Whether you’re in the River City for a day at the races or you’re just visiting, it’s always fun to check out some of Louisville’s unique (non-horsey) downtown attractions. The one that takes center stage during February and March has to be the Louisville Actors Theatre. One of America’s leading regional theatres, Actors will be kicking off its 34th Humana Festival of New American Plays February 21. This internationally acclaimed festival is the country’s pre-eminent showcase of new theatrical work. Several of the plays that have premiered at the festival have been Pulitzer Prize winners, eight have been adapted for film, and the theatre itself has been awarded a Tony. 316 West Main St. (591) 584-1205. www.actorstheatre.org.
 
Louisville may be best known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, but it’s also host to a fabulous collection of museums:
 
Speed Art Museum
Kentucky’s largest art museum is one of the great art repositories of the mid-South, having more than 13,000 works spanning some 6,000 years of history. 2035 South Third St. (502) 634-2700. www.speedmuseum.org.
 
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
This museum dedicated to the commonwealth’s famous arts and crafts tradition showcases crafts both traditional Ñ handmade quilts and handcrafted furniture Ñ and modern
Ñ delicately blown glass objects and intricately designed jewelry. Much of what you see can be purchased. 715 West Main St. (502) 589-0102. www.kentuckyarts.org.
 
Louisville Slugger Museum
Next door to the factory where Louisville Sluggers are made and marked by a five-story-tall baseball bat, the Slugger museum is an interactive shrine to the baseball players, the bats, and the magic they made together. 800 West Main St. (502) 588-7228 or (877) 775-8443. www.sluggermuseum.com.
 
Muhammad Ali Center
Encompassing two-and-a-half floors of exhibition space, the Muhammad Ali Center guides visitors through journey and transformation of one of the 20th century’s greatest athletes, with some 40 interactive exhibits in 19 languages. 144 N. Sixth St. (502) 584-9254. www.alicenter.org.
 
Frazier International History Museum
This museum partly dedicated to weaponry provides an opportunity for visitors to embark on a 1,000-year journey through the history of two continents, accomplished through plenty of hands-on fun, multimedia presentations, and interactive exhibitions. 829 West Main St. (502) 753-5663. www.fraziermuseum.org.
 
Louisville Science Center and IMAX Theater
The name says it all! To be touched on in a future blog post. 727 W. Main St. (502) 561-6100. www.LouisvilleScience.org.
 
Upcoming Horse Lover’s Events:
Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre, Louisville: Feb. 21 Ð March 28.
Turfway Winter/Spring race meet, Florence: January 1 Ð March 31
Professional Horseman’s Course, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington: Jan. 7 Ð May 7
Horses, Hooch and History with Bluegrass Tours, Lexington: Feb. 14
Kentucky Winter Series horse show (AQHA Split/Combined) at Lakeside Arena, Frankfort: Feb. 11-15
Snowshoe Dressage at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington: Feb. 20
Free equine veterinary seminar on Genetic Diseases with Ernie Bailey, PhD, UK Gluck Equine Research Center; Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington: Feb. 25
Clinton Anderson Downunder Horsemanship Clinic at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington: Feb. 27-28

For more Kentucky attractions check out  Patti Nickell’s A Horse Lover’s Guide to Kentucky