Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center at 144 North 6th Street stands on Museum Row in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, a few steps from the Ohio River waterfront. It honors the boxer, born Cassius Clay in Louisville, and the values he promoted, including confidence, conviction, dedication, respect, giving, spirituality and personal growth. Visitors move through multi-level galleries that combine film, photographs, memorabilia and interactive exhibits. Displays follow his boyhood in Louisville, his Olympic gold medal in 1960, his heavyweight championship fights, his refusal of military induction during the Vietnam War and his later humanitarian work. Boxing stations let visitors throw punches at a heavy bag and see how the sport is trained. Short films screen in theaters throughout the building, and the upper floors place his career alongside the civil rights era. The center is as much about ideas and community as it is about sport, so it appeals to visitors who may not follow boxing. Plan two to three hours, and arrive on a weekday morning when school groups are fewer. The center is open Wednesday through Sunday, with last entry at 4:15 PM, and it is closed Monday and Tuesday, which is worth remembering when mapping out a museum day. Crowds are heaviest on weekends, during spring break and in Derby season. Discounts apply to seniors, college students, military members and residents of certain Kentucky and Indiana counties, and extra charges may apply for temporary exhibits. The building is walkable from the Frazier History Museum and the Louisville Slugger Museum, so many visitors combine all three in a single day of walking along West Main Street. Paid garages are nearby on Main and 6th Streets. The gift shop carries books and keepsakes related to the champion. Photography is generally a matter of the center's posted rules, and visitors should look for signage in the galleries.