After the show, take some time to explore what the city and region have to offer.

Kentucky Derby Museum
See what the “World’s Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” is all about. The Kentucky Derby Museum is offering free admission to GIE+EXPO attendees (with badge) on Thursday night, Oct. 21, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. You’ll get a walking tour of the racetrack grounds, a viewing of the 360-degree film experience called “The Greatest Race” and an insider’s look at the fancy hats, mint juleps, and legendary horses and jockeys that make the Kentucky Derby a once-in-a-lifetime event. Visit derbymuseum.org

Mega Cavern
One of the best-kept secrets in Louisville is kept, well, underground. The Louisville Mega Cavern is a man-made 100-acre cavern, blasted through pure Kentucky limestone in the mid-1900s by miners. It’s now an underground adventure park with tons of family activities. Plan for an adrenaline-filled adventure on the world’s only underground zipline or take a simple walk or tram tour to learn about the mine’s history. Pack a jacket, as the mine’s temperature stays at a constant 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Visit louisvillemegacavern.com

The Louisville Zoo
From young Fitz, the elephant born mid-2019 as part of the African Elephant Survival Plan, to a new sloth exhibit, there’s always something happening at the Louisville Zoo. Also, venture Down Under in the Australian exhibit, where you can get up close with wallabies and wallaroos and even feed the lorikeets some nectar right out of your hand! Visit louisvillezoo.org

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory
Go behind-the-scenes to learn more about “America’s Pastime” at the Slugger Museum and Factory. Throw a fastball (and track your speed), see how 1.8 million bats are made each year for amateurs and pros alike and even personalize your own Louisville Slugger baseball bat. You’ll literally see the wood chips fly as the bats are being made today for tomorrow’s hall-of-famers. Visit sluggermuseum.org

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular has been called one of the 10 best places to celebrate Halloween in America. Walk the 1/3-mile winding path through Iroquois Park while admiring 5,000 carved pumpkins that are illuminated at night as an “art show.” The show runs daily from dusk (approximately 7:15 p.m.) to 11 p.m., during the week (Sunday–Thursday), and closes at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Visit jack-o-lanternlouisville.com