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Welcome to Louisville where we are a friendly, welcoming, engaging and fun group of professionals. We make it easy for planners and attendees to travel to Louisville and get around once they’re here. We know how to make visitors feel relaxed and enjoy Louisville like locals do. We also understand the convention and meeting business and know how to make it simple and efficient.

We are also known as Bourbon City - a place where every year, the spirit of the original Bourbon entrepreneurs is on full display in seersucker suits and dashing Derby dresses for the most-exciting two minutes in sports. Not to mention two weeks of unrivaled culinary events, celebrity-filled galas and of course, exclusive Bourbon tappings and tastings. A city whose spirit is a sure bet to bring you unique experiences, like the world-famous Kentucky Derby.

Neighborhoods While you are with us, you will see the ease and convenience of getting around – from the moment you land at the Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), just minutes from downtown. We invite you to explore all of our unique neighborhoods and communities, all an easy drive from one another. Venture around Downtown, Old Louisville, Bardstown Road - Baxter Avenue (The Highlands), Frankfort Avenue, East End, Beechmont, and Nulu.

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Louisville is touted across the globe for being a welcoming, inclusive, and compassionate destination, which is why Travel + Leisure calls Louisville “One of the Friendliest Cities in America.” Aside from being a leader in the city’s active LGBTQ community, Louisville has continuously earned a perfect Human Rights score. Louisville celebrates the long history African Americans have contributed to Louisville’s storied past with specific African American heritage collections and historical tours.

In addition, Louisville is continually looking for ways to further positive change in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion to embrace an even more equitable future.

Louisville would not be the creative, innovative, passionate city that it is without our black community. For all that inspires tourism in our city – from bourbon, to horse racing, to food traditions and even the Greatest himself, Muhammad Ali – countless people of color have contributed their gifts to build our vibrant culture. We stand with our community in advocating for racial equality and respect for all.

History Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778 and named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War. His king’s family symbol, the fleur de lis, was long ago adopted by Louisville as the city’s emblem. The stylized lily is seen all over town from architectural embellishments and gift items to street signs and business logos. It is the centerpiece of the city’s Official Seal as well as a symbol of hometown pride among locals.

The city has been home to a number of residents who changed the face of American history. President Zachary Taylor was reared in surrounding Jefferson County and Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was stationed at Camp Zachary Taylor during World War I, was frequent presence at the bar in the famous Seelbach Hotel, immortalized in the novel The Great Gatsby. Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, was born in Louisville and won six Golden Glove tournaments in Kentucky.

Bourbon’s influence Louisville is a city filled with spirited, free-thinking individuals who have an extraordinary passion for the one thing that makes us different than any place else: Bourbon. And no one is more famous for it than Louisville.

Yes, Bourbon is a spirit that comes in a glass, but it’s also a spirit that defines our culture and compassion, our arts and parks, our creative energy, not to mention our highly acclaimed culinary scene. The spirit of Bourbon has always been a strong part of who we are. And here in Louisville, Bourbon is also a spirit that lives in our minds and hearts, and shapes our way of life, every day.

It’s this same spirit that makes up Louisville itself - a city that combines heritage with innovation, authenticity with originality, quirkiness with friendliness in a way that’s completely unique to our region. So expect a warm, welcoming attitude of wanting to share both our city and our way of life with you. Welcome to Bourbon City.

Getting to Louisville The city is easy to get to considering it is within a day’s drive from half the U.S. population and is also serviced by Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) offering nearly 100 daily flights.

Louisville’s main highway arteries are Interstate 65, 64 and 71 with Southern Indiana motor accessibility via the Sherman Minton bridge, George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (also known as the Second Street Bridge) as well as the Abraham Lincoln Bridge (I-65 N), John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge (I-65 S) and the Lewis and Clark Bridge (also known as the East End Bridge). Big Four Bridge is the downtown pedestrian bridge between Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Stay in Louisville With more than 100 hotels and nearly 20,000 hotel rooms in the Louisville Metro area there is a bed for everyone. Louisville also has many short-term rentals such as Airbnb or VRBO as well.

Meet in Louisville This is one of the most exciting cities you’ll ever eat, drink, explore and meet in. Louisville has not one, but two convention centers including the downtown Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), which was expanded and renovated in 2018 and the Kentucky Exposition Center, the sixth largest center in the nation, sporting over 1.2 million square feet of space. Both of these centers are the first in Kentucky to earn the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program on cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention. Additionally, Louisville’s 22,000-seat downtown arena called the KFC Yum Center! is located on Whiskey Row, an eclectic dining and entertainment district.

Experience Bourbon Firsthand There are seven bourbon attractions within walking distance of the downtown convention center and more than 40 stops on to try on the Urban Bourbon Trail®, an elevated “pub crawl” which will have you sipping Kentucky’s finest at local establishments, each stocked with at least 60 different bourbons. Don’t forget to try Louisville’s official cocktail, the Old Fashioned.

Culinary Scene Louisville is home to over 2,500 independent restaurants, many born from Sullivan’s University’s renowned Culinary Arts program, serving up a variety of fare, from farm-to-table and modernist cuisine to country cooking and timeless regional food specialties. Louisville receives many culinary accolades annually, including one of the “South’s Best Food Cities” by Southern Living, one of “America’s Favorite Cities for Food” by Travel + Leisure and one of the “Top Local Food Scenes” by USA Today. Featured on Bravo’s Top Chef show’s 16th season, Louisville brings a lot to the table. And if you want to cook up local favorites at your own table, Louisville Tourism’s Bourbon & Biscuits hosts offer authentic Kentucky recipes and cocktail videos.

Attractions Authentic and iconic visitor experiences compliment the incredible unique attractions that Louisville has taken pride in for years, including the century-old Belle of Louisville, Churchill Downs – home of the Kentucky Derby, Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Mega Cavern – the world’s only location for underground zip-lining and mountain biking, Frederick L. Olmsted designed park system and many more

City of Parks Louisville Kentucky is known as the City of Parks for good reason. Louisville's park system is the last designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the 'Father of American Landscape Architecture,' and one of only five such systems across the country. Known nationally as the defining park system of his career, it stands today as one of his best-preserved works, reflecting the genius of Olmsted's vision.

Flagship Parks • Waterfront Park (Downtown) An 85-acre municipal park bordering Louisville’s downtown and the Ohio River. The park includes The Big Four® Bridge, a pedestrian bridge linking Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana over the river. Built as a railroad bridge in 1895, and decommissioned in the 1960s, the bridge opened to the public in February 2013 and averages more than 1.5 million visits per year.

• Cherokee Park (Willow Avenue and Cherokee Parkway) Designed by Olmsted, it is characterized by long winding roads opening to beautiful vistas and large open spaces set in the valley of Beargrass Creek.

• Iroquois Park (Southern Parkway & Taylor Boulevard) Noted by early park users as Louisville’s own “Yellowstone”, the Olmsted designs take advantage of the rugged terrain and the drama of the mature woodlands and scenic overlooks.

• Shawnee Park (Southwestern Parkway & Broadway) The Olmsted plan used the low-lying riverfront setting and topography of the land as inspiration for the park’s design. The two principal features of the park are the concourses that afford extensive views and the expansive Great Lawn.

• The Parklands of Floyds Fork (East) Known as ‘The Parklands’ this preservation includes four major parks across 4,000 acres which are linked by a park drive, a first-rate urban trail system and a remarkable water trail, all tracing Floyds Fork, a classic Kentucky stream.