Old Louisville Victorian Architecture Tours

March through November, daily; limited dates in the off-season! Our tours include more than St. James Court. We see twice as much as other neighborhood walking tours, visiting Ormsby Avenue, Park Avenue cottages, Floral Terrace, the Witches' Tree, and Millionaires Row. Bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco settled here in the 1800s. Today, impressive Victorian mansions and quirky residents have earned national attention for Old Louisville. Author David Dominé often guides groups himself. The New York Times recommends his tours as a MUST during a visitor's "36 Hours in Louisville." Learn more in A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY, David's next book—out in October 2021! Narrated walks depart from the transitional edge of the neighborhood. If you love old houses, this is the tour for you! If you do not like an up-and-coming neighborhood with a diverse racial make up, please stay home. If you can't go 90 minutes without a bathroom, this is not for you!

March through November, daily; limited dates in the off-season! Impressive Victorian mansions and quirky residents have earned national attention for Old Louisville, where bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco settled in the 1800s. This narrated walk comes from books by David Dominé, who often guides groups himself. Tales involve personal experiences and neighborhood gossip. The New York Times recommends this as the first thing to do during a visitor's "36 Hours in Louisville." You'll also learn about A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY, David's next book—out in October 2021! Specializing in "America's Most Haunted Neighborhood," we depart from the corner of Fourth and Ormsby, at the transitional edge of the neighborhood. If you love old architecture and spooky history, this is the tour for you! If you do not like an up-and-coming neighborhood with a diverse racial make up, this tour is not for you! If you can't go 2 hours without a bathroom, this is not for you!

March through November, daily; limited dates in the off-season! Our tours include more than St. James Court. We see twice as much as other neighborhood walking tours that have copied us, visiting Ormsby Avenue, Park Avenue cottages, Floral Terrace, the Witches' Tree, and Millionaires Row. Bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco settled here in the 1800s. Today, impressive Victorian mansions and quirky residents have earned national attention for Old Louisville. Author David Dominé often guides groups himself. The New York Times recommends his tours as a MUST during a visitor's "36 Hours in Louisville." Learn more in A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY, David's true-crime memoir! Narrated walks depart from the transitional edge of the neighborhood. If you love old houses, this is the tour for you! If you do not like an up-and-coming neighborhood with a diverse racial make up, please stay home. If you can't go 90 minutes without a bathroom, this is not for you!

March through November, daily; limited dates in the off-season! Impressive Victorian mansions and quirky residents have earned national attention for Old Louisville, where bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and titans of tobacco settled in the 1800s. This narrated walk comes from books by David Dominé, who often guides groups himself. Tales involve personal experiences and neighborhood gossip. The New York Times recommends this as the first thing to do during a visitor's "36 Hours in Louisville." You'll also learn about A DARK ROOM IN GLITTER BALL CITY, David's next book—out in October 2021! Specializing in "America's Most Haunted Neighborhood," we depart from the corner of Fourth and Ormsby, at the transitional edge of the neighborhood. If you love old architecture and spooky history, this is the tour for you! If you do not like an up-and-coming neighborhood with a diverse racial make up, this tour is not for you! If you can't go 100 minutes without a bathroom, this is not for you!

Discover Louisville’s Victorian Charm — With Local Food, Drinks & No Crowds! Escape the crowds in Old Louisville and experience a side of the city most visitors miss. Just five minutes from downtown and NuLu, the Highlands is a local’s favorite, home to Louisville’s iconic Victorian architecture and “restaurant row”. Brimming with with tree-lined avenues, opulent Victorian mansions, and quirky charm, this hidden gem is over 50 years older than Old Louisville — and far more delicious! You’ll stroll tree-lined streets lined with colorful murals and grand historic homes, hear fascinating stories of immigrants, icons, and innovators, and enjoy generous tastings of signature Louisville flavors at beloved local eateries you’d never find on your own. Unlike Old Louisville’s large group walking tours (no food, no drinks, no fun), this small-group experience includes everything you came to Louisville for: bites, bourbon, history, charm, and no hassle!

Attractively priced at $10 per person for groups of 5 to 15, this EXCLUSIVE tour is for those who don't have much time, but still want to see and learn a lot about the fascinating Old Louisville neighborhood. Only 1 or 2 in your party? No worries, you can still book this as a private tour! At the pace YOU set, stroll shady walking courts in the gas-lamp district and down the city's old Millionaires Row where bourbon barons, racetrack royalty, and the titans of tobacco made their homes. Landmarks you'll admire from the sidewalks include the Samuel Culbertson Mansion, Conrad's Castle, the William Wathen House, the Pink Palace, and the emblematic Fountain at St. James Court. On this jaunt you'll be treated to a treasure trove of grand architecture from the late 1800s, including stunning examples of Richardsonian Romanesque and Renaissance Revival styles, not to mention many variations on the Italianate, Châteauesque, Queen Anne, Federal, Neo-Georgian, and Arts & Crafts genres.

Our smartphone-guided tour brings the facts and stories behind Louisville to life because we've taken the same stops and sights we share with our friends and families when they come to town and created an interactive web-based tour for you! Read the stories behind the city, answer questions to reveal fun facts, and experience what makes this quintessential Southern city incredible! Purchase your tour and then navigate to our website to enter your access code and launch the tour. You can either start immediately or create an account and come back when you are ready to explore. Please note that you and your group read the tour aloud to one another - there is no audio functionality at this time.

The Old Louisville historic preservation district is home to hundreds of impressive Victorian mansions that trace back to wealthy families in the 1800s. This daytime walking tour includes the same stories featured on our popular evening ghost tours, and is perfect for those who love a combination of ghosts and history. A trained guide will help you uncover the eerie past of the neighborhood while sharing entertaining legends and lore. This tour is entirely outdoors and includes stops outside several points of interest including the Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, the Witches' Tree, Central Park, and the Filson Historical Society.