I Live in Louisville, Kentucky, Here’s the One Day Tour I’d Book to Get to Know My City

With world-class horse racing, bourbon, and baseball bats, it is no wonder people like visiting my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. As a local, however, I'm confident there's much more to see and do while visiting Derby City. Louisville has excellent museums, parks, neighborhoods, and restaurants. If I only had time for one tour to get to know Louisville, Kentucky, I'd choose the Old Louisville Walking Tour hosted by Louisville Historic Tours.

The Old Louisville Walking Tour is only 1.5 hours long but packed with fun, history, and architecture. Louisville Historical Tours is owned by David Dominé, the author of several books about Old Louisville, including A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City: Murder, Secrets, and Scandal in Old Louisville and Ghosts of Old Louisville: True Stories of Hauntings in America's Largest Victorian Neighborhood. The New York Times included Louisville Historic Tours in its 2016 article "36 Hours in Louisville." Old Louisville is a stunning neighborhood with over one thousand buildings in 40 blocks, including gorgeous Victorian-era homes. Led by a certified guide, walkers learn about Louisville's history while seeing these magnificent buildings. 

The tour starts at the corner of West Ormsby Avenue and South 4th Street near a "Welcome to Old Louisville" sign and ends in the same location. The tour includes The Witches' Tree, once the gathering spot for local witches to cast spells and plan their revenge. Now, the wooden landmark is a fascinating attraction. 

The tour also highlights the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum on St. James Court. Louisville architect Arthur Loomis built the stately Victorian home in 1895. The Old Louisville Walking Tour includes the exterior of the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum but does not go inside. The museum hosts guided and self-guided tours if visitors wish to see the home's interior. The Bernheim Mansion Bed and Breakfast, a Richardsonian Romanesque mansion, is another tour stop. The house is in an area known as Millionaire's Row and features a gorgeous porch with a triple Roman arch. 

Other trip highlights include the Filson Historical Society and Central Park. The Filson Historical Society is located in the Ferguson Mansion, a 1905 home once touted as the city's most opulent. The Filson Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. Its collections include "Kentucky Unsettled: The Erasure of Native Homeland" and "Bustles to Blue Jeans: Highlights from the Filson's Fashion Archive." Central Park is a stunning 17-acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the famous landscape architect who also designed New York City's Central Park. It has an amphitheater, tennis courts, a playground, walking paths, and more.

The Old Louisville Walking Tour is wheelchair and stroller accessible, and it is recommended that attendees have a moderate physical fitness level to attend. Participants should also be able to walk for 90 minutes without a restroom break. Tours are limited to 20 people. 

For more details and availability, visit the Old Louisville Walking Tour's listing on Viator. 

You'll likely want a delicious meal after experiencing a piece of old Kentucky. 610 Magnolia is one of the state's incredible candlelit restaurants perfect for a cozy night out. Owned by Chef Edward Lee, the restaurant serves a seasonal tasting menu. Reservations are required. Other fantastic Old Louisville restaurants include Porch Kitchen and Bar and The Granville Pub.