historic tours louisville

GUIDED TOURS

Enjoy a 60-minute guided Historic Walking Tour through Old Louisville! Stroll through the heart of the largest contiguous collection of Victorian mansions in the United States, and learn more about our rich cultural heritage.

PAST TURNED PRESENT...

Led by a knowledgeable guide, our one-hour walking tours showcase the highlights of the Old Louisville Victorian mansion district. Walking Tours are currently offered Tuesday-Saturday at 11 am and 1:30 pm.

GUIDED WALKING TOUR

OTHER SEASONAL EVENTS

All walking tours depart from the historic old louisville visitors center 1340 s 4th street inside central park..

Guided historic walking tours are offered

April-December

Tuesday-Saturday

 11 am and 1:30 pm

Adults $20 Seniors $16 Ch

Student Discounts offered with ID

Children 17 and under FREE

Advanced reservations are encouraged,

but Walk-ins are welcome.   

Street parking is available on the perimeter of Central Park and along Magnolia Avenue which is steps away from the Visitors Center.  t from the Visitors

Every ticket purchase supports the mission of the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council and preserves the legacy of the Old Louisville historic preservation district.    Old Louisville Neighborhood Council is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Why Tour with Us?

The Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour is a guided tour of the heart of the Victorian Mansion district in Old Louisville. Designed by a prominent local architect and historian, this tour focuses on the history and architecture of this nationally recognized historic preservation district boasting the largest collection of Victorian Mansions in the United States.

The tour begins in the comfortable Old Louisville Visitors Center in Central Park.  Children are free.  We take your comfort seriously. The Visitors Center provides a clean restroom. You are not met on a street corner as with other tours.

Each tour attendee receives a free 48-page color brochure that explains the Victorian Mansion district as part of our mission of education and enrichment.​

In the event of unsafe weather and we cannot give the tour,  we will assist you in rescheduling, or refunding your order.

All proceeds from the Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour support the work of the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves as an advocate for the community and works for historic preservation.  Thus you are investing in the historic preservation of this area.

See what our visitors have to say.

"Very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. We had no idea that there would be so many houses on the tour--excellent!"

"Interesting architecture and all so different, but yet all beautiful! Imagine the creativity in the late 1800s. Incredible."

Tell us about your experience.

Come see for yourself, you'll love it here..

Louisville Historic Tours

Discover our tours

The glitter ball city walking tour, old louisville ghost tour as recommended by the new york times @ 4th and ormsby, old louisville walking tour recommended by the new york times @ 4th and ormsby, the best of old louisville 50-minute guided walking tour, the secrets and scandals of old louisville tour, the supernatural paranormal buff walking tour.

Since 2004, we have been leading curated walks through Old Louisville, often referred to as "America's Grandest Victorian Neighborhood." Daytime tours focus on local history and architecture; evening tours bring the haunted past to life. Our new experiential tours include extras such as signed books, sweet treats, and refreshments.

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+1 5027182764, [email protected], 2402 ashwood drive, louisville, kentucky 40205, us.

Louisville’s Historic Architecture

A collection of Louisville’s architectural and cultural heritage treasures, to inform and educate anyone wanting to appreciate our surviving built history.

ATTRACTIONS

NEIGHBORHOODS

Architecture.

Every visitor should experience at least one visit to a historic site. Every Louisvillian can have knowledge about our traditional neighborhoods. Every student can have a basic architectural vocabulary.

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Note: This website is provided for entertainment purposes only, it does not cite sources or offer annotations, any material may be challenged or altered at anytime.

Edison, Lewis & Clark and more: 9 historic homes to explore around the Louisville area

Louisville is full of history, and there's no shortage of places to explore it around the city. From a 25,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque mansion to the home of George Rogers Clark, who founded Louisville in 1778, to the largest residential library in Kentucky, containing more than 10,000 books, there's something for everyone to explore.

Here's a list of nine noteworthy historic homes that are located around the Louisville area.

Conrad Caldwell House

1402 St. James Court, Louisville;  conrad-caldwell.org ; 502-636-5023

Tours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Wednesday tours are self-guided. Friday, Saturday & Sunday tours are led by museum docents. Cost: Adults, $10, Seniors, $8, Students, $6; self-guided tour on Wednesday, $5.

This seven-bedroom mansion in Louisville's historic St. James Court has been converted into a museum. The Richardsonian Romanesque mansion has also been used as headquarters for the famed annual St. James Court Art Show.

“It was originally (constructed) on the site of the Southern Exposition, which encompassed (the) whole block,” Conrad-Caldwell House Museum executive director Kate Meador previously told The Courier Journal. When the Southern Exposition came to an end, pieces of the land were sold off.

“Theophile Conrad bought four lots right here at the corner of Magnolia and St. James, which was the ‘crème-de-la-crème’ place to live,” Meador said.

A French immigrant, Conrad built his 10,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque castle-like mansion as a sort of homage to his homeland, Meador said.

Home of the Week: See inside this massive 25,000-square-foot Richardsonian Romanesque Old Louisville mansion

“He spared no expense,” she added. “He had seven different types of wood that he featured throughout the house; each room has a predominant type of wood. All the parquet floors are original, (and) he had two forms of heat — both gas and electricity. He had a boiler system and fireplaces, which was not typical (at that time).

"He wanted to leave this as an ornament to the city. So, this really was his sort of tribute to the city of Louisville.”

Farmington Plantation

3033 Bardstown Road,  farmingtonhistoricplantation.org ; 502-452-9920

Tours: Farmington is open daily for self-guided tours of the historic property from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guided tours of the house museum are available: Tuesday-Friday at 10 and 11 a.m., 12 1, 2, and 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 12 and 1 p.m. Cost: Adults, $10, Seniors, $9, Children and students, $5.

This Federal-style brick home was once a lucrative hemp plantation after being built in 1816 and was restored to its original condition in the early 2000s. A bronze monument was added to the property during its renovations to honor the enslaved African Americans who built the home and once worked on the property.

