Things to Know Before You Go*
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9AM–5PM
Sunday: 10AM-4PM
Phone: (877) 775-8443
Ticket Prices:
Adults 13 to 59 years old: $18
Seniors 60 years and older: $17
Kids 6-12 years old: $11
Kids 5 and under: FREE
Our Experience
Admittedly, I was the most excited about this stop which almost didn’t happen because of our extended time at Ark Expedition. Once we arrived, we parked down under the bridges just a block away from the factory. Because of our size, the attendant allowed us to park there, but charged us for 3 spots ($24). After driving around downtown Louisville in a 40 foot RV, I would have been happy to pay twice that if it meant we didn’t have to continue to drive aimlessly looking for parking where we would fit.
The kids, of course, read the sign that said museum and wanted nothing to do with this stop. They complained that it would be boring and we should just go, but I wasn’t about to let them steal my thunder for this stop that almost wasn’t. As we rounded the corner, we could see the giant baseball bat and the little voices turned from disapproval to intrigue as we made our way inside. When we entered, it was a little chaotic until we found the sign that said tickets. We were just in time for the next tour that started within 5 minutes of our arrival, so we lined up in our spot for the factory tour. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but we all were fascinated by the variety of bats they could make in the factory, and we all took turns holding different types of bats which were special ordered by famous players. Then we proceeded through the tour learning about the original process to make a bat by hand as compared to the factory’s new way of making bats with machines. What used to take around 30 minutes to complete one bat, now only takes 45 seconds. We also learned about the difference between professional and retail bats, and how they both were painted and branded. After a wonderful tour with a great tourguide, we collected our mini bats as well as a couple of cut off knubs and made our way to the museum. When we bought our tickets, we also picked up a scavenger hunt. While it was supposed to be for the kids, my husband and I enjoyed a slightly competitive version instead. As we looked through the exhibits and filled out our scavenger hunt, we learned about Dottie in the All American Girls League, held a bat used by Babe Ruth himself, and even got to practice our swing in the batting cages. Bryan used a replica of Babe Ruth’s bat, Bentley used an aluminum bat, and I used the type of bat special ordered by Christian Yelich from the Milwaukee Brewers. Bentley did awesome for his very first time using a bat without a tee/batting in a batting cage, Bryan chose the fast ball, and did much better than the people in front of us, but I had the best batting average with 8/10 hits. After a quick trip to the gift shop, we were able to get a Louisville Slugger of our very own, a new baseball, and of course a sticker. A quick photo with the giant bat outside, and we were off to our next adventure.
Notes:
Everyone who goes on the factory tour gets a mini bat (adults included)
If you complete the scavenger hunt you get gum (and supposedly a bracelet, but they were out when we were there)
Don’t be afraid to try the batting cage and be sure to pick your favorite player’s bat
Ask for a sticker-they are not on the sales floor, but they do have some behind the counter for free.
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