The Legendary Galt House Hotel in Kentucky Has a Fascinating History

Did you know that Louisville, Kentucky is home to one of the state's most unique hotels? The Galt House Hotel located right on the waterfront has a fascinating backstory dating back to the 1800s. Let's dive in and examine some facts about this interesting establishment.

The original Galt House Hotel opened in 1835

The current Galt House Hotel is not the original. Actually, the first version of the hotel was established in 1835 and wasn't even located on the waterfront. That would come much later.

In 1865, the Galt House Hotel burned down

From a New York Times article from 1865, it was reported that the Galt House Hotel had experienced a fire and was, "entirely in ruins." The article claims that the fire was discovered early in the morning and by 3:30 AM, it had sustained enough damage to be completely destroyed. Per the article, "Opinions differ whether the fire was caused by incendiaries or not."

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A second Galt House was opened and subsequently closed in 1919

Due to decreasing hotel revenues, a second Galt House Hotel that had been built was closed in 1919 and was demolished in 1921.

Its current iteration was established in 1972

Sensing an opportunity for an expanded business district on the river, a local developer opened the Galt House Hotel in 1972, thus paving the way for what would become something of a centerpiece for Louisville and its surrounding attractions and establishments.

A second tower was opened in 1984

Called the "East Tower," the opening of this section gives the Galt House Hotel a unique look and an equally impressive experience should you decide to stay there. This particular tower is made up mostly of suites.

It is Louisville's only waterfront hotel

Being in such a prime location allows the hotel to be within proximity of the Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 4th Street Live, and the KFC Yum Center. It also gives an awesome view of the waterfront.

It is the Official Hotel of Churchill Downs

The Galt House Hotel is also known as the Kentucky Derby Hotel, and from the Galt House website: "The official hotel of America’s longest running sporting event, the Galt House is an immersive Kentucky Derby travel experience. It’s the hotel of choice for hall-of-fame jockeys, celebrities, Derby fashionistas, and VIPs."

It is connected to the KFC Yum! Center by a pedestrian indoor bridge

From the FAQ section of the Galt House Hotel website, "We’re so close, guests won’t even have to walk outside for access to the KFC Yum! Center. The Galt House Hotel is next door to the KFC Yum! Center and connected to it via Skywalk (pedway)."

It was the state's tallest hotel from 1972-2018

For almost 50 years, the Galt House Hotel had the title of being the state's tallest hotel until the Omni Louisville Hotel came along in 2018. Omni is now both the tallest hotel and the tallest residential building in Kentucky.

It has a "Walk of Fame"

The Gallop to Glory is a proverbial walk-of-fame that seeks to pay respects to the jockeys who have won the Kentucky Derby, with handprint and signature preservations located at the hotel.

Check-in time is 3:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Just in case you were curious (I was).