Baseball and beer go hand in hand for many adults, but Louisville, KY is a baseball and bourbon town.

Louisville is the start of the Bourbon Trail and touring distilleries can be fun with children; they can see the giant vats where bourbon is made and though they can’t taste the end product, some distilleries offer local sodas to young visitors.

But for baseball lovers, a trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum is right up there with a pilgrimage to Cooperstown, NY, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The museum, where wooden bats are made to this day, offers a factory tour for kids ages 6 and up. You get to see bats being made, from raw wood to a dip in paint. At the end of the tour, you get a free miniature bat – and a reminder that you can’t take bats in carry-on luggage.

If you want to swing a real bat, head to the batting cages, where you can swing an actual Louisville Slugger. There is also a toddler area where little kids can play and a giant glove sculpture to climb on.

Insider Tip

Get your tour tickets first, then explore the gallery, where you can see baseball memorabilia and sculptures of famous baseball players. We were on a tight schedule; you want to allow at least 90 minutes for the full experience.

We stayed at the Galt House, a huge hotel overlooking the Ohio River and within walking distance of the hotel. You can also take a free trolley that runs through downtown. There is an outdoor pool, a rooftop fitness center (not worth the extra $5) and a beautiful conservatory connecting the hotel’s two towers.