“John Speed and his business partners bought several thousand acres here,” Farmington Historic Plantation executive director Kathy Nichols previously told the Courier Journal. “In the early 19th century, (he) took 554 acres and created Farmington.”

The land became a hemp plantation, as the plant was Kentucky’s number one cash crop at the time. “It’s what gave the commonwealth economic clout in the 19th century,” Nichols said. “It’s what ensured slavery would be secure in the commonwealth.”

The house on the plantation, she added, was most likely built by the enslaved.

“They did all the manual labor,” she said. “Enslaved men likely dug the clay for the bricks of that house. We can’t prove that yet, but on most Kentucky plantations, bricks were dug from the clay by enslaved men, put in the brick molds and then laid in the house by enslaved men. You can’t get more important to a place than that.”

Nichols estimates that as many as 70 people lived on Farmington at any given time, but it’s impossible to know the total number who came and went over the years.

“We can document them here in 1809,” she said. “(John Speed) writes a letter to David Ward that says, ‘We’re in the property, we’re in our cabins, we have only enough bacon to last until Ned returns.’”

Home of the Week: Farmington Plantation is an integral part of Louisville's biracial history

Ned, she said, was an enslaved man that had been sent to take the letter to town and bring back provisions for the people at Farmington.

“They lived here as early as then. [The enslaved] started construction of this house in 1815 and completed in 1816," she added.

Nichols also noted that in today’s climate, Farmington has much to offer.

“If you would like to know about the history of Kentucky,” she said, “it’s a biracial history. Come to plantations like Farmington, who are telling the story, who are saying the names. Let us tell you about … Diana and Dinnie, and all the people who lived here. Their stories deserve to be told — they built the commonwealth.”

Howard Steamboat Museum

1101 E Market St., Jeffersonville, Indiana;  howardsteamboatmuseum.org ;  812-283-3728

Tours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday 1-3 p.m. Closed Mondays. Last self-guided tour at 3 p.m., last guided tour at 2:30 p.m. Cost: Adults: $10, Seniors (65+): $8, Students age 6 through college: $6, Children under 6 with an adult: Free

This Jeffersonville gem sits along the Ohio River and offers an interesting look for visitors at the history of steamboats, which were critical to development in Louisville's early days. 

Long before bridges connected Jeffersonville and Louisville, steamboats played a key role in the local economy, and Howard Steamboat Museum education assistant Kadie Engstrom is determined to preserve its history and teach people — both locals and visitors alike — about the Howard family.

James Howard founded the family shipyard in 1834, Engstrom said. When he passed away, his son Edmonds took over, and it was Edmonds and his wife, Laura, who built the gargantuan Richardsonian Romanesque Victorian mansion in Jeffersonville right on the Ohio River.

In addition to intricate woodwork and a one-of-a-kind staircase, Edmond and Laura’s house also had something that no other Jeffersonville home did at the time: electricity.

“They built a generator on the shipyard property,” Engstrom said. “They simply ran a wire across the street and electrified their own house. This house was the very first lighted house in Jeffersonville, and … the only lighted house in [the city] for some time.”

The Howards hired someone to shovel coal into a boiler steam system — under pressure, the steam created energy, and they were then able to illuminate several lights in the house. Engstrom said Laura planned for the house to be electrified, and she had purchased several appropriate lighting fixtures.

Home of the Week: Massive Victorian mansion built in the late 1800s on the Ohio River is a design phenomenon

“This is a great example,” she said, referring to the chandelier in front of the staircase. “[Laura] bought this chandelier out of a catalog. … The round balls, little and big, were all electric light in 1893, just like you see them today. The white things that look like bowls that are pointing upward are illuminating gas jets — today, we'd call that natural gas.

"[Using the gas cock], you can turn on one light at a time and have artificial light by gas; or you can turn out all the lights at one time and literally have as little or as much light as you want to," she said. "[It’s] a very efficient system.”

Locust Grove

561 Blankenbaker Lane, Louisville,  locustgrove.org , 502-897-9845

Tours: The Locust Grove Museum Store and Gallery is open Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Docent-Led House Tours are Thursday-Saturday at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m. Self-Guided House Tours are Thursday-Saturday between 10 and 11 a.m., and 3-4 p.m. Cost: Adults, $12, Seniors $10, Children 6-18 years, $6. Gallery only for adults, $6, Children, $3

It doesn't get much more historic than Locust Grove. This brick mansion on Blankenbaker Lane near the Ohio River now showcases life in the 1700s and 1800s and once served as the final home of George Rogers Clark, who founded Louisville in 1778.

Locust Grove was built in 1792 and owned by William Croghan, a surveyor who conducted his business from the home. Croghan’s wife, Lucy Clark Croghan, was the sister of Lieutenant William Clark — one half of the Lewis and Clark Expedition — as well as George Rogers Clark, who founded Louisville in 1778.

“A lot of different (pieces) of American history come together in this space,” said marketing and communications director Hannah Zimmerman said, adding that in addition to being a surveyor, William Croghan was a landowner and enslaver. Over the course of his time at the property, about 70 enslaved workers were at Locust Grove.

“William Croghan’s livelihood was made possible through enslaved labor,” Zimmerman said, pointing out the verdigris — a bright, bluish-green paint color used throughout the home, one of the most expensive paints of the period. “He may have bought the verdigris paint, but it was possible for him to do so because of enslaved labor.”

And Locust Grove is committed to telling the stories and interpreting the lives of the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and worked at the expansive estate.

Home of the Week: Step inside the expansive, historic Locust Grove, the final home of Louisville's founder

"Locust Grove was the home and workplace of dozens of enslaved African Americans during the Croghans’ residency from 1790 to 1849," according to its website. "At the peak of the farm’s operations in 1820, more than 40 enslaved people labored here. ... In 1849, the 22 enslaved individuals remaining at Locust Grove were emancipated by the will of Dr. John Croghan."

