Get to Know Louisville

The shadows of Churchill Downs' twin spires loom large over Louisville, but there's far more to this historic city than blue-blooded thoroughbreds and mint juleps. Whether your family's into horses, baseball, caverns or old-fashioned amusement parks, a vacation in The 'Ville dishes them all up—and more—with a side of warm, Kentucky-bluegrass hospitality.

Not Just Horsing Around

If a Kentucky Derby getaway isn't doable, you can still catch up on the legendary race's lore—while the kids mount up in a simulated horse race—at Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Museum. At the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in the Bud Hillerich hitting cage, you can test your hitting skills with replicas of bats used by Hall of Fame sluggers. If it's too hot for above-ground fun, go underground aboard the Louisville Mega Cavern's hour-long, eye-popping tram ride. Bring jackets—the cavern's temperature stays around a cool 60 F. Or, head for Hurricane Bay—the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park's coolest and wettest destination, where the whole family can splash the heat away in a group plunge down the thrilling Deluge Watercoaster.

Weathering the Weather

Dress for the high 80s or low 90s and keep the umbrellas handy during Louisville's summer months, when one in three days sees rain. Jacket-worthy nights follow mild, mid-50s to high 60s days in April, May, September and October. November through March are snow-gear, heavy-coats and layered-clothing months, with daytime temperatures in the 30s and sub-freezing nights. About 1 foot of the city's average 16-inch annual snowfall hits between January and March.

Wheels or Wings?

Getting to Louisville under your own horsepower is a cinch, thanks to three Interstates: I-71 comes southeast from Cincinnati, where it merges with I-64 running east from St. Louis or west from Chesapeake, Virginia, and I-65, the north-south route extending from Mobile, Alabama, to Gary, Indiana. Or, fly in on American, Southwest or any of the five airlines serving the Louisville International Airport, just a 10-minute ride to downtown. Non-stop flights are available from more than 20 cities, including New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Denver. Taxis, shuttles and TARC public buses provide ground transportation, the buses head for Union Station, where you can transfer to local destinations.

Tip: Day passes for the TARC buses cost well under $5. Even better, TARC's free, eco-friendly ZeroBuses cover downtown entertainment and shopping venues on a 15-minute, Monday-through-Saturday schedule. The Louisville Amtrak station only serves Thruway buses.

Louisville on the Job

Getting to Louisville under your own horsepower is a cinch, thanks to three Interstates: I-71 comes southeast from Cincinnati, where it merges with I-64 running east from St. Louis or west from Chesapeake, Virginia, and I-65, the north-south route extending from Mobile, Alabama, to Gary, Indiana. Or, fly in on American, Southwest or any of the five airlines serving the Louisville International Airport, just a 10-minute ride to downtown. Non-stop flights are available from more than 20 cities, including New York, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Denver. Taxis, shuttles and TARC public buses provide ground transportation, the buses head for Union Station, where you can transfer to local destinations.

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