Why choose this Louisville tour ?
March through November, daily; limited dates in the off-season!
Our tours include more than St. James Court. We see twice as much as other neighborhood walking tours, visiting Ormsby Avenue, Park Avenue cottages, Floral Terrace, the Witches’ Tree, and Millionaires Row. Bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco settled here in the 1800s. Today, impressive Victorian mansions and quirky residents have earned national attention for Old Louisville.
Author David Dominé often guides groups himself. The New York Times recommends his tours as a MUST during a visitor’s “36 Hours in Louisville.” Learn more in A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY, David’s next book—out in October 2021!
Narrated walks depart from the transitional edge of the neighborhood. If you love old houses, this is the tour for you! If you do not like an up-and-coming neighborhood with a diverse racial make up, please stay home. If you can’t go 90 minutes without a bathroom, this is not for you!
Make the most of your Louisville adventure
What makes Old Louisville Walking Tour Recommended by The New York Times! @ 4th and Ormsby a unique experience ?
With more than a thousand structures spread out over 40 square blocks, Old Louisville is one of the largest historic districts in the United States. This is a transitional neighborhood and you should expect to encounter things you would in any larger city. Panhandlers and homeless people, for example, are often found along Fourth Street at the north edge of the neighborhood. This is a walking tour and we do not enter any structures, as most of the houses in Old Louisville are private residences. We do stop in front of the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, and you can arrange with them to tour the mansion for a fee.
A gnarled tree rose up on the spot where a tree cherished by local witches once stood. When the city chopped down the original tree, townsfolk incurred the wrath of the crones, who sent a tornado to destroy the city in revenge. Visitors often leave offerings on the twisted trunk to make amends.
This is a walking tour and we do not enter any structures, as most of the houses in Old Louisville are private residences. We do stop in front of the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, and you can arrange with them to tour the mansion for a fee.
At the heart of the old Millionaires Row, the Bernheim Mansion features green men arranged around a triple Roman-arched porch. This is just one of the features that sets this impressive Richardsonian Romanesque mansion apart.
Built in 1905, the Ferguson Mansion once counted as the grandest home in the city. A splendid example of Beaux Arts architecture, it today is headquarters for the Filson Historical Society. Visits can be arranged separately.
Just like its famous cousin in New York City, Louisville’s Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. With 14 acres of native tree species and shaded walkways, this four-square-block space counts as the green heart of the neighborhood. It’s also where Shakespeare in the Park takes place each summer, since 1961, making it the nation’s oldest free outdoor Shakespeare event.
Tour Description & Additional Info:
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- FYI The starting point is in a transitional area where you might encounter panhandlers, homeless people, and people who don’t look like you.
- Not recommended for visitors with mobility issues
- MUST BE ABLE TO WALK 90 MINUTES WITHOUT A BATHROOM BREAK!
Options To Choose for Your Trip:
- Old Louisville Walking Tour Recommended by The New York Times! @ 4th and Ormsby
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Old Louisville Walking Tour Recommended by The New York Times! @ 4th and Ormsby Inclusions:
Included with Your Ticket
- Certified Guide
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Special Instructions:
- This Tour is Provided by Louisville Historic Tours.
- Tour Timezone & Starts at America/New_York.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
- All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
- This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 643 valid reviews on VIATOR.
- Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
- Maximum 15 Travelers is accepted for booking.
Please be advised that all walking tours start and end at the transitional edge of an ethnically diverse neighborhood; you might encounter panhandling and homelessness, things found in many good-sized cities across the country.
Meet your guide several minutes before the tour start time and wear comfortable walking shoes. Daytime Old Louisville Walking tours depart from the corner of South Fourth Street and West Ormsby Avenue, in front of the brown “Welcome to Old Louisville” sign.
Plan on about 90 minutes for each tour. Please treat your tour tickets as you would concert or theater tickets. If you miss your tour, there are no refunds; if you arrive late, it is up to you to find your guide. We still conduct the tour even if there is only one person signed up.
