Speed Art Museum

Louisville


Built in 1927 and revamped to the tune of $60 million in recent years, Kentucky's most important art museum – unaffiliated but on the University of Louisville campus – is a beautiful juxtaposition of classic and contemporary. It's highlighted by Spencer Finch's (of National September 11 Memorial Museum fame) Grand Atrium walled with fretted glass and Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast's striking stacked concrete exterior. Collection highlights include Chuck Close's Barack Obama tapestry and Rembrandt's Portrait of a 40-Year-Old Woman.

The Kentucky decorative arts collection likewise impresses. The whole museum is set up not to overwhelm, and exhibitions are signed to explain how to view them rather than with a deluge of artsy descriptions. There's also a cafe and art house cinema onsite.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Louisville attractions

1. Kentucky Derby Museum

1 MILES

On the Churchill Downs racetrack grounds, the museum has exhibits on derby history, including a peek into the life of jockeys and a roundup of the most…

2. Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

2.7 MILES

The first distillery to open on Whiskey Row, Evan Williams puts on quite a multimedia show. Exhibits transport you back to the 1780s when bourbon-making…

3. Old Forester Distilling Co

2.71 MILES

A new Whiskey Row facility that opened in 2018, Old Forester itself is a classic brand, around since the 1870s. The distillery lets you view the entire…

4. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

2.73 MILES

See how baseball's most famous bat is made. Hillerich & Bradsby Co have been manufacturing the Louisville Slugger here since 1884. Admission includes a…

5. Kentucky Science Center

2.74 MILES

Three floors of exhibits illuminate biology, physiology, physics, computing and more for families (kids love it) on historic Main St. For an extra $8 to …

6. Angel's Envy

2.75 MILES

A micro-distillery that's one of the hippest spots around, Angel's Envy bucks local tradition by finishing its bourbon in port barrels, giving it a hint…

7. Frazier History Museum

2.76 MILES

This state-of-the-art museum covers 1000 years of history with grisly battle dioramas and costumed interpreters demonstrating swordplay and staging mock…

8. Muhammad Ali Center

2.81 MILES

This must-see museum tells the tale of the city's most famous native: a local boxer nicknamed the Louisville Lip or, simply, The Greatest. Highlights…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/the-south/louisville/attractions/speed-art-museum/a/poi-sig/1563836/362202",
      "destination": "Louisville",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Kentucky",
      "city": "Louisville",
      "position": "superzone"
    }