Louisville’s iconic attractions have stepped up to the plate by offering new exhibits for visitors to explore. Several even have educational components, which offer a helpful option during this year’s non-traditional virtual school days and upcoming holiday breaks. Currently 85% of Louisville’s attractions are open, taking state guidelines into account for guest safely amid the coronavirus.
In addition, Louisville Tourism is offering a new promotion to area residents to save up to 50% off an overnight stay in a participating hotel, along with a $25 Visa gift card for dining or takeout from a local restaurant by booking at lou.ly/hotel. This promotion is for Kentucky and Southern Indiana residents and will run through the end of 2020.
Some of the new exhibits and attractions include:
Frazier History Museum, Cool Kentucky: Historic trinkets and treasures are used to help tell the stories of iconic Kentuckians. Visitors get to dive deeper into the lives of the former ABA team the Kentucky Colonels and the city’s fun history with disco balls alongside culinary treats such as the hot brown and bourbon balls. Interesting display items include a home-grown Chevrolet Corvette and American Pearl, the plywood boat Tori Murden used in her journey across the Atlantic to make her the first American and first woman to row the Atlantic Ocean solo. From the charisma of Jennifer Lawrence to the charm of George Clooney, visitors can get a closer look at the people and events that have shaped Kentucky and the world.
Louisville Slugger Museum, The Louisville Unions Rediscovered and Bloomer Girls: Baseball, Bikes and the Battle for Ballots In a true Louisville, Kentucky mash-up - bourbon and baseball came together as Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory discovered the truth behind mysterious and fascinating photographs of a black baseball team that had been exceptional in its time but lost to history. The exhibit features the Louisville Unions, a pre-Negro Leagues team that dominated the Southern baseball circuit in 1908.
A second exhibit salutes the Bloomer Girls who challenged stereotypes and helped women win the right to vote. Between 1890 and 1930, the Bloomer Girls teams played semi-professional baseball and traveled the country challenging men’s teams. This exhibit showcases a typical bloomer outfit alongside the type of heavy, restrictive dress that women had been previously wearing. Also on display is a Wolff-American safety frame bicycle, circa 1897. Both exhibits are running through December 2020
Kentucky Derby Museum, Right to Ride: Visitors will gain new insight into what these women encountered in a male-dominated sport to win their right to ride in professional Thoroughbred horse races. The exhibit traces the first American female jockeys and tells their stories. Artifacts and treasures from the jockeys' personal collection will be on view, such as Diane Crump's riding boots, Sandy Schleiffers' Jockeys' Guild ring, the Barton family scrapbook, Patti “P.J.” Cooksey’s gear from the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Rosie Napravnik’s 2012 and 2014 winning Kentucky Oaks trophies. Running through August 2021 Muhammad Ali Center, Truth Be Told, the Policies that Impacted Black Lives: This exhibit depicts 400 years of policies that are linked to systemic racism in America. Learn about the history of Black people that is often left out, misinterpreted, or even falsified in our history books. Posted on plywood panels used in the Louisville protests, this powerful exhibit offers you the encouragement to create a more inclusive future. Running through April 2021 Kentucky’s Science Center, One World by Air Cargo: This interactive exhibit gives an inside look at the Boeing 747-8F, UPS’s newest aircraft and how it flies into Louisville and Worldport – UPS’s international air hub in Louisville. Take off from Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport by flying one of three real pilot training simulations used by UPS to train pilots while getting a peek at interactive fight maps and how the cargo containers are loaded. A scale model of a Bowing 747-8F is available to view the mechanical workings of the plane and how it flies through the air. The Parklands of Floyds Fork, Winter Illuminations: An entirely new attraction, The Parklands of Floyds Fork is igniting an illuminated trail walk. Designed to be Louisville’s premiere winter tradition, the one-mile trail features more than 10 light installations harmonizing light, music and nature. Open Nov. 20 through Jan. 3.
Additionally, a new museum opening soon is Roots 101 African – American Museum. Housed on Museum Row, this will be a museum dedicated to telling the story of the African-American journey from Africa and all ports in between. With a projected opening by early 2021, the museum plans to be the authentic voice of African American art history and culture in Kentucky.