LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you're driving east into NuLu from downtown Louisville, the first thing you might see is a 145-year-old church. The building dates back to 1879 at East Market and Hancock streets, and you could say it's "heaven's door" to one of the city's marquee districts. 

It's called The Last Refuge, a co-venture that includes Bob Dylan's Heaven's Door bourbon. The legendary singer and his line of bourbon are prominently featured throughout the property, with one room — the church's old gym — featuring more than 1,200 bottles featuring numerous brands.

"If it weren't for all the Bob Dylan pictures outside, you'd never know that it's a restaurant right now, because it just looks like a church," said Mackey Middleton, who was visiting the area earlier this week. "... It's unique, not something that we currently have in Louisville."

At different times, it's been home to The Refuge in Kentucky Church and the Market Street United Methodist Church. Previous plans for the site called for Weyland Ventures to open a cajun restaurant and entertainment complex called Churchkey, but they never materialized.

"The name of the church basketball team was Last Refuge," Marc Bushala, president and CEO of Heaven's Door Spirits, said last year. "So, as a tribute to that, the name of our bar (is) The Last Refuge."

Upstairs in the old sanctuary, you won't hear church choirs but maybe some folk, rock or jazz at parties, events or weddings with room for 200 guests. And there's more music outside, with live music overlooking the patio on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Last Refuge

The Last Refuge reimagines an old church at East Market and Hancock streets in Louisville built in 1879. (WDRB Photo)

"It's a 6-foot stage that overlooks the patio," said Rachel Fulkerson, general manger of The Last Refuge. "It's perfect from an audio standpoint. You have typical bars that only come a couple inches off the ground. It's almost like a stadium feel, but we adjust the volume so you can have a nice intimate dinner as well."

Guest can also simply sit at the bar and try drinks with some of Dylan's static bourbon bottles: a Straight Bourbon, a six-year Double Barrel whiskey and a Straight Rye

"We walked in and were just amazed at it," said William O'Brien, who visited this week from Asheville, North Carolina. "I walked all over the place and looked — great cocktails, incredible cocktail — but just everything about it just wonderful."

And there's even more coming. Phase 2 of the NuLu project will focus on Dylan's other talent: his art.

The Last Refuge

The Last Refuge reimagines an old church at East Market and Hancock streets in Louisville built in 1879. (WDRB Photo)

Heaven's Door's website describes Dylan as a "restless artist," and a handful of his paintings and sculptures are displayed in Heaven's Door locations. So next door to the church — at 610 E. Market St. — the group also purchased the Zephyr Gallery, which it will use to house a 14,000-square-foot art gallery along with administrative office space. The art installation will be similar to Dylan's art displays in London, Shanghai and Miami, and will also feature the works of a rotating group of other artists.

The space next door will also feature a tasting room.

And outside Louisville, Heaven's Door Distillery is in the works in Pleasureville, in Henry and Shelby counties. Heaven's Door website says the distillery has been "quietly" in the works since 2017 on 160 acres along Six Mile Creek.

The distillery is set to open sometime in 2024 will feature a visitors center, tasting room a restored 18th-century grist mill and two 18th-century cabins.

"This is a momentous occasion for Heaven's Door," Bushala says on the distillery's website. "We selected this location for its remarkable natural beauty and unique ecosystem that has enabled us to make exceptional bourbon and create an unrivaled visitor experience," added Bushala. "We are committed to the art of craft whiskey and honor the legacy of the many pioneers who have helped make Kentucky bourbon what it is today. We are thrilled to have Heaven's Door be part of this storied tradition."

For more information about the distillery, click here.

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