Race to the Kentucky Derby Museum at Historic Churchill Downs

Did you know that the Kentucky Derby is the longest running sporting event in U.S. history? It began in 1875 and continues to be the “Most exciting two minutes in sports.” This year (2022) marks the 148th annual event. The Kentucky Derby is well known for flamboyant hats, mint juleps and winners like Secretariat and War Horse. And although the famous race is only held once a year – the first Saturday in May – visitors can get a taste for the race at the Kentucky Derby Museum, located on the grounds of historic Churchill Downs in Louisville.

During our trip to Louisville, my son and I explored the museum and learned more about horse racing in our 90-minute visit. We felt a little like outsiders on the tour of Churchill Downs, seven-year-old kids seemed to know more about horse racing than we did. But we were glad we ventured out of downtown Louisville to catch a taste of this iconic piece of American history.

If you’re in Louisville, a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum is a must. Here are a few tips to help you plan your visit and know what to expect.

COVID-19 UPDATE: According to the museum website, unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to wear a mask.

Tickets, Events and Parking

Like many other museums, I recommend booking your tickets online in advance of your visit. This will allow you more say in your itinerary. General Admission tickets include access to the two-story museum, a viewing of the 360-degree film “The Greatest Race” and the 30-minute Historic Walking Tour. Admission times are on the bottom of the hour from open to close (i.e., Monday 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, etc.).

When you select your admission time, you can show up a little before that time so you can check in at the front desk and visit some of the museum before your film viewing time and guided Historic Walking Tour. We’re glad our tour time was in the morning, because at the track we were able to see some horses warming up for the races scheduled for later that day.

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We learned there were some horse races happening at Churchill Downs later that morning, and we probably should’ve hung out and watched a couple. But we didn’t know about it and hadn’t built room in our itinerary for the day. Check out Churchill Downs webpage to see if there will be horse races happening the day of your visit.

What the best way to get to the Kentucky Derby Museum? We used Uber to get to the museum. But there’s free parking on-site if you have your own vehicle. On non-live racing days at Churchill Downs, museum visitors can park in the Red, White, & Black lots off Taylor Boulevard and Central Avenue in front of the Museum. On live racing dates, visitors can park in Black, Green, Orange, Yellow, & Turquoise lots off Taylor Boulevard and Central Avenue in front of the Museum.

The Historic Walking Tour at Churchill Downs

Knowing very little about horse racing made the tour of Churchill Downs even more enlightening. For example, did you know that all horses born in a given year are assigned January 1 as their birthday? And only horses who are three years old can race in the Kentucky Derby? So they only get one shot at winning the race, and there are no repeats.

The tour begins in the museum and makes it way over to historic Churchill Downs. While there, our tour went straight to the track so we could catch some glimpses of the horses warming up for the day. While it wasn’t the same excitement as what I think a day at an actual horse race would be, I thought it was pretty cool. From there, the tour takes you through the property so you can see the list of annual winners. We also learned some pretty cool facts about some of the horses and had a good laugh at some of the winning horses’ names: Regret (1915), Behave Yourself (1921), Citation (1948) and Foolish Pleasure (1975).

The tour strolls past the area where the horses are put on display prior to a race so patrons can contemplate where to place their bets. Our tour guide was great and made the tour fun and interesting. The tour ends at the same place it started, so you can continue touring the museum.

Learn about the other tours available at the Kentucky Derby Museum.

The First Floor of the Kentucky Derby Museum

After watching the 18-minute, 360-degree film, The Greatest Race, and taking the Historic Walking Tour, you can now wander freely throughout the museum. There are several exhibits worth checking out, many of which are interactive or photo-worthy. Two exhibits stood out most to us.

PLACE YOUR BETS: Head to the betting windows of the exhibit and look at the roster for the next race. Place a fictitious $2 on who you think will win. When the race begins, watch the screen and cheer on your choice. When the race is complete, scan your ticket to see how much you won. I paid $6 (picking the winner, runner up and third place) and won a little over $18. Not too shabby. However, it was fictitious money – my favorite way to place a bet. 😉

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The other exhibit placed my son and I in a head-to-head race for bragging rights. Pick your horse and then use the controls to guide your horse to victory. Unfortunately, I did not win bragging rights. Maybe my son has a future as a jockey. Haha!

Some of the other exhibits on the first floor include fashion (the hats are always amazing), black heritage, Triple Crown winners and the history of Churchill Downs. Don’t rush through the exhibits. There are some really cool facts and background on horse racing at the Kentucky Derby.

Exhibits on the Museum’s Second Floor

The second floor of the museum seems to be less about the Kentucky Derby and more about horse racing. Learn more about the jockeys, trainers, owners, breeders, horseshoers, and more.

I’ve always heard jockeys were small. But I didn’t realize they were Bill Showmaker small. After reading about him in his career as a jockey, stand next to a display to compare your height to his. Not all jockeys are that small, but it’s interesting to make the comparison. You can also stand in a curved screen area to get a view of what the jockeys see as they race around the track. Of course, if they’re not in first place, they’re likely looking at the back-end of a horse. Haha.

The Horseshoe Hall of Fame was interesting. I didn’t know there were so many different types of horseshoes. But since humans have so many different types of shoes, too, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

As mentioned earlier, a horse can only race in the Kentucky Derby at the age of three. After that, they have many more years ahead of them, but it may not necessarily be on the racing circuit. I was glad to see there are places and programs to help the horses transition from a life of racing to other “professions”. They are magnificent animals.

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Another exhibit shared the stories from female jockeys. They play an important role in horse racing as well; however, they had to fight for their right to participate in the sport they loved on the level of a Kentucky Derby. The exhibit captures oral histories from some of the most notable women in this pioneering fight. It’s worth taking the time to learn about their dedication to the sport.

Back to the First Floor to Test Your Knowledge

Finally, after taking the tour, watching the film and wandering the museum, you can test your knowledge at the Derby IQ exhibit on the first floor. It’s tucked behind the theater near Derby Traditions. Three people can go head-to-head in their knowledge. My son smoked me around the track as he recalled all the facts and figures he had learned on the tour. I’m glad my son is smarter than me.

The Details:

Address: 704 Central Avenue, Louisville, KY 40208

Cost: $16 for adults (15-64); $14 for seniors (65+); $10 for children (ages 5-14) and children under 5 are free.

Hours: The museum is open Monday – Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Derby weekend, along with Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Website: https://www.derbymuseum.org/

Phone: (502) 637-1111

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