Kentucky Derby Museum

This is almost a must do if you are in the Louisville area. It is one of the things that Louisville is notable for. If you don't know, it's one, if not the most important, horse races in the country. If that's your thing, this is a stop you have to make when you are here.I honestly came here on whim the day I visited and ended up being in the last group of the day. I don't know how I managed that, but I was fortunate enough to make my way here. When I entered I was informed at the tight timetable I would be sticking to and the highlights I should try to squeeze in before the actual tour started for the racetrack.I made my inside and zoomed through the exhibit areas and hit the highlights. There is a lot to see here, so I would suggest not putzing around like I did for the day and make the time to see as much as you can and take it all in. I started by entering the museum through the gates. This museum takes you through the history of the derby as a whole. There are exhibits dedicated to the horse, jockey's, track, and overall horseracing. Make sure to look everyway that you can, use the map to get yourself to an exhibit area. There are many areas in here where you can have a photo op and capture a moment for yourself. I actually had the opportunity here to speak with a fellow visitor. I came to one of the areas where you can take a photo and asked if she wanted me to take a photo for her. She was so pleased by this and we got to chatting and exchanged stories about our travel. She was so nice and gave me tips on what and how to see places. I am so glad I passed paths with her.Once we say the lights dim like an intermission, that meant to go to the area where everyone meets before the outside tour starts. Here you are treated to a video presentation that is a 360 viewing experience. It makes you feel like you are in the middle of the racetrack and if you are lucky enough to have a seat, use your seat to rotate with the show.Once the show ends, you will be directed to follow a tour guide and be taken outside to tour the grounds. I'll explain more of that in my next review. Outside the building you get a better view of the building that holds the museum before going further.

I totally recommend visiting this museum when visiting Louisville, KY.It's a grand place and there's so much to do. Our general admission came with a video and tour of the tracks. This was an amazing place and our tour guide Douglas was fantastic and gave us a wonderful history of the Downs. Great prices only $20 per adult.And you must get a mint julep in the cafeteria that comes with a free souvenir glass. Great place.

A must see for horse racing fans when in Louisville. You can book your tickets online or in person with free parking around Churchill Downs. Upon entering, check in was a breeze and was griven an itinerary with a map upon arrival. Got to see a short film as well as a complimentary tour to the tracks of the race course. There was so many historic trophies and memorabilia. It has something for all ages and interests with an interactive video game for the children and fashion exhibits for the casual fans..the Kentucky Derby Museum is a great experience overall and worth the price of admission, which is a fair price. Probably takes 2-3 hours to explore the entire museum. Check it out!

Great place for any horse lover! Two parts to see here, 1. the museum, 2. The track and tour. Various artifacts and historical pieces to see in the museum. Well laid out and well organized! Free track tours are available throughout the day. Starting point is the theater room where an awesome movie is played. A must stop spot!

While I have no interest in sports or horse racing, a visit to Louisville is not complete without a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum. I had very basic knowledge (ie. nearly none) of the Kentucky Derby and there is so much I learned during my visit, which included a 15 minute movie and a 25 minute tour of the Churchill Downs track (we were lucky enough to see a few horses being exercised, as well as a retired horse at the stable).Inside there were various exhibits about all aspects of horse racing and the Kentucky Derby -- exhibits about jockeys, horseshoes, the winners over the years, and so much more. And of course there was an exhibit about Secretariat, the greatest racehorse in history. (Fun fact: a racehorse's heart weighs about 10 pounds; Secretariat's weighed a whopping 22 pounds, which is what gave him such an advantage over other horses.) A fascinating museum, even if you're not interested in horse racing. Tip: if you're going to buy something from the gift shop, check in on Yelp for 10% off your purchase. I splurged and bought a fascinator (which was not cheap!) so the discount was much appreciated.[Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023; Museums and Art Galleries]