Though historians don't know what happened to many people after they left the property, the museum is "committed" to researching and sharing the stories of those enslaved at Locust Grove.

Oxmoor Farm

720 Oxmoor Ave.,  oxmoorfarm.org , 502-426-2126

Tours: By reservation only. Tours are offered on the first Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. and select Saturdays. Cost: Adults, $8, Seniors, $6, Children (ages 6-14), $5 and Children (ages 5 and under), Free.

Originally built by Alexander Scott and Priscilla Christian Bullitt, the home at Oxmoor Farm looks nothing like it did back when it was constructed in 1791. Since then, the massive nine-bedroom structure has housed five generations of Bullitts and been expanded upon to include a Federal-style central brick section, a kitchen wing, a breakfast room, and a second-floor addition, as well as a grand library wing.

Even the second generation of Bullitts wouldn’t recognize the house as it is today, says Oxmoor Farm Curator Shirley Harmon.

“(William and Mildred Bullitt) would recognize all the outbuildings, because they built those,” she said. “We have 13 outbuildings that predate the Civil War; all of those were built in their tenure. … But they would not recognize the sprawling estate that (exists) now.”

As Harmon explains, the original, 1700s part of the house is Virginia colonial architecture.

“(It’s) much like if you've ever been to Colonial Williamsburg,” she said. “A lot of those houses in the core of Mount Vernon are built in this architectural style, with the fireplaces in the corners. They did that for practical reasons; you only had to build one chimney for two fireplaces because they share the same flue. It also gives you more (space) in the room itself because you're not taking up a whole wall with fireplaces.”

The federal-style addition in 1829 featured an entrance that was influenced by the doorway at Farmington Historic Plantation six miles away.

Home of the Week: The historic Oxmoor Farm features massive gardens, largest residential library in Kentucky

“You had about a four-foot protection from the elements,” Harmon said. “If you came up to the front door — and if you’ve been to Farmington, that’s how theirs is, too — with … the steps up, and then (there’s) a nice-sized porch with a little protection from the wind.”

The most stunning addition is also the newest: the library wing, which was built in 1928, is the largest residential library in the Bluegrass State, housing 10,000 volumes.

“The chandeliers are made out of Sicilian oxcart wheels that were electrified,” Harmon added, “(and) the plaster carving on the ceiling was done in Italy and brought over in sections.”

Riverside, Farnsley-Moremen Landing

7410 Moorman Road, Louisville,  riverside-landing.org , 502-935-6809

Tours: Riverside is open for tours Tuesday through Sunday. Al regular tours should be booked in advance. Masks are required inside all buildings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Vist the website for specific tour details. Cost: Adults, $6, Seniors, $5, Children (ages 6-12), $3, Children under 5, free.   Family Rate is $15 and covers two adults with up to three children under age 18.

In southwest Louisville, Farnsley-Moremen is a popular wedding site these days after the historic 1800s home was purchased by the city and opened to the public in 1993. It's now a park and history museum on a serene 30-acre plot.

On the grounds of Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing, Louisvillians can be seen jogging, walking their dogs, or simply strolling around the area, enjoying the warm weather on a recent spring day. That typical scene is nothing like it was more than a century ago, said Riverside executive director Patti Linn.

“Throughout most of the 19th century,” she said, “there was a riverboat landing here.”

Located 13 miles southwest down the Ohio River from downtown Louisville, the owners of Riverside, which was built in 1837, would trade goods with the people on passing boats, Linn said.

Home of the Week: This historic 1800s Federal-style home sits on picturesque 300-acre park on the Ohio River

“That’s a big part of how that made a successful living. With the advent of the steamboat in about 1811, there was a lot of traffic along the river, and this really was a highway to the world," she added.

Though the land today seems like a rather remote location, in its heyday, Riverside saw a lot of traffic.

“Occasionally,” Linn said, “a boat might stop to take on wood for their boilers ... so, this was kind of a pitstop ... where you could take on supplies and provisions.”

Samuel's House

The Samuels House, 160 South Saint Gregory Church Road, Cox's Creek, Kentucky,  thesamuelshouse.com

Tours: For details, visit  thesamuelshouse.com

What do you do if you grow up in a family legendary for its hospitality, where stories of family ties to the Jesse James gang flow like bourbon? If you’re eighth-generation whiskey maker Rob Samuels of Maker’s Mark Distillery, well, you buy the 200-year-old family home and fling open the doors to bourbon tourists.

The Courier Journal had the chance to step inside the 1820s manor near Bardstown for a sneak preview of The Samuels House, and it was a step into Kentucky's illustrious bourbon history — which is exactly what Rob Samuels and his father, Bill Samuels, Jr., want.

This is "Night at the Museum," bourbon edition, with the home as steeped in the Samuels Maker's Mark legacy as a barrel stave is in whiskey. The Samuels House is a showcase of the family’s whiskey-making roots. And those roots run as deep as the majestic mature trees out front. 

“My namesake Robert Samuels had first made whiskey for George Washington's army,” Rob said during a sneak peek tour. “He brought a 60 gallon still as he moved south and settled in what would eventually become Kentucky on the land grant, so he settled in that area where the house was eventually built in 1784. His grandson John Samuels built the house in 1820.”

You may like: Gangsters & booze: How a bourbon dynasty turned its family home into a tourist destination

Now The Samuels House, located in Cox's Creek, just 40 minutes away from the Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, is offering an immersive, only-in-Kentucky experience with overnight lodging at the Federal-style manor home. Presiding over two acres of bluegrass perfection, complete with mature oak trees and horse pastures, the home melds its two-century history with luxury and 21st-century essentials in all the right places. 

Thomas Edison home

729 E. Washington St.,  historiclouisville.com/thomas-edison-house   502-585-5247

Every elementary school student in the U.S. learns about Thomas Edison — but few know about his connection to Louisville, Kentucky.

