NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Louisville, 2016

[Paper Maker]

Planning to go to the Louisville NRA meeting next May 2016. I was wondering if anyone went in 2008 and could recommend where to stay. Never been to Louisville before. As I understand it, the exhibits will be near the airport and the meetings will be downtown, about 6-7 miles apart. I am mainly going to see the exhibits, but was wondering if it was worthwhile to stay downtown? Thought I would ask anyone that experienced the Louisville area last time for suggestions. Thanks in advance.

I may just go a day or two early and do the downtown thing, then relocate near the exhibit hall at the fairgrounds/airport area during the actual event.

 

[Paper Maker]

Hello! Bump? Hello!

 

[Paper Maker]

Hello? Anybody ever been to Louisville?

 

[DWalt]

Many times. I always stayed at some of the motels just over the bridge from downtown Louisville on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. There are a lot of good choices there, but not what you call luxury palaces. I always liked it much better over there, lots of restaurants, etc.

If you go, make sure you visit the Frazier history museum across from the Louisville Slugger factory downtown. Outstanding gun and armor collection, well worth a few hours (or more) of your time. At least the last time I was there in 2010. Don't know how it is now. A Louisville Slugger factory visit is also worthwhile.

See: http://fraziermuseum.org/

Unless things have changed, the Louisville Convention Center was downtown, on the river, nowhere near the airport, which was 5 or so miles south of downtown. Where is the convention being held?

 

[Paper Maker]

NRA convention is being held at the fairgrounds and exhibition center near the airport, at the intersection of 65 and 254. Sounds like all of the exhibits will be at the exhibits center.

 

[rburg]

The big hotel right outside the gate used to be called the executive inn. I stayed there many times when going to the gunshow. Its directly between the airport and the fairgrounds. A good plan is to get your room in that hotel. Then walk across the road and into the fairgrounds. Its a big expo center, but they think its gold. I was there yesterday for the gunshow. It costs $8 to park inside. If you're of reasonably good health you can walk across the way (unless its raining or something). But then the hotel has a shuttle bus that works for tips. It drives inside for free and dumps you. Getting back can be a thrill if you've got to call and wait. Good luck with that. If you're flying in it even works better. Regardless, its easy to park and not even move your car until its time to go.

I just don't like Louisville. The only restaurant I really liked down there closed a while back. Now I'm not familiar with one I would recommend.

 

[max]

What Mr. Burg said. I was there in 08 and stayed at the Executive Inn right across the street.

 

[LittleCooner]

After doing several shot shows over the past 20 years, My son and I decided to make the NRA in Nashville a few months ago. We had a super time and decided to go to Louisville in 2016 a few days after returning from Nashville. Well, he could not find an opening in any hotels in Louisville for the 2016 event, and that was 6 weeks ago. So we may not attend. They had over 75,000 people in Nashville.

If you are really going, you would be well advised in your search and booking of a place to stay now. I think we are just going to pass on Louisville due to no hotel rooms available in town and its two years away.

 

[DWalt]

After doing several shot shows over the past 20 years, My son and I decided to make the NRA in Nashville a few months ago. We had a super time and decided to go to Louisville in 2016 a few days after returning from Nashville. Well, he could not find an opening in any hotels in Louisville for the 2016 event, and that was 6 weeks ago. So we may not attend. They had over 75,000 people in Nashville.

If you are really going, you would be well advised in your search and booking of a place to stay now. I think we are just going to pass on Louisville due to no hotel rooms available in town and its two years away.

As I earlier said, there are many motels on the Indiana side. But they may be full up also by now

 

[LoadedRound]

Rooms available

Don't give up. We got a room at the Seelbach

Hotels in Louisville, KY - The Seelbach Hilton Louisville

Look's like they still have some available. You might also consider vrbo.com They have properties that are still available for those dates.

 

[spclopr8tr]

There are many hotels available to the convention center within about 15 miles. Look at the area around I-64 and I-265. I booked a Hampton Inn and Suites for $101 plus tax using a military retiree discount. It is 13.7 miles from the convention center. No need to stay downtown or in Indiana. The closer to the annual meeting the harder it will be to find rooms. Gouge from the locals is the east side of town is best. You can always book now and cancel if you don't end up going. This year in Nashville there were people saying they had to go to KY to find the nearest available rooms. That was about an hour away by interstate.