West Louisville

West Louisville contains nearly a dozen neighborhoods bordering the Ohio River, including Algonquin, Hallmark, Park DuValle, Parkland, Russell, California, Chickasaw, and Shawnee. The area celebrates its strong African American heritage with historical attractions, including The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Muhammad Ali’s boyhood home, St. Stephen Church, Simmons College of Kentucky and the recently established Louisville Urban League Sports and Learning Campus.

EAT & DRINK

Start your day at Blak Koffee, with locations in the Russell and Parkland neighborhoods, where you’ll find a full breakfast and lunch menu, including many house-made specialties like chicken and waffles. If you’re craving soul food early in the day, try Brunch & Soul while Tino’s Taste of Heaven serves up the classics and dessert too for lunch and early dinner. You can’t miss the Ali mural out front. For BBQ, both Gore’s SmokeOut BBQ and Stevie J’s offer carry out smoky goodness. Fried chicken connoisseurs will want to sample cash-only Indi’s where the lines move fast for the spicy treats that await. For sweeter treats, Hip Hop Sweet Shop serves up over-the-top milkshakes, parfaits and other desserts with bright decor celebrating Hip Hop musicians and music.

A landmark in the Russell neighborhood for more than 40 years, Club Cedar is known for having the best and cheapest drinks in the city, along with DJs and live music. Joe’s Palm Room was the place to be in the ‘50s, a jazz club where you might run into Redd Foxx, Joe Louis, Dizzy Gillespie, Richard Pryor or Muhammad Ali. The legend lives on today with live music, karaoke, theme nights, and indoor tailgating on UofL game days.

If you’re in the Shawnee neighborhood, order up a tasty picnic to take to Shawnee Park from Soulful Choices, located just across the street from the park on Broadway, or head over to Mani’s Cafe for burgers, chicken, fish, loaded Philly steak fries, and pasta salads. Enjoy all-day breakfast at Southern Hospitality Bar and Grill on Broadway, where you’ll find cinnamon brown sugar French toast along with a wide-ranging lunch and dinner menu covering pizza, wings, burgers, and seafood. You’ll want to take off your coat and stay awhile for the pool table and darts.

Located in the Parkland neighborhood, Big Momma’s Soul Kitchen is a no-frills joint that gets rave reviews for its soul food classics, including fried chicken, pork chops, and hearty sides. The Fish House & Grill is a California neighborhood favorite.

DISCOVER

Fans of “The Greatest” won’t want to miss the chance to cruise by Muhammad Ali’s childhood home in Parkland. Ali lived in the house as a youth in the 1940s through the early 1960s. A bronze marker is located in front of the house (outside photo opportunities available – no inside admittance). In 2023, internationally renowned artist Shepard Fairey, who also created Barack Obama’s iconic political poster image, visited Louisville to paint a seven-story mural of Muhammad Ali on the Chestnut Street Family YMCA.

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage features rotating exhibits that pay homage to the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in Kentucky.

Union Station, a railroad depot from the 1890s, is a sight to behold with exceptional architectural features inside and out. The station served 58 trains a day during the height of rail travel in the 1920s. Today, it serves as the offices of the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) and is open to the public.

Along the Ohio River, 285-acre Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Shawnee Park is home to a riverwalk, biking paths, recreation fields, and a public 18-hole golf course, considered one of the city’s most “player-friendly.” Shawnee Park also plays host to the Dirt Bowl, a summer-long community basketball tournament that’s been a tradition for more than 50 years. Tennis courts, picnic sites and a fishing lake make up nearby Chickasaw Park, and you can take a dip in the swimming pool at Algonquin Park. The newly opened Alberta O. Jones Park features a large playground, walking paths, a picnic pavilion, and a mural honoring the pioneering attorney and civil rights champion.

St. Stephen Church, the largest African American church in the region, welcomes visitors who would like to tour the Baptist church and community center’s four-block campus. Simmons College of Kentucky – a historic co-ed African American university – has gained recognition for forming a significant partnership with the National Baptist Convention of America International, which has resulted in the national organization relocating its corporate headquarters to the city. The Russell neighborhood is home to the Louisville Urban League Sports and Learning Campus, a 24-acre, multi-sport complex that includes the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center and Humana Outdoor Track & Field, a prized host of local, regional, and national indoor and outdoor track meets and other events. Their outdoor track is available to the public daily.

Featured Attractions & Things to Do