Greenhouse and Garden Tours at Churchill Downs
Road Trips Gardeners can get an inside look at the effort it takes to keep the grounds of Churchill Downs beautiful during “backstage” tours. The Greenhouse and Garden Van & Walking Tour at the iconic Louisville, Kentucky, racetrack (site of the Kentucky Derby each May) will be held May 24, June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6 and October 4, 2017.
The Kentucky Derby Museum tour allows visitors to tour the racetrack’s 12,000-square-foot horticultural center with Churchill Downs Horticulture Director Matt Bizzell, and learn first-hand what it takes to keep the grounds beautiful on Kentucky Derby Day and year-round. Participants will learn not only the types of flowers and plants that are grown on-site, but also the care and history of the track’s gardens and surrounding property. Other areas of the 147-acre Churchill Downs are also part of the tour.
Each two-and-a-half hour tour begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at noon. Guests will return to the Museum for lunch in the Derby Café and then self-guided exploration of exhibits after lunch. The cost is $99 per person. The ticket price includes general admission to the museum and a Kentucky garden Cobb salad for lunch. Participants must be 9 years of age or older. The tour is limited to 14 people, and does involve some walking.
(Photo courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum)