Hotel & Travel

Visiting Louisville

Louisville is more than a conference destination — it's a city worth exploring. Whether you're joining us in person for the first time or returning for another year, we hope you'll take time to experience what makes Louisville a place people keep coming back to.

Getting to Louisville

Louisville is centrally located and easily accessible:

• Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is approximately 25 minutes downtown Louisville, with direct flights from most major U.S. hubs.
• By car, Louisville is within a day's drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population, located at the intersection of I-64, I-65 and I-71.
• Amtrak provides service to Louisville via the Cardinal line.

Accommodations

The conference workshops will be held at the 21C Hotel in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Although there is not a dedicated hotel block at the venue, attendees are welcome to book a stay there. 

Budget-mindful options within walking distance to the conference include:

Homewood Suites (same block; est. 2 min. walk)

Townplace Suites (.3 miles; est. 7 min. walk)

Holiday Inn Express (900 ft.; est. 4 min. walk)

The Galt House (.4 miles; est. 9  min. walk)

Courtyard by Marriott (.5 miles; est. 11 min. walk)

The Moxy (.6 miles; est. 14 min. walk)

Embassy Suites (.6 miles; est. 15 min. walk)

Hilton Garden Inn (.8 miles; est. 20 min. walk)

For attendees who wish to stay in other areas of the city, Louisville has a great selection of boutique hotels and AirBnBs. Neighborhoods/areas that include reasonably priced lodging and a convenient commute (less than 20 minutes) to the conference include Nulu, Bardstown Rd./The Highlands, and Frankfort Ave./Clifton.

Museum Row

21c is located in the heart of Museum Row in downtown Louisville, a stone's throw from the Louisville Slugger Museum, Frasier History Museum, Kentucky Science Center and many more attractions as well as a variety of dining options.  

Exploring Louisville

Louisville offers plenty beyond the conference:

• The city is renowned for its bourbon heritage, with multiple distilleries and the Urban Bourbon Trail
• A thriving independent restaurant and arts scene
• Historic landmarks including Churchill Downs, the Louisville Slugger Museum and the Muhammad Ali Center
• The scenic Louisville Waterfront Park along the Ohio River

Once you’re in Louisville, the city offers public transportation via bus, for which we would recommend researching routes, times, and including extra time in your travel schedule for delays. Uber and Lyft are widely available.

The Watson Conference Committee and your workshop co-facilitators are eager to host you, and we look forward to your contributions to the 2026 Watson Conference!