The Unofficial BotCon Louisville Survival Guide

BotCon 2016 has been announced, and will be held in Louisville, KY. Although I still live in Southern CA (which is why I was able to put together the BotCon Pasadena Survival Guide that I've maintained for a few years now), Louisville is the city in which I grew up, and so I'm looking to do a similar guide for the Louisville area. Because I haven't lived in Louisville for quite a while now, I'm not tackling this job alone, and so have asked for help from a few friends. Thanks to Ron Avis, Orson Christian, Aaron Newton, and Nick Wright for their input (as well as other contributors noted alongside their suggestion)!

Of course, I can't predict every need. But I do hope that this list will be helpful. Of course, the Louisville Metropolitan area has lots of stuff to see. With a few exceptions, I'm only listing places that I've actually been to and would recommend. You can find other attractions just by using your Google-Fu, of course!

First thing's first — Please consider signing up for an account with MainStreetShares using this link, especially before booking your travel arrangements. They link to all sorts of online services like Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotwire in their "Travel" section (If you don't see the link, look under the "Stores" tab and click "Browse by Category" — after signing up, of course!) and if you visit those sites through MainStreetShares, you can earn a percentage of your purchases back (and also help to support this site)! They also connect to Restaurants.com, which can get you discounts on food, both in Louisville, and wherever you happen to live.

Hotels:

• The Galt House has been announced as the official hotel of BotCon 2016, and is definitely the recommended hotel if you want the "full" convention experience. But even with the BotCon room rate, this is a really nice hotel with a price tag to match.   
• So perhaps you want to stay at a cheaper hotel. For this, I suggest that you consult the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau page. I'd also recommend using one of the many online travel sites (MainStreetShares has a convenient link to several!) to look for deals, as you might even be able to get a lower overall price by booking the room at the same time as your flight and/or rental car. 

Airports:

• For Louisville, you really only need to worry about one: Louisville International Airport (SDF, which stands for Standiford Field, as the airport was previously known). I've always found it to be a very comfortable airport and easy to work with. It's only about 7 miles from the Galt House, and you should be able to arrange easy transportation from the airport.

Transportation:

• Fun Publications has arranged with Sandollar Limos to provide round-trip airport shuttle service at a $3 discount if you use the code "BotCon."

Food — Louisville's reputation as a "foodie" town has grown enormously in the past decade or so. If you like food, there are tons of excellent options. This map can give you an idea of the options just in the immediate area around the Galt House (which is located on the riverfront at 4th Street). Here are just a few highlights:

• Troll Pub Under the Bridge - Built into the basement levels of Whiskey Row, at the site of the original 1834 Galt House (the current hotel of that name was built in 1972 a couple of blocks away. In fact, there was another Galt House built in 1869, a few years after the first one burned down, but located a block away in the opposite direction. That one was demolished in 1921). The pub's only been there since 2011, but is already gaining a strong reputation.
• DISH on Market - Locally owned.
• The Sports and Social Club - As the name suggests, it's a sports bar, located just a few blocks south of the Galt House on 4th. After you've eaten, you can take part in a game of bowling!
• Fourth Street Live! - The Sports and Social Club is actually part of this, which isn't a single restaurant, but rather a hub of dining and entertainment venues. I used to come to this location years ago, when it was still the Louisville Galleria. These days, it's less "mall-like" and more "entertainment destination," and indeed hosts concerts and other special events. Check the site for a calendar and more details, and thanks to Ikkstakk of the TFW2005 boards for the suggestion. UPDATE: 2/19/16 - BotCon will be hosting a Stan Bush/Vince DiCola concert on Friday night, April 8th at this venue. The concert will be free to the public.
• Of course, the Galt House has a number of places to eat on-site. Click here for more details.

Local Attractions:

• Kentucky Kingdom — An amusement part located at the state fairgrounds. EDIT: I've been informed that Kentucky Kingdom won't be open until April 20th. Thanks to allew of the TFW2005 boards for the info.
• Louisville Slugger Museum — Look for the giant baseball bat downtown. A must-stop for serious baseball fans.
• The Bourbon Trail — A truly "Kentuckian" experience, if you don't mind driving a bit. Plan to spend an extra day or two if you want to do all or part of this.

If there's some other dimension of your BotCon experience you think I should address on this list, but feel that I've missed, just leave a comment, and I'll update as necessary. Even so, you should read the comments left by others here, as they may offer some ideas that are worth investigating, even if I don't have direct experience with them myself.