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An aerial view of the downtown Louisville, Kentucky skyline featuring prominent skyscrapers and the Galt House Hotel under a clear blue sky.
Kentucky

Signature City Louisville

Program No. 22629RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
12 meals ( 5B, 3L, 4D )
3 expert-led lectures
9 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; spending 2.5 hours on and off the motorcoach in the morning. Minimal walking at U of Louisville. Standing for up to 1.5 hours for the Evans Williams Bourbon Experience.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
The history of Louisville will be presented on the motorcoach by a local expert. We will be getting on and off the motorcoach for a memorable experience as we explore and see Louisville. We will make a special stop at Cave Hill Cemetery where a docent will join us on our motor coach. This picturesque burial ground was established in 1846 and features the graves of many notable people, including Muhammad Ali.
Lunch:
At the Louisville Alumni Center, we’ll be joined by U of L faculty, staff, and alumni.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll board our motorcoach for the Evan Williams Distillery. With an expert from the distillery, we will learn the process for making bourbon and see it being made right before our eyes with an educational Bourbon tasting. We will learn about the distillation process and how Heaven Hill's (the parent company of Evan Williams) modern Bernheim Distillery operation compares to how whiskey was made in the late 1800's. During this part of the tour, you will see our state-of-the-art operating distillery located on-site that utilizes the same type of pot stills used in the early Bourbon making days. The experience concludes with a tasting of 4 products from the Evan Williams award-winning portfolio.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At the hotel, we’ll join our newfound Road Scholar friends for a presentation by a local expert on the History of the Kentucky Derby.
Activity Note
Walking four blocks or .5 mile on sidewalk from hotel to Slugger Museum. On/off motor coach to Dinner Playhouse.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Dr. James C. Claypool, professor emeritus at Northern Kentucky University, rolls out the red carpet for 39 of the most fascinating characters with ties to the commonwealth. From intrepid pioneers to noble statesmen, legendary athletes, inventors, entrepreneurs, war heroes, and a man once known as Cassius Clay, this is a comprehensive and highly entertaining presentation. After a brief break, we'll reassemble to walk four blocks to the Slugger Museum to take an expert-led private field trip through the factory where Louisville Slugger bats are crafted with the same pride that started in 1884. Here we can mingle with amazingly lifelike sculptures of Babe Ruth; Ted Williams; Ken Griffey, Jr.; and Derek Jeter, and hold Louisville Slugger bats that were actually used by some of baseball’s greatest hitters—past and present—including Mickey Mantle; Cal Ripken, Jr.; David Ortiz; and Johnny Bench. We will see the Louisville Slugger bat Babe Ruth carved notches in for every home run he hit with it during his record-setting 60-home-run season in 1927. We’ll learn how the first Louisville Slugger bat was made in 1884.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
This is your block of free time to explore on your own.
Dinner:
At the dinner playhouse.
Evening:
On our way to the playhouse, we will travel by motorcoach across the historic George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge into Jeffersonville, Indiana, enjoying panoramic views of the Ohio River and Louisville skyline. Derby Dinner Playhouse is one of the nation's oldest and largest continuously operating professional dinner theatres, it is a regional entertainment favorite serving both Indiana and Kentucky. Renowned for its high-quality productions of Broadway musicals and lighthearted comedies, each performance features professional actors, elaborate costumes, dazzling lighting, and a live orchestra. A proud member of the National Dinner Theatre Association, Derby Dinner Playhouse has been entertaining audiences for decades.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing for approximately 2 hours on Churchill Downs grounds. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 22 miles, approximately 1/2 hour to Hermitage Horse Farm. Walking and standing on horse farm over uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At Churchill Downs Racetrack overlooking the practice runs.
Morning:
We will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend a morning on a private backside field trip at Churchill Downs Racetrack. While enjoying a rail side breakfast in the Track Kitchen, we’ll also be watching the horses during their morning workouts. We’ll hear from one of the winning retired jockeys about his racing experience. Afterwards, he will mix and mingle with us, share stories, and answer the behind-the-scenes questions everyone wants to know. We’ll get an up-close-and-personal view of the horses, jockeys, trainers, and other connections who live the sport of horse racing. After breakfast, we will visit the Kentucky Derby Museum where the excitement continues during a thrilling immersive sound and visual experience called “The Greatest Race.” Then our self-directed walk through the museum continues as you delve into every stage of a thoroughbred’s life. We’ll learn about the history of the race dating back to the inaugural running in 1875 to the most recent Kentucky Derby champion. Then, on an expert-led walk of historic Churchill Downs Racetrack, we’ll learn about past Derby winners and the rich history of this location. We will walk through the property to the paddock and out to the grandstand. After a full morning at the racetrack, the motorcoach returns us to the hotel.
Lunch:
At the horse farm.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board our motorcoach to travel to a horse farm located about 30 minutes outside downtown Louisville. Set up just for Road Scholars, we will be treated to a world-class equine operation and Kentucky’s rich farming industry at the Hermitage Horse Farm. Purchased in the 1800s as part of a land grant, Hermitage has been a working farm for nearly two centuries. Today broodmares, foals, and yearlings graze the land that has long been recognized as some of the most fertile and productive in Kentucky. Our first stop at the farm will be the Stud Barn which houses two retired champions, Future Prospect and Dubious Miss. We will learn about the history of Hermitage Farm and be introduced to the retiree horses. We’ll then make our way through two of the barns that house this year’s newest foal crop. Depending on the time of year, we may get to see a display of sale yearlings to be offered at public auction. An expert will explain what they look for when breeding and raising foals. Open communication and questions are welcomed!
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walk to Muhammad Ali Center is .3 mile from hotel. Getting on/off a motorcoach for Old Louisville. Old Louisville Conrad-Caldwell home has stairs and an elevator. Walking up to 2 miles in Old Louisville.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will start the morning off with a walk from the hotel to the Muhammad Ali Center. We’ll explore artifacts, imagery, and interactive exhibits that celebrate Ali’s extraordinary achievements inside and outside the ring. Discover the pivotal “red bike moment” that inspired a young Cassius Clay to lace up his first boxing gloves. We’ll also examine the controversy surrounding his objection to the Vietnam War, which led to his suspension from boxing at the height of his career. Finally, step into a recreated Deer Lake training camp experience, where Ali honed his craft, rebuilt his technique, and fought his way back to reclaim the world title. Our motor coach will pick us up from the Ali Museum for lunch.
Lunch:
In the historic Mayflower building in the Old Louisville neighborhood.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll head to the Historic Old Louisville Neighborhood and Visitors Center in Central Park. Housed in a beautifully restored Mission-style building at the top of the park’s hill, the center is the perfect starting point for our exploration. Here, we’ll meet our expert for a walking exploration highlighting Old Louisville’s rich history and architecture from the 1880s–1890s. With our expert leading the way, we’ll explore the nation’s largest Victorian-era historic district on an architectural walk through its storied streets. We’ll then step inside one of its most impressive residences for an inside look at the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, where life at the turn of the 20th century comes vividly to life. The Museum is an outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and the celebrated work of noted local architect Arthur Loomis of Clarke & Loomis.
Dinner:
At the hotel in the beautiful Swizzle Restaurant surrounded by the best river and city views in Louisville.
Evening:
After our farewell dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of the hotel, we'll continue our goodbyes and visit with our newfound friends.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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