The Kentucky Derby Museum, located next to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, offers visitors hands-on exhibits to showcase the life of a race horse and the Kentucky Derby.
One of Louisville, Kentucky's most popular attractions is the Kentucky Derby Museum. It is located in the city's south end at 704 Central Avenue. This is next to Gate 1 of Churchill Downs, the race track best known as home to the Kentucky Derby. This famous horse race is held annually on the first Saturday in May. It is a mile and a quarter race for 3-year-old fillies and colts. It is the oldest continuous sporting event in the United States. Aristides won the first race in 1875 and it has been run every year since then. The Kentucky Derby is considered the first race in the Triple Crown Championship series of three races for 3-year-old fillies and colts. The Preakness Stakes is run in Maryland two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after that race, the Belmont Stakes is run in New York.
The non-profit Kentucky Derby Museum is not a part of Churchill Downs. It originally opened in 1985. After being closed almost a year for a major facelift, the Kentucky Derby Museum reopened in 2000 and now offers visitors state-of-the-art exhibits in a gleaming facility. The $10 million renovation costs were divided between improved exhibits in the 56,000 square foot museum and construction of a a 10,000 square foot expansion. The renovations were designed to highlight the thoroughbred industry as well as Churchill Downs and its best known race, the Kentucky Derby. Most exhibits offer a hands-on experience, as well as audio clips from people who have played important roles in the Derby's history. This museum is now host to about 225,000 visitors each year.
After paying admission and entering the museum through replica starting gates, visitors are instantly surrounded by the sounds of "My Old Kentucky Home" and a colorful floor to ceiling three sided video of Derby horses running at them. Main level exhibits spotlight A Day at the Derby. One first floor exhibit area displays showcases of highly collectible Kentucky Derby glasses. A different derby glass is issued each year. Originally sold and used only at Churchill Downs, these colorful glasses are now available at stores and restaurants worldwide to serve mint juleps, a bourbon drink with a sprig of fresh mint.
Items from the Kentucky Derby Festival, a non-profit group that sponsors community events during the two weeks in April preceding the Derby, are showcased in this area. Kentucky Derby Festival events include a large fireworks display called Thunder Over Louisville, steamboat racing on the Ohio River, a Pegasus Parade through the downtown area of Louisville, and a variety of sporting events. A display of fashionable outfits, especially hats, worn to past Derbies adds a touch of humor. Another display shows the winner's circle, complete with lighted tote board.
Another first floor area focuses on Derby winners and the key people behind their victories, including owners, trainers, jockeys, and veterinarians. One interactive display offers a chance for visitors to board a model horse and pretend to be a jockey while viewing a video of a race as a horse and jockey see it. Many visitors find it's much harder than it looks to maintain a jockey's position with feet in the stirrups and hips held 6 to 8 inches off the saddle for two minutes, which is the approximate time of the Kentucky Derby race. The third main floor exhibit emphasizes the importance of the jockeys and the behind the scenes crews at the race track.
The highlight of the first floor is definitely The Greatest Race, a multi-image show on a 360 degree screen in the shape of a track. This awesome award-winning presentation was created by Donna Lawrence Productions of Louisville. Filmed with super 16mm and 35 mm film, it is presented on nine high definition projectors with 3 million mirrors in each projector. The entire scope of the screen is used to overview the life of a Derby horse from foal to winner's circle on Derby Day. Viewers are thrust in the quiet of the backside at dawn as the movie depicts typical day to day activities at Churchill Downs. It then proceeds to the chaos and excitement of winning on Derby Day.
The upper level has a large area reserved for rotating exhibits. This level also has exhibits on African-American jockeys and men who make horseshoes, known as farriers. Another display explains how to wager on the horses. There is also a section of the old electric starting gate that was used at Churchill Downs from 1940 until 1977.
The Derby Café offers visitors soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
The museum tour exits through the Finish Line gift shop. Horse related items ranging from jewelry, which costs thousands of dollars to school supplies, which sell for under $1 are available.
Weather permitting, museum visitors can take a 30 minute walking tour of Churchill Downs and the Museum's paddock area.
Museum renovations were one of three improvements made in 2000 to make visiting Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum easier. Major road improvements widened Central Avenue. A $4 million main entrance was completed to connect the museum to the legendary race track..
The museum is closed four days a year: Kentucky Oaks Day, which is the Friday before Derby, Derby Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
