Churchill Downs & Kentucky Derby Museum
Churchill Downs
The home of the Kentucky Derby. Under its iconic twin-spired grandstand you can watch horse racing and visit the Kentucky Derby Museum.
Churchill Downs has hosted the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May every year since 1875. It is billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” The Kentucky Derby Museum beside the main gate has a 360-degree immersive film and exhibits on past champion horses and jockeys. Museum admission includes a track tour of about 30 minutes on foot, where you can see the twin-spired grandstand and the racetrack. Regular grandstand tickets can be bought on the spot for races in the spring and fall seasons. Derby-week tickets are expensive and must be booked months in advance. The track is about 7 km south of downtown, roughly a 15-minute taxi ride.
Opening hours
Museum 9:00–17:00 (adjusted around derby days)
Nearby sights
- Speed Art Museum
- Kentucky Kingdom
- Old Louisville
- The Brown Hotel
- Cathedral of the Assumption
- Fourth Street Live!
- Belle of Louisville
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory