Frequently Asked Questions

Guests of the Kentucky Derby Museum may generally park free of charge at Churchill Downs. However, race days may affect which lots Museum guests can use. For the most up-to-date information, visit the Directions and Parking page.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is convienently located approximately 5 miles from downtown Louisville and approximately 3 miles from Louisville International Airport (SDF). For the most up-to-date directions, visit the Directions and Parking page.
Museum hours vary throughout the year, and may be affected by special events, especially during the Kentucky Derby Festival. For the most up-to-date information, visit the General Information page.
A general admission ticket ($20/adult or $12/children) includes two floors of Museum exhibits, a Guided Track Visit of Churchill Downs Racetrack, a showing of "The Greatest Race™" and access to our Museum stable, Store and Café.

The Kentucky Derby Museum general admission ticket does NOT include entry to racing at Churchill Downs Racetrack. The Museum and Churchill Downs are separate entities, so separate admission tickets are required for each.

Learn more: General Information
Showings of "The Greatest Race" are at 10 minutes past each hour. Additional showings may be scheduled on peak attendance days.

Learn more: "The Greatest Race"
A senior discount for ages 65 and over ($18 per person) and a military discount ($18 per person) are both available. Additionally, children under 5 are admitted free of charge.

Additional discounts for parties of 15 or more may also be available. Visit the Group Tours page for more details.
Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather for all Museum tours, including comfortable walking shoes.

If your Museum admission includes clubhouse tickets to racing at Churchill Downs Racetrack, please verify the dress code for your ticketed area at https://www.churchilldowns.com/visit/info/dress-code.
Our Guided Track Visit involves about 1/4-mile of walking on flat ground at an easy pace. This tour is wheelchair and stroller friendly.

Learn more about this tour: Guided Track Visit
Admission to the Museum includes a Guided Track Visit to view Churchill Downs racetrack and grandstand. These tours depart at 30 minutes past each hour. Several of our other specialty tours give guests additional racetrack views. On racing days, guests may choose to purchase a separate Churchill Downs ticket in order to see the track and take in a race. Non-ticketed guests are not able to view the racetrack from the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Learn more about this tour: Guided Track Visit
The Kentucky Derby Museum (including the Store and Derby Café) will remain open for its regularly scheduled hours with available personnel. In the rare case of a closure due to weather, announcements will be posted via our website and social media outlets. A recording will also be added to our main line, (502) 637-1111, providing additional details regarding the closure.

In most cases, tours proceed rain or shine. Most tours have an outdoor component, so please dress accordingly. Please note that the use of umbrellas is prohibited when horses are present. For the safety of our team members and guests, we continuously monitor tour routes and the weather, and may decide to shorten, postpone or cancel tours due to certain weather conditions such as lightning storms, severe weather warnings or violent acts of nature. For questions regarding tour status, please give us a call at (502) 637-1111 for the most up-to-date information.
Unfortunately, petting Thoroughbreds is not available to our visitors. From time to time, the lead ponies do allow petting while our guests are on select specialty tours, but this is at the discretion of the individual riders.

Horseback riding is not available at the Kentucky Derby Museum or Churchill Downs, but the Kentucky Horse Park offers trail rides. More information is available here.
The Kentucky Derby Museum does not have the ability to cash betting tickets. Guests with wagering tickets must cash them at Churchill Downs or cash by mail. More information is available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/racing-wagering/wagering/cashing-tickets.
Kentucky Derby Museum general admission tickets do NOT include entry to racing at Churchill Downs. The Museum and Churchill Downs are separate entities, so separate admission tickets are required for each.

In some instances, guests may purchase package tickets that include Museum and Racetrack entry for an additional fee.

View Churchill Downs ticketing information
The city of Louisville has a wide variety of hotel options for every visitor and budget. Learn more at https://www.derbymuseum.org/plan-a-visit/visiting-louisville.html.
Our Derby Café & Bourbon Bar offers Kentucky fare and is a participant in the Urban Bourbon Trail. You can find more information, including their hours at https://www.derbymuseum.org/plan-a-visit/derby-cafe.html.

Other nearby restaurants include: For a complete list of Louisville area restaurants, visit https://www.gotolouisville.com/restaurants/.