Kentucky may not be fully open yet, but there is still plenty to do in the city of Louisville
By Corinne Minard
With a drive of only about two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville is a great location for a day trip during these trying times. Kentucky is still in the process of opening up, but there are three things you can do right now if you take a quick trip down to Louisville.
Shop at iconic area gift shops
While most area museums and tours are still shut down, three iconic attractions’ gift shops are open again for shoppers. The Frazier Kentucky History Museum, which tells the history of Kentucky through its permanent collection and special exhibitions, has opened its gift shop Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. Masks are required, but visitors can shop for Frazier mugs and magnets, uniquely Kentucky items like Ale-8-One merchandise, and even bourbon. Curbside pick-up is also available. The Kentucky Derby Museum has also opened its gift shop Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The number of in-store shoppers is being limited, social distancing is being enforced, masks are required, and additional safety measure have been implemented. While there, visitors can shop for collectibles commemorating the upcoming Kentucky Derby as well as glasses and party supplies. And plan your trip accordingly—the museum itself is planning to open again to the public June 8. The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s museums and tours are still closed, but the museum store is now open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. Curbside pickup is available and masks are required. The museum has also started to offer contactless personalized bat ordering at SluggerGifts.com.
Eat on a restaurant’s patio
Restaurants in Kentucky started serving customers in-person May 22 with strict new cleaning schedules and limiting the number of indoor diners to 33% capacity. However, Louisville is allowing restaurants to create new dining experiences by allowing them to use sidewalks, parking lots and more for outdoor, socially distant dining. Restaurants that have taken advantage of this include Bourbon Barrel Foods – Eat Your Bourbon Marketplace, Check’s Café, Nouvelle Bar & Bottle and Seviche.
Get outside
When you’re not shopping or dining, Louisville offers plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities to keep the family active. Visitors to Louisville’s Waterfront Park can walk the Big 4 Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River, take in the park’s sculptures and tour the Kentucky Grove, a grove of native trees. Golfers can use the city’s 10 public courses as well as private courses like Quail Chase Golf Club. And families can also take in some nature by walking the pedestrian paths at Iroquois Park, which wind through the park’s 10,000-year-old forest.