Churchill Downs, and the Kentucky Derby, is an iconic American experience. While the actual Kentucky Derby is only once a year, you can visit Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum year-round.
Even if you don’t like horse racing or gambling, it’s worth getting a ticket to the museum while visiting Louisville. Tickets can be purchased online in advance. Don’t make our mistake and wait until the day you want to go; many tour times sell out far in advance. Luckily, we were able to grab two tickets to the last tour of the day. It was three days before the 2024 Derby, so it was also the last tour of the week.
The ticket includes entry to the Kentucky Derby Museum, a viewing of The Greatest Race (an 18-minute video on a 360 degree screen), access to the gift shop, and cafe. They also offer guided tours around the stands and down by the racetrack.
We did a self-guided tour around the museum. I’m not big on horse racing but it was interesting to learn about the history. My grandma loved horses, and Secretariat was one of her favorite movies, so I enjoyed learning more about the history.
We also got the last tour outside. We were taken into the stands and were lucky enough to catch a race. It was a qualifying race for one of the smaller Kentucky Derby races, and it was actually quite exciting!
Learning all the history and seeing the track was worth the $20 admission. For the big Kentucky Derby fans, they also have additional, in-depth tours available.