When in KY, you go learn a bit about the Derby lol! Seriously, my friend knew a bit about the derby and recommended coming here while we were in town. I know nothing about the derby or horse racing but am up for an adventure so we went. By the time we left I felt educated and fulfilled in a good way. It was a Saturday but very low key. No big crowds while we were there. There are a few options - we chose the $20 museum and general tour. It was worth the $$$! You start by watching and 18 min video on the Derby and what a day at the derby looks like. The video is shown on a 360 degree screen that is very cool. I really enjoyed the movie! Then you go on the general tour with your guide who narrates. You get to do down to the track, walk through the inner race area and learn a lot about the racing and the derby. Our guide was EXCELLENT! He encouraged a lot of questions, shared facts and a few stories and got us down to the track area in time to see a race go by! I loved that! Also, that is not a "given" like you may think... races only happen every 28 minutes, the tour was about 20 minutes so he did some planning on that. Following the tour we toured the museum on our own. There is A LOT to see and learn in the museum. There are 2 levels and areas covering everything from horses, jockeys, history, clothing, betting, caretakers, etc. If it has ANYTHING to do with horse racing, they have a section on it lol. They also included a section on the building as well. I really liked that they had interactive stations, reading stations, video stations, etc. So no matter how you like to engage there is something for everyone. If you are in Louisville, you must stop here and take the quick tour! It's worth the money (and if you follow my reviews, you know I'm frugal lol).

So many of us enjoyed the free day of admission offered at the Kentucky Derby Museum on Wednesday, December 6th, marking the 150 days until the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. I hope similar events are offered in the future, especially to local "act like a tourist in your hometown" patrons. I had not visited the Museum in several years and reside in Indiana, and this event prompted me and several friends to check it out. I'm so glad I did because I had not realized how much the Museum had changed with so many high quality exhibits and tour options. I now plan to return during the upcoming holiday season to treat some out of town guests. I want them to get a sampling of what the Derby is all about and potentially entice some to return in May for the big event. I was especially impressed with the 360 degree movie The Greatest Race, which was absolutely spectacular. The rotating stools and entire presentation was amazing and an incomparable experience. I could have left the Museum following just that viewing and felt fairly educated as to why the Derby is considered to be such a big deal. However, I then wandered around the first floor and viewed so many interesting exhibits, but I have to admit I probably saw less than half of what was on display due to only having 2 hours to enjoy it. I didn't even get to visit the second floor due to being limited on time, so I plan to return and explore at my leisure. I also received a brief trackside tour during my visit and our guide was terrific. She even sang a portion of My Old Kentucky Home, which was fantastic. We saw the dirt track, the rail, and the bleachers up close. We saw the twin spires, turf track, finish line, quarter mile posts, winner's circle, and bugler's pagoda within view and for many photo ops. I was in a tour group of approximately 30 people and only 3 of us were local, some having traveled quite a distance, which made an impression on me as to how well known the Derby is and that I take it a bit for granted due to it being in my backyard. If anyone from the Museum reads this -- thank you for offering this event. I enjoyed the samples of Derby Pie and adult beverages, brochures, hat purveyors, and interaction with the docent presenting several historical items for closer personal viewing. I am also including several pictures from my brief visit, but I wanted to explain that several include the current expansion construction project going on at Churchill Downs. So, there are the expected growing pains with parking and detours and noise, but still worthy of a visit nonetheless.

This museum is totally worth going to visit with all the history at the longest running sport in our nation since 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was done here at Churchill Downs. The tour guide gave an excellent oration of so much history of thoroughbreds, Churchill Downs, and even some of Louisville. Highly recommend this tour if you get the chance when in Louisville.

We did the general admission ticket so we could see the Churchill Downs track. They show you a very impressive movie in the hall before you go see the track. The movie is 20 minutes long. Great experience overall! The track is huge and must see. It's currently as I write this under construction outside in the front. They are redoing the Paddock area. It will be done next year for the Kentucky Derby and from the photo they have out it's going to be beautiful. The staff is awesome and very intelligent on the history of the grounds. Quite the learning experience.

Visiting a friend that has lived in Kentucky all her life and she has never visited the Museum. Coming from California I was excited to actually visit the place where Secretariat won. We love the movie and the inspiring story.Reservations made and paid for online a week prior to our visit. Parking is free in the lot right next to Churchill Downs and there's a 2 minute walk to the Museum entrance.We were nicely welcomed and given a map then pointed in the direction of the theater. The tour begins with a 20 minute amazing video. Our docent then gathered us up and led us out to the area where she began with the history of the derby which was very interesting and entertaining. She answered the couple of questions from guests and then led us to the track for more information. Wow! We were right on the track where the derby is run. So cool. After this talk we were invited to visit the two horses in the barn, the gift shop, the cafe, and then of course the museum.