Every spring, Louisville hosts a week-long celebration culminating in the Kentucky Derby, billed as the “greatest two minutes in sports” and contributing $217 million to the local economy. In a state where horses are the leading cash crop and the signature tourism attraction, Louisville is the darling of the equine industry. Tours of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum are musts for first-time visitors, but there’s more to this lively city than the famous twin spires and the four-legged athletes that race there.

“We’re thrilled to have the Kentucky Derby,” says Jim Wood, president and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s like having the Super Bowl or Final Four in your city every year. The Derby draws 150,000–160,000 visitors, and while they’re here they learn that Louisville has much more to offer.”

This year, AOL named Louisville the No. 1 place in the United States to start a vacation, pointing out you can easily reach seven states bordering Kentucky. But visitors may choose to stay in Louisville. It’s collected many other accolades in the past year, including a nod from Zagat as one of the world’s best foodie getaways, and Livability.com lauded its affordability.

The praise goes on. GQ dubbed Louisville “the manliest town in America,” while ABC City Guides for Kids placed it among the country’s top seven family destinations. The U.S. Conference of Mayors chose it as “the nation’s most livable large city,” and Yahoo News labeled it one of the best places to retire for under $40,000 a year.

You get the drift: Louisville isn’t horsing around when it comes to food, fun and comfort. Nor is it resting on its laurels. Several new projects are galloping down the stretch, and others are in the starting gate.

The city’s Kentucky Kingdom, one of the country’s top amusement parks in the 1990s, is slated to reopen in May 2014, according to Jim Wood, who calls it a “huge economic development initiative.” The downtown Kentucky International Convention Center — one of two convention venues in the metropolitan area — is targeted for an extensive renovation and expansion.

The 89-year-old Brown Hotel, located at Fourth and Broadway, reopened this year after a $4 million renovation that added modern amenities while preserving its legacy. Corridors in the 293-room hotel are decorated with 1,800 giclée art pieces that tell the city’s history.

Several new hotel projects are also under development. A 160-room Hilton Garden Inn at Fourth and Chestnut opens in summer 2014. Negotiations are underway for a 600-room headquarters hotel next to the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Downtown Louisville is flourishing, says Wood, citing the rebirth of the East Market District, now known as NuLu (New Louisville). “It’s an area with a lot of new loft apartments and unique boutiques. We also have new restaurants and shops going in between Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Broadway. Seven new businesses have opened near the Fourth Street Live! entertainment district, and we hope to have another 28 within the next year.”

One of the most exciting developments is also the most daring. George Stinson, a Louisville native and pioneer in downtown revitalization, is building a four-acre complex with hotel/apartments, a nightclub, restaurants and retail space in the edgy Smoketown neighborhood. In September, he’ll open two new restaurants and Vu — a 33-room boutique hotel and 12 apartments in an 1870s tobacco warehouse. The building will also house a spa with indoor and outdoor pools.

Stinson plans to sell The Connection entertainment complex he built in 1988 on South Floyd Street and relocate the nightclub in Smoketown. The Connection, billed as one of the 60 best gay bars in the world, is where Lady Gaga partied after her 2011 Louisville concert.

“As a native, I want to make Louisville’s downtown a better place to live,” says Stinson. “I’m a Baby Boomer with roots in the city. Apparently, other Boomers agree with me because they’re trending away from the suburbs back to inner cities. The Smoketown area is depressed, but over the next three to 10 years I feel it will prosper. Twenty-five years ago I built The Connection in an abandoned area of downtown which has flourished into NuLu.”

Belle of Louisville © John F. Revel/Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau

Louisville owes its existence to the Ohio River, which linked the country’s Northeast and West territories in the 1700s. Today an 85-acre Waterfront Park borders the river, where the Belle of Louisville steamboat still offers cruises, as it has since World War II. New this year is a riverfront park and statue of Abraham Lincoln staring out at the river, as he often did in real life.

Like horses, bourbon is a source of Kentucky pride, with 95 percent of the world’s bourbon distilled and bottled here. In October, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Main Street in Louisville will become the eighth stop on the statewide Kentucky Bourbon Trail of distilleries. The city’s Urban Bourbon Trail leads visitors from one notable (and usually historic) watering hole to another, where a variety of bourbon-based drinks are featured.

Bed, breakfast … and bourbon? This year, 20 Louisville B&Bs were rebranded as BB&Bs, each with its own way of implementing bourbon into the guest experience, ranging from bourbon balls in each room to bourbon-infused French toast for breakfast.

On Museum Row — nine museums within four walkable downtown blocks — the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory rebranded for the first time in 33 years. The factory makes the official bats of Major League Baseball.

Derby Week is the granddaddy of Louisville celebrations, but there are notable happenings throughout the year. New this fall is the Louisville Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular, Oct. 10–Nov. 2.

“Five thousand pumpkins will line an illuminated trail,” Wood explains. “There will be intricate carvings, theme music and more. It’s a fun family event that we expect to draw about 100,000 visitors.”

Visitors attending special occasions in Louisville may rub elbows with some famous natives such as Diane Sawyer, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lawrence and jockey Pat Day — and they’ll see why these celebrities enjoy returning to their hometown.

Scenic Drives

Visitors to Louisville will find lush scenery — and two National Historic Landmarks — along the 10-mile stretch of River Road. A short drive, about 20 minutes, drivers will pass Locust Grove, the home of Gen. George Rogers Clark, and the Water Tower along the Ohio River, as well as harbor and woodland views.

A one-hour drive from Louisville, the Old Frankfort Pike picks up outside of Frankfort, Ky. Along this byway, one of the best in the country, pass through historic districts and four National Historic Register properties. End in Lexington, about 60 minutes away, for the perfect four-hour afternoon excursion.

Looking for a full-day escape? The 129-mile drive from Frankfort to Florence starts north of Louisville along the Ohio River. It follows the river for 30 miles before picking up the Boone County Scenic Byway to Florence. Along the way, pass Rabbit Hash, a Kentucky town, and Big Bone Lick State Park with its pre-historic animal bones.