Sometimes, one visits a place with little expectation but it turns out to be a true find. A “stopover” in Louisville, Kentucky on a Great Smoky Mountains road trip turned out to be just that. First, it offered something special for this family of baseball fans — an opportunity to visit the famous the Louisville Slugger Museum! So, of course, this mom began planning how my family could enjoy two days in Louisville, Kentucky.
First, I set out to learn a bit about..
ITS HISTORY
Louisville was named after King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War. It was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778.
This lovely city has several nicknames including the Derby City, the Possibility City and the River city. However, ask five different people how to pronounce this city’s name and you’ll get five different ways to say it. Even for those who’ve lived here for a long time are conflicted by its pronunciation. But no worries. Just follow in the steps of the King’s french pronunciation which eliminated the “S” in the city’s name. Its correction pronunciation is “lou-ee-ville.”
WHEN TO GO
Of course, many visitors converge on this city in May to watch the Kentucky Derby.
However, this is not the only time that visitors can enjoy all this city has to offer. Ask any Louisvillians when the best time is to visit and they’ll say during the Fall and Spring season. Temperatures and humidity are more moderate at this time. My family, however, were on a summer road trip so our two days in Louisville were, as expected, a bit hot. But it didn’t stop us from enjoying this beautiful city!
WHERE TO STAY & HOW TO GET AROUND
Accommodations are always a personal choice. Like many cities, Louisville offers an array of accommodation options so it’s really up to your budget and what your needs are. For many visitors, the Waterfront Park area is the top choice. This riverside section of Downtown Louisville is home to the city’s main cultural attractions, nightlife, restaurants, and some of the best hotels in town.
Louisville is not very big and is relatively walkable so you can park your car and forget about it until you leave. The only public transportation system is TARC, their bus system but i can’t really comment on it too much since we didn’t use it.
So let’s start exploring …
THINGS TO DO
Falls of Ohio State Park
was a stop on our way into Louisville. Located just about 2 miles outside of Louisville and on the banks of the Ohio River in Indiana, here you can explore 390-million-year-old fossil beds that are among the largest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world. The park features a interpretive center overlooking the fossil beds featuring interactive and immersive exhibits.
HELPFUL TIP: August through October provides the best accessibility to the 220 acres of fossil beds, as the river is at its lowest level during this period.
Louisville Slugger Museum
was a highlight of our visit.
Located on the corner of 8th and Main in downtown Louisville, you can’t miss it. Just look for The Big Bat!
Girls love baseball too! 
Outside the museum. 
Some fun in the batting cage!
It offers visitors an immersion into baseball history and its famous bats. Enjoy a fascinating bat factory tour, amazing artifacts, and interactive exhibits.
Churchill Hill Downs
was a stop that got this woman some resistance by the family at first. But what a hit it turned out to be! As I’ve always said, sometimes the unexpected turn out to be the treasures. Read more about my family’s unusual and expected sites in our travels by clicking here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?paged=15&cat=30
They actually wear these hats, mom? 
Practicing to be a jockey.
Although horses weren’t racing at the time of our visit, we enjoyed the museum and grounds. Our kids got to practice being jockeys and announcers. And we even met the grandson of Secretariat. A must see stop when in Lousiville!
Say Hello to Colonel Sanders
Of course, when visiting Louisville, one must partake in some fried chicken!
The Harland Sanders Café is a historic restaurant located in North Corbin, Kentucky. Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, operated the restaurant from 1940-1956.
Sanders also developed the famous KFC secret recipe at the café during the 1940s.
The Palace Theatre
was a totally unplanned stop.
My family stumbled upon this beautiful theater on an after dinner stroll.
The theater was screening one of Alfred Hitchcock’s lesser known films, “The Trouble With Harry.” No other plans for the evening so we decided to give it a go. And we are so glad we did!
The Palace is an architectural beauty on the inside. It was opened in 1928 and rededicated in 1994. My kids couldn’t get over seeing a movie in such a beautiful place.
To this day, when a Hitchcock film comes on, my kids remember the movie and this beautiful theater.
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Louisville is a city that offers enough to fill a long weekend. Unfortunately, my family didn’t get to visit the Muhammad Ali Center or partake in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, but I know that one day we’ll be back.
It was time for us to continue our road trip. Next stop was…
Mammoth Cave National Park. Look for this post in the near future!