By Mycah Hill
In 2025, the Speed Art Museum in Louisville will be getting a $22 million, 3-acre makeover. As the oldest and largest art museum in Kentucky, the Speed Art Museum has only grown over the past almost 100 years—2027 will mark the 100th anniversary of the art museum opening. It was founded by Hattie Bishop Speed as a memorial to her husband, James Breckinridge Speed, a prominent Louisville businessman and philanthropist.
Now, “the Speed,” as it’s known by locals, receives about 180,000 visitors every year.
The museum, which is located on Third Street next to the University of Louisville Belknap campus, has an extensive collection of photography and contemporary, European and American, Native American and African art. It also has a collection of Kentucky artists’ work spanning a period of almost 150 years.
The museum also has paintings by classic artists such as Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, among others.
Now, the $22 million makeover will include a new park and sculpture garden, featuring 13 new world-class outdoor sculptures. These new additions will open later in 2025, and the new art park will be free and open 24/7.
Travel Local – Traveling the world and the country is fun, but it’s just as enjoyable to explore close to home, too. Travel Local is your guide to outstanding and exciting attractions located within a few hours’ drive.
