Welcome to the Center for Heritage Tourism in Historic Louisville, Kentucky.
The information center for visitors and small conventions

Louisville, Kentucky is a city full of historic architecture and neighborhoods dating from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, as yet undiscovered by Heritage Tourists. But that is changing. Whether you are on vacation, or just traveling through, Historic Louisville offers a tremendous number of sites, activities and events to keep you busy for a couple of hours or a couple of weeks. And if you are looking for a place to hold a conference, small convention, or reunion, just imagine meeting in an historic mansion in the heart of a beautiful historic district.

In Louisville you can browse through the largest contiguous collection of Victorian Homes in the United States. There are over 14,000 houses in Louisville's Landmarks Districts ranging from a simple three room shotgun house to the 12,000 square foot mansion.. And some of them, like the Thomas Edison House, the Brennan House, the Conrad / Caldwell House, and others, are open for tours.

Stroll along West Main Street among the brick, limestone, brownstone and cast iron architecture of the mid to late 1800s. Here you will find blocks of restored, and not yet restored, four, five and six story buildings in an interesting "Main Street" atmosphere. But don't stop there. Driving Main and Market streets, you will discover a hundred more such buildings. Louisville is home to the second largest collection of Cast Iron Architecture in the nation.

If you happen to be in Louisville the first Friday of the month, join the Gallery Hop. Hop the free trolley after 5 P.M. and see the architecture of Main and Market Streets, shop the Art Zone, dine in great restaurants, and finish in the entertainment zone - Fourth Street Live.

The last Friday of the month is FAT Friday. Hop the Frankfort Avenue Trolley and explore the architecture, shopping and dining of Frankfort Avenue, Mellwood Avenue and Story Avenue, one of Louisville's most eclectic shopping areas.

The best way to experience a Victorian Neighborhood is to do what the Victorians did. Take a walk. Or perhaps, until you can get here in person, a virtual walk.




The Historic Neighborhoods of Old Louisville, Cherokee Triangle, Crescent Hill, and others, offer nearly two hundred square blocks of late 1800s to early 1900s homes, some modest and some mansions, and some on walking courts that can only be seen on foot.

If you chose to visit in April, be prepared for the world's largest fireworks display as Thunder Over Louisville kicks off two weeks of pre Kentucky Derby festivities, culminating in the Run for The Roses on the first Saturday in May. Every bit as exciting as the Derby is the day before when the Fillies run for the Lilies at the Kentucky Oaks.


If you visit in the spring and summer, there are garden tours throughout the city. Check out our calendar. As soon as we know who is doing what, where and when, we'll let you know.











The first weekend in October Historic Old Louisville goes absolutely crazy with the St. James Court Art Show, the top rated outdoor art show in the nation.



As the year winds down, the city comes alive with historic house tours, showcasing some of the most beautiful historic architecture in the city. Check with our calendar. As soon as the information is available, we will post it for you along with links to ticket sales and any "packages" that may be available through our B&B establishments or restaurants.

This year you are in for a special treat as the Great-Great Grandson of Charles Dickens performs "A Christmas Carol". Check the Calendar for more information.


If the weather isn't particularly right for today's outdoor activities, don't be dismayed. You can spend days wandering through numerous Historic House Museums, the Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, the Speed Art Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Frazier Historical Arms Museum and the Muhammad Ali Center, to mention just a few.


Where to stay while in Louisville? You might consider one of our historic hotels in the heart of downtown, or perhaps you prefer to be right in the center of an Historic District. Then one of our fabulous Bed & Breakfast establishments would be more to your liking. If you are planning on attending one of our special events like the St. James Court Art Show, the Old Louisville Holiday House Tour, or the Kentucky Derby, make your B&B reservations early!


Where to eat? Do you prefer five star dining? Try 610 Magnolia in Historic Old Louisville, if you can get a reservation. If only four stars will do, you might try Buck's in the Mayflower Hotel on West Ormsby. Reservations are not required, but not a bad idea. Perhaps the number of stars means less than finding the secret places the locals know about. Or maybe pizza or pub grub fits the bill. I think we can help you with all of these. You can eat a different meal in a different restaurant every day for a month and still not see them all.


As our name indicates, we try to focus on the needs of the Heritage Tourist: Where to go, what to see, what activities are planned, where to stay, where to eat, where to shop. If your interest is Historic Architecture, Heritage and having a good time, we'll do our best to help you find it in Historic Louisville, Kentucky.

Just a note: As you might expect with a city the size of Louisville, things are constantly changing, and so are we as we try to keep up. So check back occasionally and check out the calendar frequently. If there is something special you would like to see or if you have a question, comment or suggestion, don't hesitate to e-mail us. We really do want to hear from you.

Have a good time and Welcome to Historic Louisville, Kentucky.

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