I have a goal to visit all 50 states before I turn 50. The remaining states on my list are best experienced during the summer months. Determined to cross one off during the winter break, I chose Indiana because I found a large and historic resort with plenty of indoor activities. Its close proximity to Louisville, KY, where we could fly direct, made it even more desirable. Louisville and French Lick offered a variety of indoor attractions, including museums perfect for a winter getaway. As it turned out, much of our trip revolved around sports history—an unexpected but fun theme!

This post covers our three-night itinerary in Louisville and French Lick, traveling with our 8-year-old and 11-year-old in January 2025.

The Practical Takeaways

• Louisville is a fantastic place to visit with kids. The museums are very unique and interactive – and I’d travel back just for some of the food we enjoyed.
• Louisville and French Lick are easy to pair together as a road trip. French Lick Resort offers beautiful and historic amenities and is a great place to relax. In warmer weather, Patoka Lake would offer even more outdoor activities to enjoy.

Louisville

Accommodations

We stayed at the 21c Museum Hotel. I chose it for its prime location within easy walking distance of both the Louisville Slugger Factory and the Muhammad Ali Center. The hotel itself was a destination. You can’t miss it from the street because there is a giant golden David statue right outside. The hotel features two floors dedicated to an engaging art museum with interactive exhibits, including an infinity mirror in the elevator.

The room added a touch of luxury and humor with its uniquely scented products (a heads-up for cilantro haters!). Overall, it was a great experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

Things to Do

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: This was awesome! If you and your kids are baseball fans, I would travel to Louisville just for this. The moment you walk in you get to choose a famous baseball player’s bat to hold. And not just any baseball player…my son held Hank Aaron’s and my daughter chose Babe Ruth!

We then toured the factory to learn and watch how a piece of wood is transformed into a bat. This included those that are custom made for Major League players. Everyone on the tour leaves with a mini Louisville Slugger bat to take home.

After the tour, we visited “The Vault” which held Silver Slugger awards for MLB players from the 2024 season, including awards for Francisco Lindor, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto. My kids were in awe. There is also a batting cage that we could not pass up.

Muhammad Ali Center: While I’m not a boxing fan and knew only the basics about Muhammad Ali before visiting, I came away intrigued. The Center provides a captivating look at Ali’s life, achievements, and impact beyond the ring. The kids loved the interactive exhibits, especially shadow boxing with Ali. Even if you’re not a fan of boxing, this is a must-visit—it’s both educational and inspiring.

Churchill Downs: I knew very little about horse racing before this visit—other than occasionally catching the two-minute Kentucky Derby on TV. The museum itself is interesting, but what made this visit memorable was the behind-the-scenes tour, which included sitting in the owners box. I’m sure it would have been even better in warmer weather. (We took the tour while it was 30 degrees outside!)

Cherokee Park: If a city has a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (or as I call him, FLO), I must check it out. As I’ve said already, it was COLD! So we didn’t explore much, but this is a beautiful park. It was fun to drive by the perimeter and see the grand houses overlooking the landscape. It also gave us a chance to drive through the Highlands neighborhood. If it was warmer we would have spent more time here. 

Falls of Ohio: En route between Louisville and French Lick, we stopped at the Falls of Ohio. This site is renowned for its exposed Devonian Period fossil beds. These are among the largest and oldest in the world, dating back over 390 million years. The interpretive center provides engaging exhibits on the area’s geology, history, and biodiversity. The park also provides scenic views of the Ohio River and the Louisville skyline.

Schimpff’s Confectionery: For over 130 years, this historic, family-owned candy store and museum has been located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, just a 5-minute drive from downtown Louisville. Schimpff’s earns renown for its traditional candies, including cinnamon Red Hots. You can watch the staff make these in the store’s demonstration area. My kids spent quite a long time picking candy to take on the road…literally, kids in a candy store. There is also an old-fashioned soda shop and lunchroom; however, both were closed during our visit. As an alternative, we ate lunch across the street at Geraldine’s, where we enjoyed their famous grilled cheese with apple and cinnamon sandwiches.

