First and foremost, you’ve got to check out the beautiful Louisville waterfront. Sited along the Ohio River, Louisville’s downtown is unique for its stunning evening reflections and 85-acre Waterfront Park. It’s considered the front door to Kentucky from its northern neighbor, Indiana. Three phases, with a total estimated of approximately $95 million has made this park a city treasure that continues to evolve. Aside from the spectacular view, the park hosts an ongoing roster of concerts and festivals and it’s the perfect spot for some quiet reflection, a lovely stroll or a picnic in one of the country’s finest urban parks.
Just across the Ohio River in Indiana, the Falls of the Ohio State Park — a swift 10 minutes from downtown — is part of a National Wildlife Conservation Area and includes an interpretive center where visitors can learn about the nearby Devonian fossil beds from the Paleozoic Era. Finds include ancient shells, so-called Indian Bead fossils, corals and various snails. The history of previous human inhabitants is also on display in this educational and accessible park.
To see Louisville’s best side, book a trip on the Steamer Belle of Louisville, which is a National Historic Landmark and, according to its operator, the oldest Mississippi-style steamboat in the world.
The Steamer Belle is open and available year-round, and lunch or dinner cruises are also available — but reservations are recommended. For the standard sightseeing tour, rates are $21 for adults, $20 for seniors 60 and older, 12 for children 3-12 and free for kids 2 and under. A $1 port charge is included in the ticket price.
For more information on the Belle of Louisville, visit www.belleoflouisville.org. To learn more about great destinations in and around Louisville, visit www.gotolouisville.com.