06 Jul Louisville, KY

 

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in July 2025. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Sunny 94° F" and "Sunrise: 6:24 AM | Sunset: 9:08 PM."

We both woke around 7:30 am.

Around 8:00, we went to the River Café (Deck 5) for Breakfast, which we ate on the adjacent Aquavit Terrace (Deck 5).

The Viking Daily newsletter described Louisville, Kentucky as follows:
"Louisville is a dynamic city where Southern charm meets with history and modern energy. The city’s roots run deep, from its founding in 1778 to its pivotal role in the American Revolution and Civil War, and its growth into a major river port and industrial hub. Today, Louisville dazzles visitors with attractions like the Louisville Slugger Museum, J.B. Speed Art Museum and the vibrant riverfront. Explore historic neighborhoods, tour iconic landmarks and enjoy the warmth of a city that blends tradition with innovation."

MT Sunday, July 6, ‎2025, 9:23 AM - Viking Mississippi: geese near ship (telephoto 90 mm).

MT 10:03 AM - Viking Mississippi: : Don on walking track (Deck 8), with George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in background.

MT 10:03 AM - Viking Mississippi: : MT on walking track (Deck 8), with George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge in background.

10:14 AM - Louisville: George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (mild telephoto 40 mm).

The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, known locally as the Second Street Bridge, is a seven-spanned, four-lane cantilevered truss bridge crossing the Ohio river between Louisville, KY and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Construction began in 1928, and it opened in 1929, dedicated by President Herbert Hoover. It was originally called the Louisville Memorial Bridge but was renamed in 1949 in honor of the founder of Louisville, as well as the neighboring Clark County, Indiana.

At 10:15, we went to the Living Room (Deck 1) meeting place for the (included) shore excursion Louisville Slugger Factory, which departed at 10:30 by bus to the Museum & Factory.

Viking’s summary of the (included) shore excursion Louisville Slugger Factory is as follows:
“Step into the storied world of America’s pastime at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, where history, craftsmanship, and culture converge. Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, this iconic destination offers an immersive look at the evolution of the legendary Louisville Slugger bat—from its humble beginnings in 1884 to its role in shaping baseball history. Guests enjoy guided factory tours, hands-on exhibits, and a chance to hold bats used by Hall of Famers, all beneath the shadow of the world’s largest baseball bat.”

MT 10:46 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - Don and MT with "Big Bat" outside the entrance.

Guests were given the opportunity, for a small fee, to try their luck in a batting cage, and MT decided to do it (she hit 3 out of the 10 pitches).

MT 11:01 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - MT in batting cage.

MT 11:02 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - MT in batting cage; this one looks like a hit.

11:06 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - MT in batting cage; reacting to a miss.

11:15 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - poster of Big Bat on front of building, with caption "Louisville Slugger Museum - Grand Opening July 16, 1996."

11:13 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - sign about "Making" the huge bat on the front of the building; text reads:

"Our towering Big Bat was made 12 miles from where you are currently standing and it took just six months to make.

"When we asked Caldwell Tanks Inc. to create a replica of 'Babe Ruth R43' bat model, they knocked it out of the park.

"The Big Bat's impressive diameter is 9 feet at the base and 3.5 feet at the handle.

"Effects from wind, seismic activity, and the 11.5-degree lean were all factored into its construction.

"Five layers of paint were applied to the Big Bat. The wood grain and burn branding effect on top was hand painted by local artists."

11:21 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - sign showing  of Big Bat on front of building, illuminated at night.

 

11:22 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - sign for "From Forest to Bat: From the forests along the Pennsylvania and New York border, to the factory through the window, this is how Louisville Slugger bats are created"; labels in the green circles, from left to right, trace the process: Split, Square, Round, Turn, Finish.

After some free time to see the museum exhibits, our guided tour began at 11:30. 

MT 11:57 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - sign for "Hillerich & Bradsby Co, Est. 1856."

