Louisville: our old Kentucky home in 2005.Louisville's (say "Luh-vul" and you'll sound like a native) is Kentucky's largest city, the United States 16th largest city and "The Gateway to the South." Southern hospitality is the hallmark from downtown's elegant grand hotels to the cozy bed & breakfasts found along the tree-lined streets of historic neighborhoods. Visitors are warmly welcomed in over 2,500 restaurants serving international, as well as Kentucky's regional, cuisines. ********** Along the Ohio River [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Louisville's location is a result of geography. When George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was a soldier from Virginia and the preeminent American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. brought settlers down river in 1778, their boats were blocked by the Falls of the Ohio. You can visit this limestone outcropping by crossing the 1-65 bridge north into Indiana. At the Falls, you'll find the largest exposed Devonian fossil bed in the world and an interpretive center that will help you identify the mineralized min·er·al·ize v. min·er·al·ized, min·er·al·iz·ing, min·er·al·iz·es v.tr. 1. To convert to a mineral substance; petrify. 2. To transform a metal into a mineral by oxidation. 3. life forms you'll see in the rocks. Watch the barge traffic from the overlook at the McAlpine Lock & Dam. Nearby is the Portland Museum, showcasing the city's river heritage including newsreels of the 1937 flood and a light and sound show. The mechanical mascot of the city, the historic Belle of Louisville The Belle of Louisville is a steamboat owned and operated by the city of Louisville, Kentucky and moored at its downtown wharf next to the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere during its annual operational period. is one of the last authentic sternwheelers in the country. You'll be cruising the river on a National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, site, structure, or object, almost always within the United States, officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. . Waterfront Park stretches along the river downtown. It is a family recreation area with a playground, water feature and great lawn, as well as seasonal special events and concerts. Wheel Fun Rentals by Bike Louisville is located on the Waterfront's Festival Plaza and offers three and six passenger surreys, mountain bikes, kid bikes and tandems. Experience buffet dining, entertainment and dancing, while cruising the Ohio River after dark on the 130-foot Star of Louisville ship, that docks nearby. West Main Street Only New York City's SoHo district has more 19th-century cast-iron storefronts than this historic street a block south of the river. It's easy to find. Just look for the six-story tall baseball bat leaning against the wall of the Louisville Slugger Museum The Louisville Slugger Museum, a museum located in Louisville, Kentucky's "Museum Row" in the West Main District of downtown, showcases the history of the at the corner of 8th and Main. Exhibits at the interactive museum honoring baseball's greatest hitters include a walk through an underground locker room into a full-size dugout and a virtual home plate where you can try your skill against a fastball. There's a large collection of custom-made Sluggers signed by the stars who used them, including Ruth, Mantle, Mays and DiMaggio. After a walk through a replica Northern White Ash forest, take a guided tour of the plant to see how wood bats are turned for today's major league players. The Louisville Science Center The Louisville Science Center, previously known as the Louisville Museum of Natural History & Science, is Kentucky's largest hands-on science museum. Located in Louisville, Kentucky's "Museum Row" in the West Main District of downtown, the museum operates as a non-profit features a four-story IMAX IMAX Noun a film projection process that produces an image ten times larger than standard [R] Theatre. Experience nearly 40,000 square feet of hands-on science exhibits about space exploration, river habitats and the human body. You'll see examples of Kentucky's rich artistic tradition, including many available for purchase, at the Kentucky Museum of Arts + Design in its new facility at 715 West Main Street. The Kentucky Center is the performing home for the Louisville Orchestra, the Louisville Ballet, the Kentucky Opera and Stage One: The Louisville Children's Theatre as well as the city's largest venue for traveling Broadway shows. The building houses an impressive collection of modern sculpture, too. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1837 building at 316 W Main is home to Tony award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville is a performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1964, in part by Ken Jenkins of Scrubs fame, and was designated the "State Theater of Kentucky" in 1974. It is run as a non-profit organization. and the internationally recognized Humana Festival of New American Plays Humana Festival of New American Plays is an internationally renowned festival that celebrates the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, this prestigious event showcases new theatrical works and draws producers, . Actors' season runs year round. For art in a different form, explore Glassworks glass·work n. 1. a. The manufacture of glassware or glass. b. The cutting and fitting of glass panes; glaziery. 2. See glassware. 3. glassworks (used with a sing. , featuring hot glass, flame-working and cold glass studios where artists create their delicate crafts. The first Friday of every month, more than 20 downtown galleries host artist openings, serve refreshments and keep late hours. Hop on a free TARC trolley and take a ride along the Main and Market Street corridors to visit Louisville's historic architecture, diverse heritage, and concentrated area of painting, sculpture, photography and glass art. Old Louisville At the conclusion of the 1883-87 Southern Exposition, the grid resulting from the fair was followed in the construction of a grand new neighborhood of elegant mansions centered around Saint James and Belgravia Courts. Pick up a walking tour brochure, which identifies the Gothic, Italianate and Victorian homes in Central Park at 4th & Magnolia. The neighborhood makes a perfect backdrop for the 3-day St. James Art Court Art Show featuring fine arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. from 700 artists, the first full weekend in October. In summer, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, commonly called Shakespeare in the Park, is a cultural event which features free Shakespeare performances every summer in Central Park in Old Louisville (in Louisville, Kentucky). presents its season of free plays in Central Park. To get an idea of the 19th-century lifestyle, tour the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum on the corner of St. James Court. This 1895 Richardsonian-Romanesque mansion features a hand-carved stone exterior. Even more grand is the nearby 1900 Ferguson Mansion, now home to the Filson Historical Society. (Its carriage house is larger than most modern homes.) Inside you'll find an exceptional genealogy library and free museum collections. There's more history at the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that describes its purpose as "maintaining and extending the institutions of American Museum, which proudly displays a flag from the War of 1812 among its collection. The Speed Art Museum displays 5,000 works ranging from ancient to contemporary and spanning 6,000 years of history. Masters such as Rubens, Monet, Rembrandt and Picasso are featured (502-634-2700). While at the Speed, be sure to see the Art Sparks Interactive Gallery, the region's only hands-on art display designed to capture the interest of a budding young art lover. The Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium, located on the University of Louisville See also
1. ^ [1] 2. ^ [2] URL accessed on June 8 2006 3. Belknap Campus, with its 160 theater-style, unidirectional seats, and tilted dome visually thrusts viewers into the simulated starfield. Shows Tuesday through Sunday. Broadway Area The Louisville Palace offers a variety of live shows. It first opened in 1928 as an opulent vaudeville house. The lobby features 100 faces carved in the ceiling; the stunning auditorium is designed as an Italian villa courtyard with flora, fauna and hundreds of "stars" twinkling in an inky blue ceiling. Be sure to see the Margaret Parshall Gallery of Embroiderer's Guild of America The Embroiderer's Guild of America, headquartered at 426 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, Kentucky,[1] is an organization dedicated to "fostering the art of needlework and associated arts. , housing a beautiful display of finished needlework. It's located on the ground floor of the historic Camberley Brown Hotel at 4th and Broadway. The Seelbach Hilton Hotel appears on the National Register of Historic Places This article is about the U.S. Register. For the National Register of Historic Places in Canada see Canadian Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places , and has attracted many famous figures--from eight U.S. presidents to Al Capone. Step back in time to Louisville's opulent Gilded Age on a tour of the 1868 Brennan House and downtown's only historic residence. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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