Secret Louisville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

by Kevin Gibson

Where would you find a professional recording studio that doubles as a funeral parlor? That would be Louisville. Or a hidden set of steps that connects two key parts of an historic neighborhood? Also Louisville. Or even the last ruins of a once-elite neighborhood of mansions owned by New Orleans millionaires? That would be Louisville as well. From a long lost cave to a hidden underground sex club, Louisville has its share of secrets and oddities. Secret Louisville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is a book that answers questions you didn’t even realize you had about the city that stands proudly along the Ohio River. A tree that seems to magically sprout shoes? It’s here. Mummified Saints on display in a local cathedral? That’s Louisville, too. You get the picture: Think of this book as a scavenger hunt of sorts for Kentucky’s largest city, covering the strange, the surprising, and sometimes the silly locales, history and facts. From the legendary birthplace of the cheeseburger (or so the story goes) to the home of the “Happy Birthday” song, Secret Louisville will serve as the hometown tour guide you didn’t even know you needed.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2017

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Places to go:

1.) Hidden Music Hall, Blue Door, 1312 Lexington Rd.

2.) Eastern Cemetery, 641 Baxter Ave.

3.) Ollie’s Trolley, 978 S. Third St.

4.) Heigold House Façade, Frankfort Ave.

5.) Shippingport Island,

6.) N. Twenty Sixth St.

7.) Henry’s Ark, 7804 Rose Island Rd.

8.) Grotto and Garden of Our Lady of Lourdes, 4400 Paralee Dr.

9.) Little Chef Diner, 147 E. Market St., New Albany

10.) Rathskeller at The Seelbach Hilton

11.) Barrel of Fun Ice Cream, 9421 Smyrna Rd.

12.) Little Loomhouse, 328 Kenwood Hill Rd.

13.) Dinosaur, 901 S Fifteenth St.

14.) Hubcap Ladt, 1275 Dutch Ln., Jeffersonville

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual local landmarks including Pope Lick Trestle and the Heigold Facade but some newer ones too like Barrel of Fun Ice Cream and Troll Pub. Fun and informative.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t wait to explore some of the these hidden treasures from my own backyard!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn about all things Louisville. A great resource to help tourists and residents alike find a myriad of fascinating and sometimes hard to find sites.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and I'm excited to get out and see these places!

[Jane Trucksis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was disappointing. As another reviewer said, there were far too many mentions of places in Indiana, not Louisville. There were also "ain't dere no more" items, showing what is now in a place that used to be some more interesting or historic building. So why would I want to go? And WAY too many "this place is said to be haunted" mentions. The attempts at humor were lame. I got a few ideas of places to check out, but "111 places in Louisiville you must not miss," this is not.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little book that even lifetime Louisvillians can learn from (maybe especially lifetime residents). I discovered all sorts of unique places in the city that I didn't know the history of.

[Lindsay Fouts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A local to the area my entire life and still learned new things.

Sad that Joe Ley Antiques #62 closed in 2020

[Sarah Bulgrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me want to get out and explore Louisville! As soon as it warms up, I will visit many of the places in the book.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed at how many of the attractions were near Lousiville, rather than in Louisville (ex. in Indiana.)

[Les · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gives very little information about each entry.