Whether you’re a lifelong Louisvillian longing to embrace your inner tourist, or you have a limited amount of time in Derby City, here are 20+ tours guaranteed to show you the sights you want to see.
Note: Price estimates are based on individual adult rates available at the time of publishing. Check each company’s website to see current pricing.
Top Tours
Barn and Backside Tour | $50 per person | April-November
Hop in a van and ride through the community of caretakers that live behind Churchill Downs + see horses they care for in action on the track and the famous green-roofed barns.
Bat Factory Tour | $0-$22 per person
Included in your admission to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, this guided tour takes you into the plant where Louisville Slugger baseball bats are made to see the production process from tree to swing + leave with your very own mini-bat.
Trolley City Tour | $30 per person | April-December
Board an old-time trolley car at the historic Galt House Hotel downtown and enjoy a narrated tour of Derby City’s history, architecture, and culture.
The Secrets and Scandals of Old Louisville | $65 per person
Walk through the largest contiguous collection of Victorian Mansions in the US and hear tales of the people who lived in them, making stops at famous sites like the Conrad-Caldwell House and Witches’ Tree.
Belle of Louisville Riverboats | Prices vary | April-December
Choose your own steamboat adventure via 5+ different cruises, including dining voyages and kids trips, on either the Belle of Louisville or the Mary M. Miller.
Eat and drink
NuLu Food & History Walking Tour | $94-$159 per person
Take a bite out of Louisville history on this three-hour tour that makes six stops throughout the East Market Street district and includes a taste of Louisville’s iconic foods like bourbon balls, fried chicken, and the Modjeska.
The Highlands Food & History Walking Tour | $94-$159 per person
See colorful murals and Victorian homes in between five stops to taste local specialties including the Hot Brown and bourbon.
All-Inclusive Craft Beer Experience | $55-$75 per person
Shuttle between three different local breweries and try a flight of four beers at each stop.
Boozy Brunch & Bourbon Adventure | $179 per person
Start your tourist day with a meal at one of Louisville’s classic breakfast spots, The Cafe, before heading to Bourbon Country for a tour + tasting at Kentucky Artisan and Bulleit distilleries.
All in on history
Oxmoor Farm | $0-$12 per person
Choose between one of eight offered tours that explore the history of this estate — from learning about the enslaved people that lived there to the architecture of the farmhouses and manor on the property.
Locust Grove | $0-12 per person
Learn about the lives of the Croghan and Clark families that lived in the Georgian-style house on this farm during this docent-led tour.
Whitehall House | $0-$10 person
A guide will lead you through this two-story, Italianate-style mansion that was built in 1855 to see its ornate rooms with many kinds of wallpaper and fine art.
Art is all around
NuLu Mural Tour | $7 suggested tip
Download this local artist’s illustrated map of nine murals with notes on each + scavenger hunt and walk at your own pace to view them.
The Little Loom House | $5-$10 per person
Get hands-on learning of past and current weaving practices at this historic site where founder Lou Tate lived and where the Hill sisters wrote the “Happy Birthday to You” song.
Get ghosted
Glitter Ball City Walking Tour | $90 per person
Join author David Dominé for a drink at an antique store before a 150-minute walk through Old Louisville to see some of the houses featured in his true-crime memoir “A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City” about a recent murder in a mansion and the decades of secrets and corruption before it.
Phantoms of Prohibition | $139-$159 per person
Sit in a booth at Patrick O’Shea’s where many have seen a resident ghost + hear other haunting stories as you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row — including Al Capone’s secret getaway.
Waverly Hills Paranormal Tours | $30 per person
If you’ve got the guts, book this after-hours experience in a former tuberculosis hospital pegged as one of America’s most haunted places.
What did we miss? If you know a tour that’s not on the list, guide us in the right direction using this survey.