“We believe that Thomas Edison lived here just from the simple fact that (he mentioned it in) all his super-detailed journals,” explained Vicki Kothrade, executive director of the historic Thomas Edison House in Butchertown. “It was originally built in about 1850; it was a duplex, so the owner rented out the two rooms.”

Edison is thought to have lived at the brick shotgun duplex at 729 E. Washington St. when he was 18 or 19 years old and working as a Western Union telegraph operator at 58 W. Main St. “He was able to walk from here straight on down to there,” Kothrade said. “He worked nights and would stay here during the day.”

The Thomas Edison House was a rental property for many years before the Historic Homes Foundation purchased the shotgun and opened it to the public as a museum in the '90s.

“When HHF purchased the home, they bought it and wanted to reproduce what it looked like, so there are no overhead lights whatsoever in this room,” Kothrade explained, referring to the bedroom that has been set up to look as close as possible to how it did when Edison lived there. “(It) has been recreated to what it looked like during the 1860s.”

Home of the Week: Thomas Edison once called this brick shotgun duplex in Butchertown home

One of the most striking elements in the space is the gold and magenta wallpaper, which is a recreation of the actual wallpaper that was once in the room. When everything in the house was taken down to the studs, a piece of the original wallpaper was discovered and determined to have been there since the 1860s.

“As a historian,” Kothrade said, “I love that we were able to find that little piece, like somebody had the foresight to save a small piece of it for later on.”

In addition to keeping the space period-accurate, there are certain elements that were added specifically as an ode to Edison: his favorite books, including “Les Misérables,” as well as a bin of apples. “We kind of have an homage,” Kothrade said, “because he always talked about his love for apples.”

3110 Lexington Road,  historicwhitehall.org , 502-897-2944

Tours: Whitehall offers guided tours of the mansion Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.You may make advance reservations by calling 502-897-2944. Cost: $5, Children Ages 5 and under are free.

This white brick mansion by Cherokee Gardens is tough to miss. It's believed to have been built in the mid-1800s, though its signature columns inviting guests to the front door were built later. The home has changed hands many times over the years and offers the public a unique look at a slice of Louisville history.

It's known for its two-story portico with columns — but those features were additions to the original structure.

When it was first built more than 160 years ago, "it was just a red-brick farmhouse,” said Whitehall House & Gardens executive director Kristen Lutes. “It was a lot more modest than what you see today.”

According to Lutes, the main part of the mansion now known as Whitehall is thought to have been built around 1855 by John Marshall; over the years, it changed ownership several times and underwent a handful of major renovations.

“It went through several owners until 1909 when John and Betty Middleton bought it,” she said. “They transformed it. … They added the façade, which is probably our signature — the front porch and the columns.”

The Middletons, who wanted a Greek-revival-style mansion, also added a wing on each side of the home as well as one on the back and raised the first-floor ceilings to 14 feet — which lowered the second-floor ceilings to 10 feet. The house also lost its red-brick exterior, which is presumably how it got its name.

Home of the Week: From red-brick farmhouse to iconic Louisville mansion, step inside the historic Whitehall

“We don’t really know for sure,” Lutes explained. “We assume that it was just for the fact that they painted it white. There’s no other real known connection.”

The Best of Old Louisville 50-Minute Guided Walking Tour

• in-person narration by an informed tour guide
• Private transportation
• Admission to the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum: $20 guided; $15 self-guided
• Entry/Admission - Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle)
• Entry/Admission - Louisville
• 1402 St James Ct, Louisville, KY 40208, USA This 50-minute walk departs from in front of the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, right across the street from Central Park. Admission to the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is not included on this walking tour.
• Wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not recommended for travelers with back problems
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
• If you'd like to go inside Conrad-Caldwell House Museum you may purchase tickets separately for select days of the week (Wednesdays-Sundays). Please check your ticket voucher for the ticket website
• Not recommended for people who rely on walkers, crutches, or canes
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• Central Park
• Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle)
• St. James Court Fountain

Similar experiences

• You'll start at 1402 St James Ct 1402 St James Ct, Louisville, KY 40208, USA This 50-minute walk departs from in front of the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, right across the street from Central Park. Admission to the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum is not included on this walking tour. See address & details
• 1 Conrad-Caldwell House Museum (Conrad's Castle) Stop: 5 minutes - Admission excluded See details Pass by Central Park
• 2 St. James Court Fountain Stop: 5 minutes See details Pass by Fountain Court
• 3 1401 S 4th St Stop: 5 minutes See details
• 4 Culbertson Mansion Stop: 5 minutes - Admission excluded See details
• 5 1442 S 3rd St Stop: 5 minutes See details
• 6 1476 S 4th St Stop: 5 minutes See details
• 7 Belgravia Court Stop: 5 minutes See details
• 8 1473 St James Ct Stop: 5 minutes See details Pass by Saint James Court
• You'll return to the starting point

