inception kentucky derby museum
Louisville (, or ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 30th - most populous city in the United States . It is one of two cities in Kentucky designated as first - class , the other being the state ' s second - largest city of Lexington . Louisville is the historical seat and , since ___MASK65___ , the nominal seat of Jefferson County . James Graham Brown ( August ___MASK80___ , ___MASK82___  March 20 , 1969 ) was an American businessman and real estate developer best known as the builder of the Brown Hotel in Louisville , Kentucky and for his philanthropy . Born in Madison , Indiana , he moved to Louisville in 1903 and founded , with his brother and father , the W . P . Brown and Sons Lumber Company . Brown also began developing commercial buildings , concentrated around Downtown Louisville , including the Brown Hotel , Brown Theater , Brown Garage , Martin Brown Building , Kentucky Towers and the Commonwealth Building . The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville , Kentucky . Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby , it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1985 . Much of its early funding came from a donation from the estate of James Graham Brown . The Kentucky Derby Museum consists of two floors of exhibit space , including a 360 - degree theater that shows the HD video The Greatest Race . Through the film and exhibits , visitors can learn what goes into the breeding and training of a young foal and the path it takes to the Kentucky Derby ' s winner circle . Every Kentucky Derby win is honored in the Warner L . Jones Time Machine , where visitors can watch any Kentucky Derby from 1918 to the present day . Exhibits highlight the stories of owners , trainers and jockeys as well as the importance of African American jockeys and trainers to the race and the Thoroughbred industry . Guided tours of Churchill Downs ' barn and infield areas , jockeys ' quarters , `` millionaires row '' and press box are also offered . The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three - year - old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville , Kentucky , United States . The race currently covers at Churchill Downs ; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year . The winner gets a $ ___MASK78___ , 000 purse and a large garland of lilies , affectionately called the " Lillies for the Fillies ." A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner . The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville , Kentucky , United States , on the first Saturday in May , capping the two - week - long Kentucky Derby Festival . The race is a Grade I stakes race for three - year - old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles ( ___MASK92___ km ) at Churchill Downs . Colts and geldings carry and fillies . Madison is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County , Indiana , United States , along the Ohio River . Its estimated population was ___MASK16___ , 247 as of ___MASK47___ . Over ___MASK75___ , 000 people live within 15 miles of downtown Madison . Madison is the largest city along the Ohio River between Louisville , Kentucky and Cincinnati , Ohio . Madison is one of the core cities of the Louisville - Elizabethtown - Madison metroplex , an area with a population of approximately 1 . ___MASK95___ million . In 2006 , the majority of Madison ' s downtown area was designated the largest contiguous National Historic Landmark in the United States  133 blocks of the downtown area is known as the Madison Historic Landmark District . The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville , Kentucky during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May , the day of the Kentucky Derby . The festival , Kentucky ' s largest single annual event , first ran from ___MASK66___ to ___MASK41___ , and restarted in ___MASK11___ and includes : The Breeders ' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races , operated by Breeders ' Cup Limited , a company formed in ___MASK14___ . From its inception in ___MASK99___ through 2006 , it was a single - day event ; starting in 2007 , it expanded to two days . All sites have been in the United States , except in 1996 , when the races were at the Woodbine Racetrack in Canada . Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville , Kentucky Metropolitan Area . Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north , Hancock Street to the east , York and Jacob Streets to the south , and 9th Street to the west . As of ___MASK1___ , the population of Downtown Louisville was 2 , 575 . Churchill Downs , located on Central Avenue in south Louisville , Kentucky , United States , is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually . It officially opened in ___MASK6___ , and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year . Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders ' Cup on eight occasions , most recently in 2011 . It is next scheduled to host the Breeders ' Cup in ___MASK24___ . Churchill Downs Incorporated owns and operates the racetrack . With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby , the capacity of Churchill Downs is roughly 170 , 000 .