Hillerich & Bradsby Company (H&B) is a manufacturing company located in Louisville, KY that since 2015 produces baseball bats for Wilson Sporting Goods, which commercializes them under the Louisville Slugger brand. The company also operates the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in downtown Louisville.
J. F. Hillerich opened his woodworking shop in Louisville in 1855. During the 1880s, he hired his 17-year-old son John A. “Bud” Hillerich. Company legend has it that Bud, who played baseball himself, slipped away one afternoon to watch Louisville’s major league team, the Louisville Eclipse. The team’s star, Pete “Louisville Slugger” Browning, mired in a hitting slump, broke his bat. Bud invited Browning to his father’s shop to hand-craft a new bat to his specifications. The first day he used it, Browning got three hits to break out of his slump.
For a brief time in the 1880s, J.F. Hillerich was uninterested in making bats and turned away ball players. Bud saw the potential in producing baseball bats, and his father eventually relented.
The bats were sold under the name “Falls City Slugger” until Bud took over his father’s company in 1894, and the name “Louisville Slugger” was registered with the US Patent Office.
In 1905, Honus Wagner signed a deal with the company, becoming the first American athlete to endorse an item of sports equipment.
Frank Bradsby, a salesman, became a partner in 1916, and the company’s named changed to “The Hillerich and Bradsby Co.”
By 1923, H&B was selling more bats than any other bat maker, and legends like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig were all using them. In 1997, Louisville Slugger became the Official Bat of Major League Baseball.

MT 11:58 AM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - pallets of birch cylinders.

 

12:02 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - more pallets of cylinders.

12:03 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - cubbyholes, with names and team logos of major league players (including KC Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino), for cylinders and some shaped bats.

MT 12:01 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - cubbyhole with cylinders and one shaped bat for KC Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

12:10 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - view, through window, of machine that planes wood into cylinders.

12:13 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - shaped bats.

12:13 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - more pallets of cylinders, some marked birch.

12:19 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - conveyor belt with shaped bats, still with nubs at end of handles, which will later be trimmed off.

12:20 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - machine labeled 

"Rotate Sanding Bats."

12:24 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - man finishing small souvenir bats and putting them in a box.

At the end of the tour, each visitor received a small souvenir bat, 18 inches long. The couple in line ahead of us asked if they could have four bats, since they had four grandchildren. We explained that we also had four grandchildren, so they also gave us four bats.

(Later) - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - our four souvenir bats, compared in size to a deck of cards.

 

At 12:30, we went out in front of the museum to wait for our bus (No 4) back to the ship. Since Viking offered only six possible shore excursions in Louisville, and five of them were to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, leaving at intervals of just a few minutes, we had to wait for the No. 4 bus we had come on. While waiting, we had a chance to take some more photos of the Big Bat leaning against the front of the building. However, it was impossible to get the whole bat in a photo from where we were waiting for the bus.

12:36 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - Big Bat leaning against the front of the building (taken by placing camera at the bottom and pointing to the top).

 

12:47 PM - Louisville: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory - Big Bat, with logo and signature of J. A. “Bud” Hillerich, leaning against the front of the building (from a different angle).

Back on the Viking Mississippi, we went to the Grill (Deck 5) around 1:30 for lunch. When the Grill and the adjacent River Café both closed at 2:00, we were still able to get gelato and bananas at the River Café buffet line.

At 5:15, we went to the Living Room (Deck 1) for a Welcome Toast with senior officers, followed by the Daily Briefing with Cruise Director Travis at 5:30.

The Viking Daily newsletter said that everyone had to be back on board by 5:45, as the Viking Mississippi prepared to depart for Owensboro, KY.

At 6:00, we went to the Bow (Deck 1 forward) for a special Enrichment Briefing as we celebrated passing through our first lock on the Ohio River, the McAlpine Lock and Dam.

6:16 PM - Louisville: raised bridge and lock ahead.

MT 6:12 PM - Louisville: raised bridge ahead (telephoto 104 mm).

6:44 PM - Louisville: inside the lock with port side of ship on right and another bridge ahead.

6:45 PM - Louisville: inside the lock with another bridge ahead.

A 7:00, we went to the River Café (Deck 5) for dinner.

After dinner we played scrabble in the Living Room (Deck 1).

The Viking Daily newsletter told us: "Before retiring for the evening, please turn your clocks back one hour. Owensboro is in Central Standard Time."