As the home of Muhammad Ali and the Kentucky Derby, Louisville offers visitors authentic regional experiences combined with that special brand of Southern hospitality. Sip the world’s best bourbon along the Urban Bourbon Trail, tour historic landmarks honoring some of history’s greatest influencers and dine in award-winning restaurants. It’s a competitive and authentic global city with an edge in logistics, advanced manufacturing and health care innovation. It’s within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the nation and is home to UPS Worldport, the headquarters for Ford Motor Company, GE and Yum Brands!, as well as the American Printing House for the Blind and Hillerich & Bradsby Company, maker of Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

The name of the city is a legacy of French King Louis XVI, who negotiated with the new American colonies to help them gain their independence from England. The name was also a nod to the French territory of Louisiana, which at one time stretched from what is now the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

The sports scene in Louisville is just as exciting, from the University of Kentucky and Louisville Cardinals rivalry to the tension of basketball season. The city comes alive at night with a variety of theaters, blues clubs and dance venues. It’s where nationally-recognized concert entertainers like Montgomery/Gentry and John Michael Montgomery make their home base. It’s also where tens of thousands gather for the annual Zombie Attack, which is the largest event of its kind in the country.