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Churchill Downs, Louisville

4.5
#1 of 91 in Fun & Games in Kentucky
Casino · Horse Track
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The thoroughbred racetrack Churchill Downs is famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby. This arena, which opened in 1875 and can hold up to 120,000 people, has also hosted the Breeder's Cup eight times and features live racing on weekends. This site is home to the Kentucky Derby Museum, where you can learn about the arena, horse racing, and even watch the film "The Greatest Race" in a 360-degree movie theater. Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to Churchill Downs by using our Louisville online holiday planner.
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Churchill Downs reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
3,768 reviews
Google
4.6
TripAdvisor
  • This is definitely a can’t miss! Even with the construction, it’s still a great tour. Museum is very well done. Derby Cafe is yummy. My teen boys who aren’t even in the horse racing enjoyed being....  more
    This is definitely a can’t miss! Even with the construction, it’s still a great tour. Museum is very well done. Derby Cafe is yummy. My teen boys who aren’t even in the horse racing enjoyed being....  more »
  • The museum and basic tour is great, but the full behind the scenes is the way to go. Even if you are not a derby fan, this tour will have you buying a hat and wanting a mint julep. 
    The museum and basic tour is great, but the full behind the scenes is the way to go. Even if you are not a derby fan, this tour will have you buying a hat and wanting a mint julep.  more »
Google
  • We paid $17 each for a 30 minute tour of the grounds as well as entrance to the museum. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and encouraged us often to ask questions. As a childhood fan with very little knowledge of the history race, I was amazed with the history our tour guide was able to share in just the 30 minutes we were there. If you know more than me, you might ask questions and be pleasantly surprised to hear her explain Churchill Downs trivia. Since it was only a 30 minute tour, we didn't go far from the museum, but we did get to see the track and the winners circle under the twin towers! The museum is quite large and holds of a lot of interesting facts as well as interactive and informative games for some of the younger (or young at heart) crowd. 10/10, must visit!
  • One of the coolest things I've ever done! If you have the chance, visit Churchill Downs. It's an experience you'll never forget! When we visited, they had a bunch of food trucks in the vicinity. It was neat because you could walk around to a couple of food trucks, purchase some drinks, dance to the live music, and then go watch the horse races. We just sat in a general admission area which worked out perfect because we were there during the week when it wasn't crazy busy. Overall, we had an absolute blast!

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