What’s Hidden Underground In This Luxury Hotel In Kentucky Is Unexpected But Awesome

The history in the Bluegrass State is quite colorful, from bourbon to horse racing, to the underground scene during prohibition. Most port towns have some interesting tales to tell from that era, and Louisville is no different. One such place with some renowned stories to tell is the famed Seelbach Hotel at 500 S 4^th Street, which was immortalized in the Great Gatsby. The Seelbach is one of the greatest hidden underground secrets in Kentucky… Why?

Most people don’t expect a hidden underground den of sin in a luxury hotel, but all towns have their secrets. Only the most renowned had underground secrets in Kentucky that made the record books, and fewer made a novel, like “Great Gatsby.” Some say Newport is the original Sin City, but the history of Louisville may dispute that title.

The history of the Seelbach, right down to Al Capone and illegal card games:

The Great Gatsby at the Seelbach:

The Seelbach today:

Tour the secret passages under the Seelbach:

Matt Capriglione

Ed Devereoux

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That was the name of the renowned speakeasy in the Seelbach basement. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Al Capone, and the famed bootlegger, George Remus. Fitzgerald’s novel, "The Great Gatsby" was based on some of the people and adventures that took place in the Seelbach Hotel around a century ago.

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The owner had pieces shipped in from all around the world. Ornate carvings, paintings, mosaics and pelican accents, each had a meaning to the Seelbach’s own past. Many of the old world depictions came from Germany, from his life prior to the Seelbach Hotel.

The Seelbach isn’t just a 4 diamond hotel; it conceals the entrance to one of the greatest hidden underground secrets in Kentucky. This was the place for gangsters, like Al Capone, to come and enjoy late night card games and illegal activities. This isn’t the only underground secret in the state. You can read about more of Kentucky’s underground world here.