Celebrating Black History Month With Two New Black Heritage Tours
Bourbon City’s iconic attractions offer African American legacy experiences
Louisville Tourism, the marketing agency that promotes the city as a travel destination, has unveiled new programming related to seven of the city’s attractions, with Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and the Kentucky Derby Museum already offering their specialized tours to the public. The rest of the attractions in the collection plan to open their tours this spring.
The overarching theme, named the Unfiltered Truth Collection, involves experiences celebrating the impact of African American contributions to Louisville’s history, heritage and culture through stories many have never heard before.
For several years, the agency has been actively curating the city’s cultural assets that reflect Louisville’s authentic Black Heritage with a dedicated plan to build these immersive experiences highlighting the African American influence in Kentucky. Visit www.gotolouisville.com/black-heritage for more information.
Currently open:
- Evan Williams Bourbon Experience: Guests meet an actor portraying Louisville native and renowned bartender, Tom Bullock – the First Black American to write and publish a cocktail book. 45- minute tour available Thursdays and Fridays for $20 per person.
- Kentucky Derby Museum: A weekly walking tour focusing on the legacy of African Americans in the Thoroughbred industry and their influence on the Kentucky Derby will soon be joined with actor portrayals of significant Black groomers, trainers and jockeys. Held Saturdays at 1pm for $15 per person.
Coming soon:
- Frazier History Museum: A narrated tour exploring the unheard stories about the significant contributions of African Americans to the history of bourbon making in Louisville.
- Kentucky Center for African American Heritage: The story of Kentucky-born Mary Ann Fisher as one of the first African American women to have a career as a national Rhythm and Blues singer.
- Locust Grove: Learn first-hand what life was like on the 19th century farm as told by the enslaved who served the Croghan family.
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: Focuses on the best Black baseball team you’ve never heard of and how they dominated in the face of racism –defeating their opponents, including white teams.
- Roots 101 African American Museum: Black history, culture, and art comes to life in this narrated tour of the Black journey from an African King through the social justice movement of today.
Press note: Please contact Rosanne Mastin at rmastin@gotolouisville.com for photos and b-roll or to arrange a media preview at a specific location.