.
6.2 mi awayMore like this