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Permanent ExhibitsYou can still visit our resident horses Phantom On Tour & Winston during our Historic Walking Tour available out of Gate 17 of Churchill Downs.
Permanent Exhibits
The Kentucky Derby Museum, one of Kentucky’s premier attractions, captures the pride, traditions, and excitement of the “greatest two minutes in sports”. The Museum is dedicated to expanding public awareness, appreciation and understanding of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing.
Due to flood damage, the Museum has been closed since August 4th, 2009. Turning adversity into opportunity, we have decided to undergo a complete renovation. We will re-open on Sunday, April 18, 2010 with new exhibits, more interactive experiences and a fresh mission of sharing the FUN of the Kentucky Derby experience. This $6 million dollar renovation project will tackle a large scale effort usually accomplished by museums in a period of 18 months. Both floors of the museum will change during the construction providing a larger “fan” experience on the main floor with new celebrity, infield and fashion themes introduced. The second floor of the museum will focus on the stories of champion horses, trainers, jockeys and owners along with inside looks at racing and Derby.
Please check back with us for updated details on exhibits and join us for our Grand Re-opening.
Derby Hat Exhibit
Each year, the Kentucky Derby Museum invites participants from around the world to enter their beautiful and unique Derby hats in our annual contest. A panel of judges and guests then rates the hats, with the top twenty to thirty being selected for the 2009 Kentucky Derby Museum’s Derby Hat Exhibit. This year's hats have been selected and are currently on display. Voting is open for the People's Choice award.
2009 Selections. Click for details and to enlarge.