• lisasU7006AQ 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun tour! Excellent mix of history and spooky stories with a bit of true crime! Not too gruesome for my teenagers and a good walking pace. Quinton is an awesome guide. Read more Written March 31, 2024
• HCRCDR 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful Old Louisville Ghost Tour Our guide was fantastic. Loved the tour - great stories from very scary to heartwarming to bone chilling. Very much enjoyed learning the history of the area on this tour. Read more Written March 30, 2024
• ArtBar4 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour. The stories and tour were great, my kids extremely enjoyed it. The fact that it was at night made it even better. The one thing that would have made it better is to go in at least one of the homes. Our guide Quinton was also great and very knowledgeable, I would just recommend slowing down a little while telling the stories. Read more Written March 30, 2024
• E8449WCjenm 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Ghost Tour Louisville Angelique was fantastic. So knowledgeable and sweet. So many details and fun facts. You can see how much she loves the topic! Really enjoyed it. Read more Written March 27, 2024
• Adventure19262 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A must do in Louisville Great tour guide who was well informed and a masterful storyteller. Everyone in our family enjoyed it. Lots of history and scary stories Read more Written March 25, 2024
• Herb N 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Walking Tour of Old Louisville Gabe was excellent. He checked people in and waited until the start time before commencing the tour. He was very knowledgeable and spoke with a clear voice and was very easy to hear. He moved to each spot, waited for the group to get there, and spoke about each house or area. He answered every question and was overall excellent. I would enjoy any tour that he gives. Read more Written March 24, 2024
• 382brep 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Hauntingly of Old Louisville I'd wish I did a night tour, I think it would have made it more lively. But all in all I absolutely loved it. Very interesting and beautiful. Staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. Read more Written March 17, 2024
• N2503ZFchristopherk 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Loved the architecture and the stories behind many of the houses! The history behind many of the old Victorian homes was very interesting. Also loved seeing all the old architecture. Our tour guide, Quinton, was very knowledgeable! Read more Written March 10, 2024
• T6116IGsarahh 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles 40th Birthday Trip We went on this tour the night before my cousins 40th birthday. It was the perfect kick off to a fun weekend of exploring the history, distilleries, and museums in the area. The stories and history was so fun to listen to. Read more Written February 18, 2024
• Rex E 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Historic gem in Old Louisville Unbelievable set of historic homes described by Angelique who not only was full of great information but had a passion for preserving the neighborhood (and was active in helping to do so). Read more Written February 12, 2024
• Climber22054382874 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles It’s a MUST DO during your visit to Louisville Old Louisville is beautiful. Awesome experience. Our tour guide was incredible and very professional, she even gave us hand warmers. Read more Written January 31, 2024
• paulfL1781KY 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles turn that frown upside down! It was a frigid day and I was needing something fun to do as I was experiencing three days of travel woes and not able to get home. I scheduled this tour and I was the only one that showed up (I'm guessing because of the frigid temperatures). Angelique was there waiting and I spent the next 90 minutes having wonderful conversation and learning a whole lot about Louiville history and architecture. Angelique is a pure gem with a beautiful spirit and the experience turned my unfortunate travel woes into a wonderful day... I'm still smiling :) Read more Written January 20, 2024
• E9094IYjuliana 0 contributions 2.0 of 5 bubbles There are better ghost tours out there. The guide was nice but the trip itself left much to be desired. The tour was just a simple walk around the neighborhood as advertised but that's all the trip entailed. We stopped outside people's homes and looked at their homes and were shown "haunted" locations but the entirety of the tour was outside. We did stop and she did give us some interesting history involving true and the supernatural with a few photos every now and then. Sadly I can't recommend this presentation for the price tag it's asking for. Save yourself the money and just go during they with Google maps open and visit these locations for free since on the tour we looked into actual people's homes at night. The guide even shined a flashlight into someone's home! Read more Written January 14, 2024
• KateDobbin26 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Halloween Ghost Walk Tour We got so lucky we stumbled upon this ghost walk whilst in louisville on the last night of their Halloween tour - we are from the UK and it was the best part of our trip! The actors were fantastic, the guide did a brilliant job and we were so excited that we got to see inside some of the gorgeous houses in the old louisville area. Would highly recommend going and I would love to go again! Read more Written December 19, 2023
• jacalyker 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fun tour, enjoyable couple hours This tour is worthy, reasonable price, solid tour leader, interesting sights. Nice way to spice up your visit Read more Written December 9, 2023

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Historic Old Louisville Neighborhood and Visitors Center

1340 S. 4th St., Central Park Louisville, KY 40208

Phone: (502) 635-5244

• Free Parking
• High Speed Wireless Internet
• On-site Motorcoach Parking

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Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour Special Discount of half off.

Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour Special Discount of half off. Tours are only $10 for adults $5 for students.

301 South 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202

1.888.LOUISVILLE (1.888.568.4784)

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Program Schedule

2023 program schedule of cave hill cemetery provided by the cave hill heritage foundation.

The Cave Hill Heritage Foundation is pleased to present the 2023 program schedule for Cave Hill Cemetery. We invite you to learn more about Cave Hill Cemetery, its residents, and their contributions to our community by joining us for one of our wonderful learning opportunities.

COVID-19 Policy: Please plan on arriving 10 minutes early. A staff person will ask screening questions before admitting tour participants on the tour to make sure participants have not been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

If you have purchased tickets in advance and find you have been exposed to COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the tour date, please e-mail Alex Luken at [email protected] or call 502.272.4433, and a full refund will be issued.

All tour participants must be prepared to wear a face mask covering their mouth and nose at all times.

Anyone participating on the tour must practice social distancing of 6 feet with anyone who is not part of their household or “bubble.”

Guests acknowledge that Cave Hill Cemetery and the Cave Hill Heritage Foundation reserve the right to disclose the identity and contact information formation for any and all guests to government-authorized individuals, agencies, or organizations for the purposes of contact-tracing in adherence with local, state, or federal guidelines, recommendations or requirements.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of attending an in-person event at Cave Hill Cemetery should contact Michael Higgs at [email protected] or 502.813.7761.

Inclement Weather Policy : During inclement weather, our team will make every effort to reach you via phone or email to alert you of changes. You may also call our office at 502.813.7761 to check for updates.

Where to Meet for Programs : All tours begin at the Broadway entrance of Cave Hill Cemetery, located at 701 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY 40204.

NEW! Heroes of the River – Steamboat Captains and River Pilots of Cave Hill Cemetery (Golf Cart Tour)

Steamboat travel was the transportation marvel of its day. Life on the river was a marvelous high adventure, filled with excitement and prosperity. From the appearance of the first riverboat on the Ohio in 1811 until the early 1900s when the allure of airplanes and aeronautics replaced river travel, steamboat captains and pilots were the heroes and celebrities of river commerce, facing shipboard fires and boiler explosions, as well as navigating the ever-changing river conditions of snags, ice, and constantly shifting river channels.

