Kentucky Derby Museum

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kentucky Derby Museum during its 'Derby in December' celebration held Thursday, Dec. 11. Following the ceremonies, the many guests that were on hand enjoyed a meet-and-greet with the 1992 Kentucky Derby-winning rider and explored a new exhibit in Day's honor. The exhibit at the museum features decades of his accomplishments. The collection ranges from his high school photo to awards celebrating milestone victories as a jockey, including the silks he wore during his final race...

The Kentucky Derby Museum is set to honor Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day with the Museum's second Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Derby in December event, the track announced Monday. Held Thursday, December 11, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the free event, hosted in partnership with the Kentucky Derby Museum, Kentucky Derby Festival, and Churchill Downs Racetrack, promises a full day of festive fun and special unveilings. Throughout the day, guests can also enter drawings for exclusive prize packages featuring unforgettable Derby-themed experiences. Additionally, there will...

The Kentucky Derby Museum is celebrating 40 years of telling stories Monday as they officially opened their doors to the public Apr. 28, 1985 and have served more than 7.2-million guests since then, the organization announced Monday morning. Established thanks in part to an endowment from the James Graham Brown Foundation and support of private donors, the museum credits its partnership with Churchill Downs as a key part of its ongoing success. The Derby Museum welcomes nearly 38,000 students annually through its outreach and in-house education efforts, and in the...

Churchill Downs and its partners Andy Frain Services, Kentucky Derby Museum, Levy and Pritchard Sports & Entertainment Group will host a job fair to recruit for Kentucky Derby Week and the Churchill Downs Spring Meet. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the First Turn Club. The job fair will include on-the-spot interviews and hiring for positions during Kentucky Derby Week, which runs from Saturday, Apr. 26, through Saturday, May 3, and the Churchill Downs Spring Meet, which continues through Sunday, June...

Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) High School sophomore Kayci Shacklette is the grand prize winner of the 39th annual Horsing Around with Art competition, the Kentucky Derby Museum announced Monday morning via press release. Shacklette's artwork, The Final Furlong, will be professionally framed and displayed prominently at the museum, and she will receive a spring race day prize package sponsored by Churchill Downs. The PRP art department was awarded $500 to purchase art supplies. The contest attracted 255 submissions from students in grades 1-12 from 37 public, private, and parochial schools...

Construction on the Great Hall at the Kentucky Derby Museum has begun in preparation for the debut of a remastered version of The Greatest Race, the museum's 360° feature film. The museum's $2.3 million project is being led by the Louisville-based company, Donna Lawrence Productions. Beginning Monday, Jan. 6, crews from Milwaukee-based Clearwing installed advanced lighting technology in the oval theater, working from designs created by Donna Lawrence Productions in collaboration with Boston-based firm Available Light. Additionally, Donna Lawrence Productions is actively editing the new version of the film to...

The Kentucky Derby Museum earned the number three spot as the Best Attraction for Sports Fans in USA Today's 2024 Readers' Choice Awards after breaking records this past year for attendance, the repository said in a Wednesday press release. Located at Churchill Downs, the Derby Museum finished behind Boise State's Blue Turf in Idaho, the top vote getter, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, who was the runner-up. Welcoming an all-time high of 258,382 guests during the fiscal year 2024, which spanned from Oct. 1, 2023,...

Churchill Downs has committed $150,000 over three years to support educational programs at the Kentucky Derby Museum. The money will allow the museum to continue offering free in-house field trips during January and February and free outreach programming throughout the school year, extending the museum's reach to schools that may not be able to travel to Louisville. "We are excited to partner with Churchill Downs on this important initiative that directly supports our mission to engage, educate, and excite students about the Kentucky Derby," said Patrick Armstrong, President and CEO...

Fifth Grade Field Trips return to Keeneland this week, with 2,100 students from public and private schools in Fayette County coming to the track this week to participate in a two-hour interactive tour designed to expand their knowledge of Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky. "Fifth Grade Field Trips offer students in the area a unique and exciting opportunity to engage with the rich history of Keeneland," Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "These tours allow for hands-on experiences on our grounds that help showcase the diversity of careers...

Second Stride, the Thoroughbred rehabilitation and retraining program responsible for the adoption of over 1,700 retired racehorses since 2005, has two new unique partnerships, the non-profit organization announced Tuesday. Two ambassador horses will live at Valhalla Golf Club, recent host of the 2024 PGA Championship, for the remainder of the 2024 golf season. The horses chosen to represent Second Stride at Valhalla are GSW Hawaakom (Jazil) and GSP 2014 Triple Crown contender General A Rod (Roman Ruler). They will return to Second Stride's Chorleywood Farm this fall. In addition, the...

The Kentucky Derby Museum has completed updates to its Winner's Circle Exhibit to include Mystik Dan (Goldencents)'s victory in this year's 150th running of the race. Mike Prather, a local artist who was first commissioned by the Museum to airbrush a replica Derby horse in 1999, captured all of Mystik Dan's unique markings and details to match how he looked crossing the finish line at Churchill Downs May 4. The replica jockey was also given a makeover with the team's silks. The new addition to the exhibit includes items on...

Kentucky Derby 135 winner Mine That Bird (Birdstone) will begin a temporary residence in the Kentucky Derby Museum's stable March 27 and will be showcased as part of the final event of the 2024 Legends Series with Maker's Mark, announced via press release by the Kentucky Derby Museum. The Legends Series brings together horseracing and bourbon enthusiasts for an exclusive lineup of five tastings, and is considered a highlight on the Museum's annual calendar. Tickets for the event, held Mar. 27 from 5-8:00 p.m., are available for purchase. Mine That...