About Louisville, Site of General Assembly 2013

Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778. While its initial growth was slow, the advent of the steamboat in the early 1800s sparked booming industrial development, and by 1830 Louisville had secured its place as the largest city in Kentucky.

Louisville was also a city of firsts. In the reform-minded progressive era of the 1880's the city was the first in the nation to introduce the secret ballot, significantly reducing vote fraud. It was the first city in Kentucky to adopt zoning and planning measures to control and shape urban growth. Home to the first bridge designed exclusively for motor vehicles to cross the Ohio River, Louisville was also the birthplace of Mary Millicent Miller, the first woman in the United States to acquire a steamboat master's license.

Louisville is many things—original, eclectic, historic, dynamic, and energetic. You could spend a lifetime getting to know the city, the people, the neighborhoods, the culture, and the history that make Louisville truly original.

Learn more at the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, located downtown adjacent to the Kentucky International Convention Center at the Corner of 4th and Jefferson Streets. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Phone: (502) 379-6109

Most General Assembly events will be held in the Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 South 4th Street Louisville, KY 40202.

Google Map of the Convention Center area.

Route Map of free downtown trolley service.