• Saturday, April 15th
• Saturday, June 24th
• Saturday, August 5th

10am - 12pm $25 per person Register

Literary Figures of Cave Hill Cemetery (Golf Cart Tour)

In the 1800’s to the early 1900’s, Louisville writers won national and international literary acclaim in all genres of writing, from poetry, to journalism, to prose, to young adult literature. Resting on the grounds of Cave Hill Cemetery are George Keats, Madison Cawein, who known as the “John Keats of Kentucky”, Alice (Hegan) and Cale Young Rice, George Madden Martin, Henry Watterson, George D. Prentice, and many, many others. Learn about the Author’s Club of Louisville, a group of remarkable women writers who published scores of magazine stories and over 70 books, many of which became national and international best-sellers and were made into successful movies.

• Sunday, April 30th
• Sunday, June 11th
• Saturday, July 29th
• Sunday, August 13th

Apr, June, Aug: 12pm - 2pm; July: 10am - 12pm $25 per person Register

Historical Tour of Cave Hill Cemetery (Walking Tour)

Enjoy a journey through the older sections of Cave Hill Cemetery, from the cemetery’s founding in 1848 to the early 1900s when the cemetery expanded to the northeast cemetery property. 2023 is the 175 th anniversary of the dedication of our lovely Victorian-era Rural garden-style Cemetery. The story of Louisville’s early history lies with the legacy of the families interred in Cave Hill.

• Saturday, April 22nd
• Saturday, April 29th
• Saturday, May 13th
• Saturday, June 3rd
• Saturday, September 2nd
• Saturday, September 9th
• Saturday, September 30th
• Saturday, October 14th
• Saturday, October 28th

10am - 12pm $15 per person Register

Historical Tour of Cave Hill Cemetery (Golf Cart Tour)

• Sunday, April 23rd
• Saturday, July 1st
• Saturday, August 26th
• Sunday, September 24th

Apr, May: 12pm - 2pm; July, Aug: 10am - 12pm $25 per person Register

Historical Tour of Cave Hill Cemetery (Twilight Wagon Tour)

• Saturday, August 19th

6pm - 8pm $35 per person Register

NEW! Esteemed Louisville Lawyers, Judges, and Politicians (Golf Cart Tour)

Louisville has a rich history of successful and flamboyant lawyers, esteemed jurists, and unique elected officials.  Most are interred here at Cave Hill.  This tour visits final resting places of a representative sampling, from the 19th century up to modern times - including discussions of city founding fathers, famous criminal trials, local business titans, and hard-fought elections.

• Sunday, September 3rd
• Sunday, October 22nd

12pm - 2pm $25 per person Register

NEW! Activists, Allies, and Abolitionists – Louisville’s Civil Rights Journey (Golf Cart Tour)

Part One – Activists

The national tide of sweeping social change came about in Louisville through the hard work and courage of Louisvillians who spoke up and faced adversity through non-violent demonstrations to bring an end to legal racial segregation in the city. Negotiations with city officials, economic boycotts, voter registration campaigns, and issue-based voting led to legislative changes to make it unlawful to refuse service because of race, color, religion or national origin. Hear the stories of Judge Benjamin Shobe, newspaper publisher Frank L. Stanley, Sr., State Representative Georgia Powers, and others who led the charge to desegregate Louisville.

( Part 2 – Allies and Abolitionists will be scheduled in 2024)

Note: This tour will begin at the Grinstead entrance of the cemetery.

• Sunday, June 4th
• Tuesday, July 4th

NEW! Military Figures of Cave Hill Cemetery (Golf Cart Tour)

Veterans from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, and other engagements rest within the walls of Cave Hill Cemetery in private family lots. Explore the cemetery grounds as we recognize all of the military service members buried here from World War II all the way back to the American Revolutionary War.

• Saturday, August 12th
• Monday, September 4th
• Sunday, November 12th

Aug, Sept: 10am - 12pm; Nov: 12pm - 2pm $25 per person Register

Civil War Twilight Wagon Tour

Historian and Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site Park Manager Bryan Bush will explore the connections between Cave Hill Cemetery, Perryville Battlefield and the Civil War in this unique twilight wagon tour.

• Saturday, June 10th
• Saturday, September 16th

June: 6pm - 8pm; Sept: 5pm - 7pm $35 per person Register

NEW! The Revival of the Cemetery as an Outdoor Sculpture Gallery (Golf Cart Tour)

The conceptual design of Victorian-era Rural garden-style Cemetery moved death from overcrowded burial grounds to a romanticized Victorian view of death, with landscaped grounds and beautiful marble statues which helped further the Victorian pursuit of self-directed learning. For many 19 th century Americans the monuments found in a garden cemetery were their first and perhaps only exposure to sculptural artwork.

The late 20 th century saw the reintroduction of sculptural artwork in cemeteries in the form of bronze sculptures and other sculptural works. Join us on an exploration of the monumental artwork of the “newer” section of Cave Hill Cemetery.

• Sunday, June 25th
• Sunday, July 9th
• Sunday, July 16th

Notable Women of Cave Hill Tour

Some of the most prolific change in society can be attributed to the leadership of women. Contributions of these wonderful leaders range widely- from education, to suffrage-related causes, writing, and much more! As a matter of fact, much of the change brought about by the women in Cave Hill Cemetery impact us tremendously today. We invite you to come learn about these leaders in society during a walking tour with docent, Gwen Rogers.

• Sunday, May 14th
• Saturday, October 7th

May 12pm - 2pm; Oct. 10am - 12pm $25 per person (Golf Cart Tour); $15 per person (Walking Tour) Register

Bourbon Distillers of Cave Hill Cemetery

Cave Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of many people who influenced the development and growth of distilled spirits in the 19th Century and beyond. Explore the heritage that is the foundation of the bourbon distilling industry today. Pay homage to Kentucky distillers - Julius “Pappy” Van Winkle, George Gavin Brown, Dr. William Forrester, and others on this “truly Kentucky” tour.