Dining

J. Graham at the Brown Hotel: We’d been told that trying a “Hot Brown” sandwich at the Brown Hotel is a must for anyone visiting Louisville. I initially feared it might be overhyped, but I’m happy to report that it exceeded my expectations. The Hot Brown—a decadent open-faced turkey sandwich smothered in creamy Mornay sauce—was absolutely delicious. It’s available in both the original and petite sizes; I ordered the petite and devoured every bite with no regrets. The experience was made even better by the incredibly kind staff, who shared details about the hotel’s history.

La Bodeguita de Mima Cuban: I discovered this incredible restaurant through one of my favorite travel bloggers, Traveling Black Widow. After reading her glowing review, I immediately made a reservation—and I’m so glad I did. The food was unforgettable! If I ever find myself within a two-hour drive of Louisville, I’d gladly make the trip just to eat here again.

We began with empanadas and ceviche, both with fresh, vibrant flavors. For our main dishes, we enjoyed a pork stew, shrimp, and chicken arroz that were so delicious. To drink, I downed a Piña Colada Mojito. The kids loved their guava juice so much they finished it in record time. Beyond the amazing food, the restaurant itself had a fun atmosphere that added to the experience.

French Lick and Southern Indiana

Accommodations

Established in 1845, the French Lick Resort quickly became a popular health retreat, drawing visitors eager to experience the therapeutic benefits of its famed sulfur springs. What drew me to stay at French Lick was its abundance of indoor activities, including bowling, an arcade, a pool, and the stunning historic architecture. The resort also features a full-service casino, adding to its entertainment options. We made full use of these amenities during our stay and had a great time.

Had the weather been warmer, we could have enjoyed an array of outdoor activities, including exploring the extensive network of scenic trails.

The French Lick Resort is one of two iconic resorts under the same ownership, the other being the West Baden Springs Hotel. We chose to stay at French Lick because of its more kid-friendly pool, but one morning, we ventured over to West Baden for breakfast. Afterward, we relaxed in the vast lobby, marveling at its 200-foot free-span dome—the largest in the world when it was constructed in the early 1900’s.

Things to Do

Indiana Caverns: Driving from Louisville to French Lick we stopped in Corydon to visit the Indiana Caverns. Discovered and developed for tours in 2013, this is one of the longest cave systems in the country. We have toured caves before, but this is the first one we’ve been in with a boat ride through an underground river, making it a completely unique experience. 

French Lick shops and West Baden Museum: There are only three shops in French Lick. We especially enjoyed Bear Hollow Carvers, a local wood carving shop with unique, hand-crafted goods. The shops connect to the West Baden Museum – I wasn’t sure this tiny museum would be worth it, but we had a fun time learning about how the town drew visitors for its “Pluto Water,” thought to have healing powers, and seeing the world’s largest circus diorama. 

Home of Larry Bird: Adding to the sports theme of the trip, we drove by Larry Bird’s childhood home, a hometown hero dubbed “the hick from French Lick.”

League Stadium: And for more baseball, we visited the stadium featured in A League of their Own in Huntingburg, Indiana. We were cold and didn’t spend much time, but it was fun to see the iconic Rockford Peaches bus. I wouldn’t recommend visiting in the off-season as we did, but if you are there in the summer you can take a tour of the site. 

Dining

Schnitzelbank: This German restaurant in the cute town of Jasper, Indiana, is renowned for its authentic German cuisine. It features a selection of German sausages served with sauerkraut and German fried potatoes, schnitzel, and an extensive draft beer list. There is not any chance that you can leave without getting the delicious desserts! My son insisted on ordering a black forest cake almost as big as his head, which turned out to be delicious. And of course we had to get the warm apple strudel with some cinnamon ice cream to top it all off. 

It also has a great German gift shop. Despite it being in a small town, the place was packed on a Friday night. We arrived at 5pm and I was unsure that we would get a table. 

We ate all other meals at the various onsite dining options in the French Lick Resort. Honestly, I cannot recommend the food here as it was average and overpriced.

Helpful Hints

• If we had an extra day (and warmer weather) we would have continued north to visit Bloomington, just an hour north of French Lick. 
• To prepare to visit Louisville and French Lick, we watched Hoosiers, Rudy, and A League of Their Own. To make this even more of a sports themed trip, we would have added on a basketball game at University of Louisville or Indiana University. 
• This was a trip with kids so we did not get a chance to tour the many distilleries, but that would be an additional unique activity if visiting Louisville.
• For another sports themed trip, visit my post about Oxford, Mississippi & Memphis.