Department of Tourism
Derby Museum and Walking Tours Offer Insider's View of Churchill Downs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- With Kentucky Derby interest reaching fever pitch, the focus of millions of horse racing fans around the world is turning to Louisville’s storied Churchill Downs. What you may not know is that there is much more to Churchill Downs than Derby Day, and many more opportunities to experience the world of the famous race track than the first Saturday in May.

While some150,000 race fans jam the grandstands, clubhouse and infield on Derby Day, groups and individuals can get an up-close and personal look in a more tranquil atmosphere at famous and not so well-known features of Churchill Downs many other days throughout the calendar. The Derby Museum’s busiest day of the year is the Sunday after Derby Day.
Since opening in 1985, the museum has welcomed over 200,000 guests each year from throughout the world through its doors.

Any tour of the grounds should start with a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum, located near the track’s main entrance at Gate 1 on Central Ave. in Louisville’s South End.  The museum contains a diverse collection of racing memorabilia and provides an overview of the track’s development since it staged the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. The museum is open daily to the public with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Oaks Day, Derby Day, and Breeder’s Cup when in Louisville.

In addition to the historic guided walking tour of Churchill Downs (included in the $10 adult  museum admission price), the museum provides two other fascinating tours that give visitors the opportunity to see areas that are closed off to the general public.

The first of these tours is the Barn and Backside Van Tour, where guides take up to 12 guests on a one-hour tour of Churchill Downs’ stable area and infield. There are two spots for picture taking, time permitting. Tours are offered mid-March through November except during Derby week. The cost for an adult is $10 plus museum admission.

The backside is an intriguing world unto itself, where about 1,000 trainers, jockeys, exercise riders, grooms, stable hands and other colorful characters toil mostly out of the limelight during racing season to keep their thoroughbreds in peak condition to compete for prizes and glory on the track. Some of the track workers bunk in a 266-bed dormitory-style building amid the rows of 47 stables that house their equine charges. A recent addition to the backside is a chapel where workers, the majority of whom travel with their horses to tracks around the country, can go to find a sense of community and spiritual direction. 

Visit this “other side” of Churchill Downs to see racehorses in their environment. More than 1,400 stalls dot the back of the track, and most are full during the peak seasons. On any given day of training, visitors could see a 2-year-old in line to win next year’s Derby, a 9-year-old nearing retirement or the Derby winner himself. The world-class thoroughbreds range in value up to millions of dollars. See the horses in training, catch them during a bath, and learn about life at the track. Stops will be made for picture taking at the track (time and weather permitting). This exclusive tour is offered only to guests of the museum. This is a great tour for horse lovers, but please note: guests will not be able to touch the animals. (Tour is not available during Derby week.)

Groups and individual guests may also be treated to the exclusive VIP areas of Churchill Downs with the Behind the Scenes Walking Tour. Tour guides will take up to 15 guests on a one-hour tour of Churchill Downs’ Millionaire’s Row, Jockey’s Quarters, Press Box and other areas of the newly renovated clubhouse. While visiting each location, guests are shown a brief video to illustrate the atmosphere of Derby Day. These areas are not accessible to the general public and can only be seen on the museum tour. Due to the exclusive nature of this tour, the Behind the Scenes Walking Tour is not available during Derby week and during racing days of the spring and Fall Meets. (The track is generally closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the meets.) The fee for an adult is $10 plus museum admission.
After the Derby hiatus, tours will resume May 7.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is open:
Summer Hours (March 15 – November 30)
MONDAY - SATURDAY:
MUSEUM OPEN: 8AM - 5PM
BARN & BACKSIDE TOURS: 7AM, 8:30AM, 10AM, 11:30AM, 1PM, 2:30PM
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR: 10AM, 12PM, 2PM
(ONLY AVAILABLE NON-RACE DAYS DURING CHURCHILL DOWNS SPRING & FALL RACE MEETS.)
GIFT SHOP OPEN: 8AM - 5PM

SUNDAY:
MUSEUM OPEN: 11AM - 5PM
BARN & BACKSIDE TOURS 11:30PM, 1PM, 2:30PM
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR: 12:30PM & 2:30 PM
(ONLY AVAILABLE NON-RACE DAYS DURING CHURCHILL DOWNS SPRING & FALL RACE MEETS.)
GIFT SHOP OPEN: 11AM-5PM
SUNDAY AFTER DERBY - MAY 4, 2008, OPEN AT 9:00 A.M.
Winter Hours (December 1 - March 14)
MONDAY - SATURDAY:
MUSEUM OPEN: 9AM - 5PM
BARN & BACKSIDE TOURS: (NOT AVAILABLE DURING WINTER HOURS)
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR: 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM
GIFT SHOP OPEN: 9AM - 5PM

SUNDAY:
MUSEUM OPEN: 11AM - 5PM
BARN & BACKSIDE TOURS: (NOT AVAILABLE DURING WINTER HOURS)
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR: 12:30PM & 2:30PM
GIFT SHOP OPEN: 11AM-5PM
ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME.

Handicap Accessible; wheelchairs available. 
For more information about the museum and tours of Churchill Downs, call 502-637-7097 or visit the museum’s web site, www.derbymuseum.org.
 
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The Kentucky Department of Tourism, an agency of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet, exists to promote The Commonwealth as a travel destination, generate revenue and create jobs for Kentucky’s economy.