Kentucky Derby Museum

About

The Kentucky Derby Museum stands at the gates of Churchill Downs in Louisville, where every Kentucky Derby has been run. It is the official tour provider for the racetrack, so a visit combines the museum's two floors of Derby history with a walk out to the famous dirt track under the Twin Spires.

General admission covers the museum's hands-on exhibits on horses, jockeys, trainers and Derby traditions, and The Greatest Race, an 18-minute film shown in one of the world's only 360-degree theaters, which plays 10 minutes after every hour. It also includes a 25-minute Guided Track Visit through the Grandstand to the rail of the track. Paid add-on tours go further: early-morning workout tours on the Backstretch, barn tours, a Black Heritage in Racing tour, and visits to Millionaire's Row. The Derby Café and Bourbon Bar is open to museum guests.

From March 23 to Nov. 30 the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with shorter hours in winter. It closes for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas, and for a few days around the Derby itself. The museum posts general admission prices on its website, and extra tours start at about $15 on top of admission.

Museum visitor parking is free in the Churchill Downs lots, with the lot colors changing on race days. Louisville's downtown, the Louisville Slugger Museum and the Ohio River waterfront are about 10 minutes north by car.

Accessibility

The Kentucky Derby Museum is wheelchair accessible, and so is its included track visit, though many of the extra tours of historic Churchill Downs are not.

The easiest arrival is the loading zone in front of the main entrance on Central Avenue, by the Barbaro statue, where an automatic door has push-button entry. Inside, elevators and wheelchair-accessible restrooms serve both floors. Wheelchairs are lent free at the Front Desk, first come, first served. In winter, the museum clears snow and ice from routes when it can, but not always.

The Guided Track Visit included with admission is wheelchair accessible, with about 0.6 miles of walking and a few steps. Among the paid tours, the Thoroughbred Workout (about 0.3 miles, one step), the Derby Contender Workout (about 0.4 miles, one step up and down) and the Bourbon and Bridles Experience are listed as wheelchair accessible. The Backstretch Workout, Barn and Backside, Superstars and Spires, Black Heritage in Racing and Ultimate Churchill Downs tours are not, because of stairs or long walks. Each tour's page lists its walking distance.

For visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing, every showing of The Greatest Race has closed captioning, and the theater has an induction loop. An ASL interpreter is available with at least 48 business hours' notice.

A quiet room in the Family Resource Center on the second floor has a comfortable chair, a sound machine and sensory fidgets for anyone who feels overwhelmed. A personal care assistant gets in free. Only service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed, and some areas of the track are restricted for the safety of guests and horses. Call (502) 637-1111 with questions.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Kentucky

• Kentucky Science Center (Louisville)
• Muhammad Ali Center (Louisville)
• Mall St. Matthews (Louisville)
• Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay (Louisville)
• Belle of Louisville Riverboats (Louisville)
• Jefferson Mall (Louisville)

Photo credits

• The white arched Churchill Downs entrance building on Central Avenue under a cloudy sky.: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)
• The Twin Spires on top of the Churchill Downs grandstand, with the racetrack beyond.: JazzyJoeyD, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• A wide paved courtyard at Churchill Downs leading toward the grandstand and its spire.: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (source)