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Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY

Photo: TEDD LiGGETT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory Buff

Churchill Downs

700 Central Ave · Louisville, KY

Why you should go…

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

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

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.

    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.

    1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Kentucky Kingdom

    $25–$50

    A theme park with six roller coasters, family rides and the Hurricane Bay water park beside the Kentucky Exposition Center.

    1.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    Free

    Big Four Bridge

    Free

    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
    History Buff

    My Old Kentucky Home State Park

    Under $25

    Tour Federal Hill, the Rowan family mansion tied to Stephen Foster's ballad, where a singing guide performs My Old Kentucky Home.

    32 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park

    Free

    Climb 56 steps to a neoclassical memorial holding a symbolic log cabin on the farm where Abraham Lincoln was born.

    46 mi awayMore like this