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As a child growing up in Kentucky, I knew who Muhammad Ali was. He was the famed boxer who oozed confidence in every interview.
I wasn’t a boxing fan and didn’t follow his career, but friends of mine did and more than once I found the neighborhood kids, preparing for their own youthful (and ungloved) version of a boxing match exclaiming that they too can “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
It amused me, but I never thought about the man behind the statement, Ali, and I never even knew he was from Louisville in my home state of Kentucky.
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Ali (1942-2016) lived quite a life and it all could have gone so differently. When Ali was 12 years old, someone stole his beloved bike while he was at a gym and he was determined to find the perpetrator and beat the (well, you know) out of him.
This is when trainer and police officer Joe Martin intervened and suggested he put that anger to better use by taking up boxing. And the rest, as they say, is history.
This story, and many more are explored at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali Center. The Center in Louisville was founded in 2005 by Ali and his wife, Lonnie. Both were integral to the planning of the Center. It’s much more than a tribute to Ali, though it does indeed accomplish that, it’s a thoughtful place where humanity is explored.
Inside the Center, I saw visitors of all ages exploring the exhibitions spanning three floors. From his simple beginnings here in Louisville, through his life’s work as a boxer and a humanitarian, are covered in these thoughtful galleries.
My visit started by watching a very informative video highlighting his accomplishments. Upon exiting the theater, visitors head into multiple pavilions that share more about his boxing career, his participation in the Olympics, controversies, civil rights, and so much more.
During his career and after, Ali visited many people around the world with messages of goodwill and hope. He also donated a portion of his winnings to local groups, including $400,000 to a fund in Atlanta to find a serial killer who had taken the lives of 26 young black people.
In a fun hands-on space, you can “train with Ali”. In a recreation of the Champ’s Deer Lake Training Camp, you can step into the ring with Laila Ali (Ali’s professional boxer daughter) and find your footing as you shadow box, use all your power to try your hand on a heavyweight punching bag or see if you can indeed be speedy on a speed bag. I was, indeed, not speedy on the speed bag!
Dotted throughout the Center are film clips of matches, interviews, and more, objects that belonged to him, including his Gold Medal from the 1960 Rome Olympics (when he was still known as Cassius Clay, this medal is a replacement-Ali is said to have tossed the original in the Ohio River in protest) and the torch he carried into the opening ceremony at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta to ignite the Olympic cauldron-a moment in history many of us watched as and admired his resolve as he battled Parkinson’s disease.
I soon had a much larger view of this “larger than life” man.
Saying Goodbye
Those who may not have followed Ali’s boxing career might know him through his humanitarian efforts, he visited many around the world, sharing messages about peace and helping others. When Ali died on June 3, 2016, the city came together to mourn “The Greatest”.
14,000 people attended the traditional Muslim service at Louisville’s Freedom Hall, where his first professional fight had taken place 55 years earlier.
A public memorial took place at the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center and thousands more people from all backgrounds lined the streets of Louisville as Ali made his way to his final resting place at Louisville’s historic Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum.
More to See Nearby
The Center is located adjacent to Louisville’s popular Museum Row on Main. Located downtown, near the Ohio River, Main Street is alive with activities for all ages.
Here visitors will find museums and attractions including the Frazier History Museum (which is also home to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center), the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory (take the tour!), the contemporary galleries at the 21C Museum Hotel (free and open 24 hours), the Kentucky Science Center, KMAC (Contemporary Art Museum), the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (tastings, tours), Kentucky Peerless Distilling and The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to these attractions, there are hotels, restaurants, tasting rooms, and more within several downtown blocks. On this visit, I made a repeat visit to the Frazier History Museum, which celebrates “all things Kentucky”.
Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum
If you wish to pay your respects to Ali, as I did, a visit to the historic Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum is in order. Established in 1849 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this impressive (and large) cemetery is very close to downtown Louisville and welcomes visitors.
Many famous Kentuckians are buried here, including Colonel Harlan Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, sculptor Enid Yandell, and Patty Smith Hill (co-writer with her sister of the song, “Happy Birthday to You”).
Seeming at times like a museum, Cave Hill has an impressive number of sculptures dotting its grounds as memorials to those lost. Ali’s gravesite can be found by following the green line painted on the roadway.
On my visit, I saw cars with license plates from states including Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia stop and pay their respects. In the warm weather months, this area is bright with flowers and overlooks a peaceful lake. I sat on a nearby bench and reflected on my day, remembering Ali in his Louisville.
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Author Bio: Mary Casey-Sturk is the Editor of Indian Hill Living Magazine (Ohio), and writer for Living Magazines as well as a content developer, freelance travel, food, wine and features writer based in Greater Cincinnati.
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