The Kentucky Derby Museum is dedicated to preservation of the Kentucky Derby. The museum is located in Louisville, Kentucky and was opened to the public in the spring of 1984. The mission of the Kentucky Derby Museum is to provide visitors with a lasting impression of the tradition, history and pride associated with the race. Every year the museum welcomes over 200,000 visitors through the doors and gives guests a firsthand view of the event for which Louisville, Kentucky is best known for.
The Kentucky Derby Museum is located on the grounds of Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. Most of the money to build the museum came from the estate of James Graham Brown, a local business man and real estate developer from Louisville, Kentucky. Brown was devoted to community development and philanthropy and he envisioned a location where the history of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby could be preserved. The museum was set up as a non-profit corporation and receives revenue from self-generating sources, community grants and private donations.
The museum is one of the most popular attractions in Louisville Kentucky and since opening, has welcome well over 2 million people. Located at Gate 1, on the grounds of Churchill Downs, the museum consists of two floors of exhibits and displays dedicated to Thoroughbred racing and the Kentucky Derby. The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits that change periodically throughout the racing season.
The first exhibit area is entitled, "The Derby Experience''. The exhibit displays the color and traditions of the activities surround the Derby, Derby week and Kentucky Oaks. One of the newest items of the display in the Winners Circle is Giaconda's Garland of Roses, which is a free dried garland of roses donated by the owners of a Derby winning horse. Also included in the exhibit area is the Warner L. Jones, Jr. Time Machine, which allows guests to select and view films about Derby winners from 1918 to the present day.
The second exhibit showcases the Derby Winners, Jockey's, Trainers and Owners. The exhibit allows visitors to learn about the horses, trainers and owners and the people behind the scenes of the Kentucky Derby. By picking up a phone, the guest can learn about the most famous Thoroughbreds in racing history such as; Seattle Slew, Secretariat, War Admiral and several others.
The third exhibit area is devoted to The Jockey's and The Backside. Guests are invited to learn about the life of a horse racing jockey. Also included in the display is an informative exhibit about "The Backside'', which shows guests get a firsthand look at what it's like to live and work behind the scenes of a racetrack. Guests are also invited to view the first 360-degree high definition presentation in the world; the presentation showcases the complete history of the Kentucky Derby and brings the whole experience to life.
Guests to the museum are invited to tour the grounds of Churchill Downs, the paddock, stables and the horses who call the grounds of Churchill Downs home. The museum also hosts special walking tours for groups of ten or more and has advanced booking with 24 hours notice. The Kentucky Derby is open daily, with special hours reserved for holidays and race days.
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