Gatsby's Louisville

Turning 100 years old in April 2025, The Great Gatsby is considered one of the greatest works of American literature and it may never have been written had it not been for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time in Louisville.

Stationed at Camp Taylor during World War I, a young Fitzgerald would often find himself at Louisville’s Seelbach Hotel for a drink at the bar. It’s there where Fitzgerald is said to have rubbed elbows with mobsters and bootleggers, one who is said to have ultimately inspired the character Jay Gatsby.

In fact, Louisville is mentioned throughout the novel and is the birthplace of Daisy Buchanan. The Seelbach Hotel, originally built in 1905, is penned as the location of Tom & Daisy’s lavish June wedding which saw “more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before.”

Louisville will celebrate the novel's 100th anniversary this Spring with a series of events at some of the city’s most historic attractions, along with the unveiling of a new Gatsby Suite at the Seelbach Hotel.

Can’t stay the night? Take a tour of the property to hear its storied history or order a Seelbach Cocktail at the bar, a prohibition-era-inspired libation with a past as dubious as Gatsby himself.

Take a look below for a Gatsby-inspired guide around Louisville, a recipe for the Seelbach Cocktail, and upcoming events.