• Sunday, May 7th
• Saturday, July 15th
• Sunday, August 20th

May, Aug: 12pm - 2pm; June 6pm - 8pm; July 10am - 12pm $25 per person (Golf Cart Tour); $35 per person (Twilight Wagon Tour) Register

Louisville Women and the Suffrage Movement (Golf Cart Tour)

The voting rights movement affected our entire nation, and Louisville women played a key role in that struggle. The Cave Hill Heritage Foundation is devoted to sharing the history and stories of our city as seen throughout Cave Hill Cemetery. We knew that 15 preeminent leaders of the suffrage movement rested within the cemetery. Further research revealed that more than 400 additional members of suffrage-related organizations rest alongside these leaders. Each of these women has a story to tell.

• Sunday, September 10th

Interpreting Cemetery Symbolism (Golf Cart Tour)

Explore the symbols and shapes of cemetery monuments in this new tour. Learn about commonly used iconography and some of the more unique presentations that give you tremendous insight into a person's life, their likes, and general family history.

• Sunday, April 16th
• Sunday, July 2nd
• Sunday, July 30th
• Sunday, August 27th

Discovering the Design of Cave Hill Cemetery: Benjamin Grove’s ‘Cave Hill’ Tour (Golf Cart Tour)

The design of a Victorian rural garden cemetery, like Cave Hill, is dependent upon the horticultural vision of a landscape architect working in tandem with a civil engineer to hardscape the cemetery, laying out the roadways, water features, and sections to optimize the characteristics of the natural setting. English-born civil engineer Benjamin Grove designed over 47 cemeteries in the Ohio Valley. In 1853, he designed Cave Hill Cemetery's first true marketing piece- a map of the Cemetery surrounded by drawings of monuments and mausoleums of leading families of the time. Join Docent Nonnie Riney and discover whose burial locations were selected and what these monuments and mausoleums look like today.

• Sunday, July 23rd
• Sunday, October 8th

The Horticultural Story of Cave Hill Cemetery (Wagon Tour)

As one of the preeminent Rural Garden Cemeteries in the United States, Cave Hill Cemetery is Louisville’s only arboretum. With over 600 species of plants and trees, many at the peak of their maturity, the Cemetery is a shining example of horticulture. Come explore these unique trees and plants with Cave Hill Cemetery Horticulture Manager Sarah Schaffner and Head Arborist Roger Martin as you take a behind the scenes look at what goes into maintaining the landscape.

• Saturday, September 23rd
• Saturday, October 21st
• Saturday, November 4th

2023 Lecture Series

Lecture: the journey to women's suffrage with kathryn west, ph.d..

Saturday, June 3, 2023 10 a.m. Lecture: Episcopal Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY Please park inside the Baxter Avenue gate of Cave Hill Cemetery and walk across to the church (Upper Room)

Women's Suffrage in the United States was achieved through the convergence of many varied and winding paths. Before the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, many women could vote, but by 1807 that right had been abolished in all states. In those early years of the 1800s, it was not considered appropriate for women to speak in public, and married women could not own property nor did they have rights to their wages if they worked, yet women were also believed to be the moral center of family life. This position led them to advocate for Abolition, Temperance, Dress Reform, Prison Reform, Property Rights, Free Love and Free Thinking, and Spiritualism, among others. Even the 1890s Bicycle Craze played a role! From Seneca Falls to the adoption of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920, just 102 years ago, this presentation highlights how women came to voice, learned to organize, and eventually achieved Women's Suffrage (they called it Woman Suffrage) though decades of work and many, many intersecting movements, organizations, and events. Featured are a number of women who "rocked the vote" even before they could vote, such as, of course, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Alice Paul, but also Victoria Woodhull, Ida B. Wells, Lucy Stone, and Kentucky's own Laura Clay.

After the lecture, enjoy a brief tour of some of the Suffrage leaders in Cave Hill Cemetery with our Docents

10am $5 per person Register

Lecture: Flower Power: Establishing Pollinator Habitats with Tammy Horn Potter, Ph.D.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 10 a.m. Lecture: Episcopal Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY Please park inside the Baxter Avenue gate of Cave Hill Cemetery and walk across to the church (Upper Room)

Pollinators are in peril due to a variety of reasons, but one of the easiest to address landscape diversity. Having traveled around the world interviewing beekeepers and honey producers, Tammy Horn Potter includes intriguing slides of pollen grains from nectar-producing plants of some of the world's favorite honeys, as well as photos and recommendations of local flora. Pollen is considered the "life-giving dust" to many pollinators, and this presentation focuses on the complexities of pollen grains, their beauty, and also the relative ease that many people can employ to diversity their surroundings with flowers that are beneficial.

• Saturday, June 17th

Lecture: Mourning in Kentucky in the 1800s with Cynthia Resor, Ed.D.

Saturday, September 16, 2023 10 a.m. Lecture: Episcopal Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY Please park inside the Baxter Avenue gate of Cave Hill Cemetery and walk across to the church (Upper Room)

Mourning the dead was an important part of life in the 19th century. Cynthia Williams Resor will begin her time-travel tour of this culture of mourning in Kentucky cemeteries by examining the symbols on tombstones and their meanings. Explore customs and beliefs associated with death through the eyes of 19th-century writers and artifacts of mourning, such as hair mourning jewelry, stationary, and clothing. Finally, we'll visit the new funeral parlors of the late 1800s and memorial park cemeteries of the early 1900s to discover why mourning customs changed.

Enjoy a brief tour of Cemetery Symbolism after this lecture with our Docents!

Lecture: Christmas During the Civil War with Bryan Bush

Saturday, November 25, 2023 10 a.m. Lecture: Episcopal Church of the Advent, 901 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY Please park inside the Baxter Avenue gate of Cave Hill Cemetery and walk across to the church (Upper Room)

Historian Bryan Bush provides a fascinating presentation on what Christmas was like in Louisville before, during, and after the Civil War. The Civil War solidified the traditions that we know today, such as the Christmas tree, Christmas cards, Christmas carols, and the most important of all traditions: Santa Claus.

