LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city of Louisville is celebrating the 100th anniversary of "The Great Gatsby."

Louisville is featured prominently in the iconic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was known to frequent The Seelbach Hotel whenever he spent time in the city. According to The Seelbach's website, Fitzgerald was stationed at Camp Taylor and would spend available weekends visiting the Seelbach for bourbon and cigars.

During his time visiting, Fitzgerald met Cincinnati mobster George Remus, who became the inspiration for "Jay Gatsby" in the book. 

The hotel unveiled a new Great Gatsby suite in February.

A number of celebratory events are planned around the city to mark the novel's 100th anniversary, which is April 10, according to a news release from the city:

  • 6:30-8 p.m. at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, 528 W. Main St.
  • Guess the secret password and step back in time to a 1920s-style speakeasy. Once inside, an F. Scott Fitzgerald expert will take you on a journey through the author's life and discuss the city’s rich whiskey-making heritage. Sip on a classic cocktail and immerse yourself in 1920s sounds while enjoying a guided tasting of select products from Heaven Hill Distillery's award-winning portfolio. Every guest will receive a gift bag and have the opportunity to shop exclusive bottlings. All attendees must be 21 or older.
  • 6-8 p.m. at the Louisville Palace Theatre, 625 S. 4th St.
  • Step into the jazzy world of the Roaring Twenties with this new production of the World Ballet Company. See the glitz, glamor, and tragic romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel live on stage, featuring a multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers, an all-star creative team, lustrous hand-crafted costumes, and lavish, groundbreaking sets. The original score evokes the energy and atmosphere of the 1920s.
  • 5-9 p.m. at the Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd St.
  • Visit the Speed Art Museum for an evening of art, music and literary brilliance and the glamour of The Great Gatsby. Create your own work of art, capture the moment with a vintage-style River City Tintype portrait, and explore the world of American women artists in Paris on a curator-led tour. Enjoy a special reading and book signing by Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson, embrace Parisian culture with the Alliance Française de Louisville and soak in some jazz-infused energy with a live performance by Jane’s Jazz Addiction.
  • Churchill Downs Racetrack at 700 Central Ave.
  • Gates open at 4 p.m., the first race is at 5 p.m., and the last race is at 10 p.m.
  • Celebrate the 151st Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks post-position draws with a lavish twist that channels the spirit of the Roaring Twenties with a GreatGatsby-inspired evening. The GreatGatsby on Broadway star and Louisville native Kayla Pecchioni will be in attendance for a special performance at the iconic Pagoda. Guests are encouraged to dress in their finest 1920s attire for a Derby Week fashion contest. And Old Forester will feature a special cocktail, available at select locations, delivering the balance of sweetness and sophistication in the spirit of the 1920s.
  • The cinema at the Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd St.
  • Doors open 11 a.m., the the screening will last from 12-2:30 p.m.
  • Sip on a Gatsby-inspired cocktail from the cash bar before heading into the 142-seat cinema for a special screening of Director Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 version of the iconic tale, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Tobey Maguire.
  • 7-9 p.m., Belle of Louisville Riverboats, 401 W. River Road
  • Celebrate Great Gatsby style on an authentic steamboat and shimmy the night away to live jazz and swing music on this prohibition-themed cruise. With a cocktail class, a costume contest, dance lessons, and more, this two-hour cruise will transport you back to 1920s Louisville. Zoot suits and flapper dresses are encouraged but not required. For ages 21 and over.
  • 6-8 p.m. at the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Ave.
  • Slip into your finest flapper fringe or dapper duds for a Great Gatsby garden party at Waterfront Botanical Gardens. Stroll the grounds, enjoy delectable bites, sip on swanky cocktails from the cash bar, and dance the night away to the sounds of live jazz music. The drinks are cold, the jazz is hot, and the Gardens are calling.

Tours

  • Weekly, Thursday – Saturday, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, 500 S. 4th St.
  • Take in the 120-year history on a free walking tour of the historic Seelbach Hotel. Led by Historian Larry Johnson, hear the legendary stories of the people that have visited the property over the past century and explore the spaces that make the Seelbach one of the most unique and historic hotels in the country. From Presidents to mobsters to a wedding in The Great Gatsby, this hour-long tour will take you back to the roaring 20s, showcasing the hotel's unique history and architectural beauty. The tour starts in the hotel lobby. No reservations required.
  • Weekly, Tuesday – Friday, 5- 8 p.m.
  • Join Louisville Food Tours to explore the hidden stories of Louisville’s haunted past. As you eat and drink your way down Whiskey Row, you’ll meet the resident ghosts of Louisville’s historic downtown, trace the footsteps of bourbon magnates and mobsters, see Al Capone’s secret getaway, uncover the Louisville origins of the Great Gatsby, discover hidden speakeasies, and learn the shocking truth about Prohibition.

Old Louisville in the Time of F. Scott-Fitzgerald

  • Tour departs from the Louisville Free Public Library, 1340 S. 4th St.
  • For the 100th anniversary of the publication of the GreatGatsby, the Louisville Free Public Library invites guests to enjoy a stroll through Old Louisville to see the grand architecture that was prominent during F. Scott-Fitzgerald’s time in the city. Learn to recognize the differences between a 19th Century Richardsonian Romanesque and 20th century Colonial Revival as you walk the perimeter of historic Central Park. To register for the free tour, please contact kaira.tucker@lfpl.org or (502) 574-1649.

Exhibits

  • Kentucky Derby Museum at 704 Central Ave.
  • Fashion has been tightly woven into the fabric of the Kentucky Derby’s history and culture over the past 150 years. From daring dresses to glamorous hats and sharp suits, Churchill Downs was a fashion runway during the Roaring Twenties and a place to be seen. This Kentucky Derby Museum exhibit houses historic ensembles that give a glimpse into the past and what horse racing fans may have worn to the historic racetrack in the 1920s.  
  • March 29 to June 22 at the Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. 3rd St.
  • Brilliant Exiles features more than 65 artworks across various media to tell the extraordinary stories of American women who left the constraints of early 20th-century America to pursue artistic and professional ambitions in Paris. In 1924 while writing Gatsby, Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, spent time in Paris, which was an epicenter of modernism due to its thriving literary and artistic scene. Zelda immersed herself in the vibrant artistic scene, and her painting, Ballerinas (c. 1933) is included in the Brilliant Exiles exhibition. The Speed Art Museum is the first and one of only two museums in 2025 to host the exhibition outside of Washington D.C., where it is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery.