Visit the Kentucky Derby Museum and tour Churchill Downs

The name of each Kentucky Derby winner is posted around the grandstand building, with a special designation for Triple Crown winners.  The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing includes three races:  The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness States and the Belmont Stakes.  There have been 11 Triple Crown winners in the history of these races.  The best known of the winners is Secretariat, who in 1973 broke records in all three races.  During a study of Secretariat’s body following his 1989 death, it was found that his heart weighed 21 pounds, three times the average size.  It is believed that the size of his heart is what gave him his stamina.In full bloom during the summer months, the rose garden includes statues of Aristides, the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, held in 1875, and Pat Day, Churchill Downs’ winningest jockey.  Pat Day won 2,481 races during his career.  At four-feet-ten-inches, Day often mentioned he wished he was at least five feet tall.  So when his statue was erected, his wish was granted; the statue is five feet tall.Churchill Downs, opened in 1875, was originally known as Jockey Club Park, and the grandstand was located on the opposite side of the track from what it is today.  Spectators complained that the sun was constantly in their eyes, so in 1895 the grandstand was rebuilt in its present location.  The name changed to Churchill Downs in the 1930s.  In 1986 Churchill Downs was added to the National Historic Landmark register.View the list »
The winning horse in the Kentucky Derby is paraded into the Winner’s Circle and draped with a blanket of roses, as demonstrated by this replica in the Kentucky Derby Museum.  On the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, fillies Run for the Lilies in the Kentucky Oaks.  The winning filly is draped with a garland of lilies.

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Imagine being amidst the grandeur of Derby day, sipping a mint julep, women donned in elegant hats, the excitement building among the crowd of over 160,000 people, as the moment for the Run for the Roses approaches. The hoopla began two weeks prior with Thunder Over Louisville, the biggest fireworks display in the United States, kicking off the two-week long Kentucky Derby Festival. Fourteen days of parties, athletic events, wine tastings and more have culminated in the 11th race of the day at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. “My Old Kentucky Home,” the official Kentucky state song is performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band as 20 three-year-old thoroughbreds assemble at the starting gate. Everyone’s attention turns toward the track…and they’re off.

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Kentucky Derby Museum
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The Kentucky Derby Museum, on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, relives the excitement of the Derby every day. Begin in the oval theater watching a 360 degree film, “The Greatest Race,” which gives you an inside look at what goes into preparing for the Kentucky Derby. Browse the museum displays and participate in interactive exhibits like racing on horse simulators.

On your tour of Churchill Downs, included in the museum ticket fee, your guide will fill you in on historical and anecdotal Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby facts. See the resident thoroughbred Risen Warrior and miniature horse Winston, statues and sculptures, the paddocks and rose garden. Stand inside the winner’s circle where the winning horse in every race at Churchill Downs has its picture taken, with the exception of the Kentucky Derby winner, whose winner’s circle is in a special, more elaborate location on the opposite side of the track. Gaze up at the empty grandstand, the iconic twin spires reaching toward the sky, and once again imagine it full of spectacularly dressed spectators out for the most exciting two minutes that occur at Churchill Downs every year.

The Derby Café
Plan to have lunch in the Derby Café before or after your tour. Sip a mint julep made with Kentucky bourbon and take home a souvenir collectable glass. Try one of several traditional Kentucky dishes, like Kentucky Burgoo, a thick stew of chicken, beef, pork, vegetables and spices, or Louisville Hot Brown, developed at the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, an open-face turkey sandwich smothered in a blend of Bechemel and Mornay sauces, then topped with fresh, sliced tomatoes and bacon. Finish off your meal with Kentucky Bread Pudding, or try Derby Pie, developed at the Melrose Inn, rich with chocolate chips, walnuts, butter and sugar in a pastry shell. The Derby Café is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Louisville is less than a five hour drive from Chicago or a one-hour flight. The Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs are located just a few minutes from the Louisville International Airport.

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  • The winning horse in the Kentucky Derby is paraded into the Winner’s Circle and draped with a blanket of roses, as demonstrated by this replica in the Kentucky Derby Museum.  On the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, fillies Run for the Lilies in the Kentucky Oaks.  The winning filly is draped with a garland of lilies.
  • Churchill Downs, opened in 1875, was originally known as Jockey Club Park, and the grandstand was located on the opposite side of the track from what it is today.  Spectators complained that the sun was constantly in their eyes, so in 1895 the grandstand was rebuilt in its present location.  The name changed to Churchill Downs in the 1930s.  In 1986 Churchill Downs was added to the National Historic Landmark register.
  • In full bloom during the summer months, the rose garden includes statues of Aristides, the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, held in 1875, and Pat Day, Churchill Downs’ winningest jockey.  Pat Day won 2,481 races during his career.  At four-feet-ten-inches, Day often mentioned he wished he was at least five feet tall.  So when his statue was erected, his wish was granted; the statue is five feet tall.
  • The name of each Kentucky Derby winner is posted around the grandstand building, with a special designation for Triple Crown winners.  The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing includes three races:  The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness States and the Belmont Stakes.  There have been 11 Triple Crown winners in the history of these races.  The best known of the winners is Secretariat, who in 1973 broke records in all three races.  During a study of Secretariat’s body following his 1989 death, it was found that his heart weighed 21 pounds, three times the average size.  It is believed that the size of his heart is what gave him his stamina.
  • You can see resident thoroughbred Risen Warrior (pictured) and miniature horse Winston from the Derby Café or closer up during your tour of Churchill Downs.  During his racing career, the 17-year-old Risen Warrior had 19 wins, 19 seconds and 18 thirds.  Risen Warrior, a dark bay gelding, is on loan from Alex Rankin, owner of Upson Downs Farm.  Winston was donated by Marvin and Norma Aubrey, Posh Petites, Paint & Appaloosa Miniature Horses in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
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, Chicago Travel Examiner

Connie Reed, a lifelong Chicago area resident, loves to explore new places and share her stories. She recently began her own blog, www.midwestwanderer.com and has been named as an Enjoy Illinois Mile Marker Ambassador for the Enjoy Illinois tourism web site. Contact Connie at connie...

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