• Saturday, November 25th

Topics discussed on tours include: decorative monuments, selected landscape features, trees and shrubs, Louisville history, and much more. Cave Hill Cemetery was chartered in 1848 and contains the gravesites of many notable Louisvillians, such as city leader George Rogers Clark, Kentucky Derby founder Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., and Pete Browning, whose cracked bat led to Louisville Slugger fame.

Reservations are required for all public programs and tours. All proceeds benefit the Cave Hill Heritage Foundation. For more information about the Cave Hill Heritage Foundation or to RSVP a tour, call (502) 813-7761 or reach us via email using our contact form.

Welcome to Louisville's #1 Victorian House Museum 

The Conrad-Caldwell House symbolizes the  spirit and Victorian grandeur of Louisville's Progressive Era. Constructed in 1895 by Louisville architect, Arthur Loomis, this Richardsonian Romanesque castle stands as an ornament to the city of Louisville, a distinguishing marker in one of  America's largest concentrations of Victorian homes and is a site of cultural and architectural significance to the city of Louisville. 

VISIT US DURING GENERAL OPERATING HOURS

1402 St. James Court (corner of Magnolia Avenue & St. James Court)

Thursday-Sunday

Guided Tours at 11am & 3pm

Self-Guided Tours from 12pm to 2:30pm*

*Last Entry Into Museum for Self-Guided Tours is at 2:30pm.

General Note: Public Tours are subject to change. Please check TOURS Page(s) for updates on closures or adjusted hours. 

Our Sponsors & Community Partners ​

Series presented by Republic Bank Foundation. Are you visiting Louisville and want to get a taste of our fair city? Or wanting to learn more about the history of your own Downtown? Below you will find walking tours that you can easily download onto your mobile device or play from the comfort of your home or hotel, to find out how Louisville was settled, how commerce was developed in the early days, or how Louisville played a part in the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Each tour is 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how long you want to stop and look around. Directions are provided within the audio tour.

Downtown Louisville Walking Tour Series Louisville Downtown Partnership

• APR 2, 2024

Civil Rights Markers: Walking Tour

Jump back in time with Rashida Ron, one of Muhammad Ali’s daughters, for a historic tour of the Civil Rights Markers throughout Downtown. The burgeoning movement of the 1960s, sweeping across the South, ignited a spirit of protest among African American teenagers in Louisville, who emerged as the frontline activists, challenging discrimination in public accommodations.

• MAR 23, 2023

Historic West Main Street: Walking Tour

Take a stroll with UofL Archivist Tom Owen to learn about Louisville’s founding along the Ohio River and early years of commerce along historic West Main Street. From varying architectural styles, to the start of the whiskey trade, to redevelopment of a special district, you will discover many facts about this city that sits at the crossroads of north and south, east and Midwest.   Tour begins at the Barrel on Main, located on the southwest corner of 4th and Main Streets.

• © 2024 Downtown Louisville Walking Tour Series

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(502) 718-2764

Louisville Historic District

The Louisville Historic District dates back to the late 1800s. During that time, what is now considered Old Louisville emerged as a suburb for the elite of Louisville, Kentucky, where bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco built impressive residences along Third and Fourth streets. Its heyday was short-lived, however, and wealthy families started moving out of the mansions in the early 1900s, leaving many homes and buildings to be transformed into boarding houses, cheap apartments, or business space. After World War II, the neighborhood saw a period of blight as white flight and the ravages of Urban Renewal took its toll. Today, many Victorian homes still function as multi-family dwellings, but a renewed interest in historic homes has seen a great deal of restoration in recent decades. Mansions are returning to single-family residences, and not surprising, the entire area has seen an influx of home-buyers and visitors as its fame has spread.

About the Louisville Historic District

When Louisville comes up in conversation, its famous baseball bats and native son Muhammad Ali usually come to mind—or else its mainstays of bourbon, horse racing, and tobacco. Most people don’t think of impressive 19th-century architecture or Victorian mansions; however, that has changed as the word has spread about a colorful downtown neighborhood known as “America’s Grandest Victorian Neighborhood.” Ranked as one of the largest historic districts in the nation, and the largest historic district in Louisville, this area is now referred to as Old Louisville. Since the 1970s, when the National Register of Historic Places began taking note of the cultural and architectural significance of this neighborhood, Old Louisville has seen a steady rise in positive national and international press coverage. Most recently, The New York Times recommended a walking tour of Old Louisville as the first thing not to miss during a visitor’s “36 Hours in Louisville.”

Location of the Louisville Historic District

Old Louisville is a transitional neighborhood located immediately adjacent to the downtown area, bounded by Kentucky Street to the north, the University of Louisville’s main campus to the south, I-65 to the east, and the CSX railroad tracks on the west. Home to large numbers of college students and apartment buildings, the outer edges of Old Louisville can be very crowded, while the core district—especially around the gaslamp enclaves of St. James Court and pedestrian-only thoroughfares such as Belgravia Court—retain the charm and tranquility of small-town Victorian America.

Louisville Historic District Architecture

With more than a thousand 19-century structures spread out over some 40 square blocks, it’s easy to see why Old Louisville counts as one of the most significant preservation districts in the nation. Impressive examples of Italianate, Gothic, Ch â teauesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Beaux Arts architecture make it one of the most striking Victorian neighborhoods as well. In addition to being known as “America’s Most Exuberant Neighborhood,” it has also gained a reputation as “America’s Most Haunted Neighborhood” due to the large number of ghostly legends and paranormal hotspots because of the sheer amount of Victorian-era mansions, murders, and mysteries

Visits to the Louisville Historic District

“We get local and out-of-town visitors alike, and I love showing off my old stomping grounds,” says David Dominé, an author who has written books about Old Louisville to promote heritage tourism and draw attention to its potential. “More and more, tourists are discovering this fascinating neighborhood and comparing it to better-know locales such as Savannah, New Orleans, and Charleston. If you love architecture and historic homes, you need to come to Old Louisville.”