The Kentucky Derby Museum is not your fusty old dad's museum, let me tell you.
Located just outside the legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, the two-story museum's first-floor underwent some serious renovations after the damage caused by the flood in 2009 - and we are the winners.
Where once there might have been row after row of glass cabinets filled with endless, dusty displays of memorabilia, now there is stunning, state-of-the-art technology of sight and sound, to immerse you in the majesty and tradition of thoroughbred racing at the highest level.
Hear the personal accounts of Derby memories from fans throughout the community. Marvel (and snicker) at the fabulous and outlandish Derby outfits of the rich and the famous throughout the years. Use the Time Machine to view Derby footage going back as far as 1918, including interviews with winning jockeys, trainers, and owners. Then immerse yourself in the Derby experience at “The Greatest Race” - the first 360-degree high-definition presentation in the world. High-definition film technology brings the Derby story alive with annually updated footage capturing the most recent Kentucky Derby victory.
If that's all too passive for you, try to maintain a jockey’s stance for the time it takes to run the 1.25 mile track on a simulated Derby day and race against your friends to the finish line! Not a jockey? Step inside the sound-proof Caller's booth and try your hand at calling the race playing on the video screen. Finally, have your photo taken in the famous Winners Circle or on the back of a horse at the starting gate!
Learn about the birth of foals and the daily life of yearlings, hear about the breeding process and the physiological signs of a winning horse. Hear an owner's reflections on the Kentucky Derby and the horse racing experience. Go inside the job of the jockey trained to control an animal often 10 times their weight.
The Kentucky Derby Museum pulls all the stops to deliver an in-depth view into the lives of the animals and people who make the Derby the great tradition it continues to be. Don't miss it!
