Although I’ve lived in Louisville for eight years and Kentucky for 17, I’ve not attended the Kentucky Derby. But I still feel excitement as I watch each year’s race. To appreciate the Derby, it helps to be educated about the many facets of the thoroughbred racing tradition. The Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs offers fascinating and interactive exhibits, tours and events to help children of all ages, even neophytes of horse racing like myself, appreciate “the greatest two minutes of sports.”
The Kentucky Derby Museum entrance is to the left of the main entrance and, yes, you go through the bright green starting gates. The museum is bright, spacious and invites exploration. Many exhibits are updated annually with new Derby winner information and pictures. In the Great Hall, visitors watch an exciting video about the Derby entitled, “The Great Race.” It highlights the hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute events of Derby Day. After the video, guests can wander about to suit their fancy in first or second floor exhibits.
In one interactive exhibit, visitors can test their jockey knee muscles as they mount one of two saddled, fiberglass horses and hold the jockey’s position while watching their horse take 120 seconds to run the one-and-a-quarter-mile track on a video monitor—but don’t get tired. Sitting down on the horse ends the game. Another exhibit shows a pyramid of horses representing, at the bottom, the over 40,000 foals born yearly and working up to the 20 Derby entries and the winner on top. The contributions of African-American jockeys are also detailed in an exhibit. Paintings including an Andy Warhol depicting jockey Willie Shoemaker are featured as well.
Step up on the jockey scale and compare weights to the greats, see a century old, conserved U.S. flag that flew at the Downs, study the science of the racehorse steps and strides, and learn about “conformation,” or the anatomy of choosing a good thoroughbred. There are exhibits on farriers, veterinarians, training, breeding and track conditions.
The Kentucky Derby Museum started in April 1985 on land donated by Churchill Downs. It is a private nonprofit funded by corporate sponsorships, gift shop sales and visitor receipts fund the operation. The Museum also hosts a Gala fundraiser. In 1999 the Museum was renovated to the tune of $10 million dollars, reopening in 2000.
The Derby and the Downs are such long-standing Kentucky institutions—this year’s Derby is the 134th—that it has become part of the culture for natives and adopted Kentuckians alike. The museum has a full-time traveling educator and offers learning opportunities for teachers and students, such as field trips, outreach programs, free student admission from November through March, student art exhibits, artists in residence, after-school youth and scout programs, sessions to observe morning horse workouts and literacy collaboration with local libraries. Some specific programs that dovetail with Kentucky Core Content (content that has been identified as essential for all students to know and will be included on the state assessment) are, “Odds in Everyday Life,” “Thoroughbred Care,” “Vanishing Bluegrass” and “Science on the Track.”
Daily tours include the Barn and Backside Tour and the Behind the Scenes Tour. Tours are $10 per person. Museum admission is $10 (unless you choose the Trifecta—both above tours and museum and get $5 off the combination of prices), $9 for seniors, $8 for students ages 13-18, $5 for children 5-12, and free for Members and children four and under. The Derby Museum is open Mon.–Sat. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. during the season of March 15 through Nov. 30. The Derby Caf√à also is open for weekday lunches from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
I had fun learning how much I didn’t know! May you be blessed with fun learning experiences on your spring day trips in Kentucky, and prepare for the great day on May 3.
To get there
To get to the Derby Museum from Lexington, take Interstate 64 west for about 64 miles to Louisville. Exit to the right for Watterson Parkway, 264, west. Drive for nine miles to exit 10 for Third Street. Turn right off the ramp and drive to Central Avenue. Turn left on Central and left again into the main entrance; there is free parking. The Derby Museum is located at 704 Central Ave., Louisville, KY, 40208.
Exhibits and Events
“Dream Chasers: The Art of Living on the Backside.” The Backside is a fascinating seasonal community, including those who make art with found objects. The opening of exhibits is April 14.
Kentucky Derby Museum Gala Fundraiser. The Saturday before the Derby, April 26, the infield is transformed to an elegant tent city and the event is a major fundraiser for the museum.
The Museum also is available for rental for business or personal events such as weddings. The Great Hall video images can be customized for your special theme. For more information, call (502) 637-7097 or visit online at www.derbymuseum.org.
What’s in a drink?
The Downs prepares for the Derby’s drink du jour
•5,000 quarts of bourbon
•60 tons of ice
•150 bushels of fresh mint
•A secret amount of sugar
Yum! It will be a feast for a giant—or 80,000 juleps for regular-sized people.