Was It Worth It?
Churchill Downs Racetrack

​Posted October 26, 2025, by Janet Wolfe

What It Is

A one-mile, oval dirt track, famed for its annual thoroughbred horse race, The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually running sporting event in America (it started in 1875), also known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

Where It Is

Louisville, Kentucky

When We Went

July 2019

What We Did

Walked the museum, saw a really well-done 360° movie, and took a 30-minute guided walking tour.

How Much We Spent

We don’t have records of what this cost us in 2019.  However, as Track tour tickets are included in the cost of the museum admission fee.  Tours are given every hour, on the half hour.  Tickets, as of June 2024, cost $20 for adults age 13-64, $18 for seniors, $12 for kids 5-12, and free for kids under 5.

How Much Time We Spent There

We only spent about two hours there, but we rushed through the museum.  Because we visited the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs Racetrack after the Ark Encounter (in Williamstown, KY, about 1 hour and 45 minutes northeast of Churchill Downs), we didn’t arrive at the Kentucky Derby Museum until around 2:00.  We zipped through the exhibits on the first and second floor, pausing to let the kids “dress like a jockey” and line up in “the gates” with dad before heading to the 360°-screen theater for the 18-minute “The Greatest Race” movie at 2:10. 

From there, we dashed to meet our guide for our 2:30 walking group tour, which lasted about 30 minutes.  We probably could have gone back into the museum after our tour, but we spent a little time in the gift shop and then headed to our next stop: The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

What We Liked

We’re not horse-racing fans (although we have turned on the tv and watched the famous Kentucky Derby a few times), but we still appreciated the history of the famous race, the importance of the track’s main event, and the grandeur of the facility.  We enjoyed being able to stand next to the rail by the track, learning about the horses, and seeing two race horses, Mitch and Alfleet Model, in their stalls.

What We Didn't Like

I can't think of anything we didn't like.


Was it worth it? 

Yes.  Churchill Downs may be a controversial destination because of the gambling and horse racing, but it’s still an iconic part of American culture, and we enjoyed our time there.

For more information, visit https://www.churchilldowns.com/ and https://www.derbymuseum.org/plan-a-visit/tours.

Did You Know?   Thoroughbreds like having a friend with them.  It could be anything-–a cat, a dog, or even a chicken.