The Ali Center does an amazing job of showing us how Cassius Clay grew from being a great, outspoken boxer into Muhammad Ali, a great, outspoken, peace-loving humanitarian and civil rights leader. I love the way the museum is divided into the 6 core principles that have shaped Muhammad Ali's life: Confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality. There are additionally areas focusing on his boxing career along with several temporary exhibits. When I was there, I was so pleasantly surprised to see the Robert Shetterly portrait exhibit (which included Ali) entitled "Americans Who Tell the Truth." While at the Ali Center, one of the things that struck me to my core was discovering how intimately entwined Ali's early career and life were with the American civil rights movement. I was in awe. Along with the wonderful, interactive museum, the Center also has a great gift shop. When you go, make sure to take plenty of time to fully appreciate this Louisville gem!
I feel inspired after visiting this Museum. I didn't know much about Muhammad Ali before, but now I know so much about his life, and also the domestic and world issues during his lifetime.There is a lot of reading, and a lot of videos that can be watched. We only spent about an hour and a half here, because we tire of these things easily, but I still feel that I learned an enormous amount. The price of admission is very fair. If you visit another museum on 'museum row' show your ticket for a dollar off admission.
The Ali Center is an excellent museum. I was skeptical at first, because I'm not a huge fan of boxing, but the museum is so much more than that. And the parts that are about boxing were actually great fun! The mock up of his training camp is great, and everyone in our group enjoyed "shadow boxing" with the Champ. I was most impressed, however, by the tribute to Ali's humanitarian work and his core values and beliefs.It might not be the best bet for very young children, but it is a museum that works well on very many levels and is definitely worth visiting. They also have outstanding traveling exhibits from time to time, so check the schedule for those as well.
This is a fantastic place right in the heart of downtown area. Features all aspects of Ali's career. Great vivid exhibits. Good introductory film. Nice souvenir shop. Wish they had a café.
A nice museum worth our visit. It has a lot of history to read about which my kids 9 and under got bored over but it was a great experience.
I didn't even know this existed. This is a great museum that chronicles Muhammad Ali's life and career. It shows a lot of the things most people do not know about Ali and has a lot of hands on exhibits that allow you to get a feel of the boxing ring. You can watch many of his fights from start to finish and learn about his life after boxing. This is definitely a must see if you visit Louisville.
I'm not into boxing. I went here because it was the museum that gave me the best discount with my student ID. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this place. A lot of the museum was focused on the Muhammad Ali's beliefs, and his attitude, and how he helped others, with a big focus on peace. If you like boxing, there's a lot of cool boxing stuff, too. It was very inspiring, and not at all what I expected.
I thought he fought great. I thought he was a flamboyant talker. I thought Ali was the best. After visiting the Ali Center, I realized that I was absolutely wrong. All of that is not nearly good enough to describe Ali.Ali was an artist who painted a story with lightening fast hands. Once or twice a year millions of people gathered around big screens and a boxing ring to witness him create. He wasn't just fighting an opponent in the ring, he was fighting for the truly deserved recognition that a mega-organization and government tried to rip from his grasp and he rose to the top, triumphant.His tongue unveiled a myriad of poetic music to the ears of many undoubtedly willing listeners. His poems dismantled an industry and remade it the most popular industry of its time. Those musical words also taught an unfair government agency, to say the least, that equality is just that, equality, even in success."The Best" is one of the most understated terms that could describe Ali. Ali showed us all what legends are made of. He took a world upon his shoulders and he carried it. I must say, visiting the Ali Center was the highlight of my trip to Kentucky. If you are a fan, like Ali or just have a plain curiosity, it is a must see. Cheers
We visited on a Wednesday afternoon in early December right after the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. The two museums are downtown and within walking distance of each other. We bought our tickets at the Muhammad Ali Center for $9 per adult and got right in with no line or wait. As other reviewers have stated, the museum is more about the life of Ali than his career but this makes it very interesting because of the struggles and changes taking place in the United States at this time in history. There's a short orientation video that lasts about 10 minutes and the rest of the visit is spent moving through the exhibit at one's own pace. There are several floors and sections, each with a topic and purpose, to explain various parts of his life and boxing career. There are videos, interactive displays, artwork, and reading material. You need at least a couple of hours to do this place justice. There's a lot to see, read, and take in.We aren't necessarily boxing fans and we admittedly didn't know much about Ali going into this museum, but we learned so much and found his story to be pretty inspirational. It's worth a visit.
The Ali Center is one our favorite museums. One doesn't need to be a boxing fan to enjoy it.The museum chronicles Ali's life alongside the social and cultural changes from the 1940s to 1970s. It also showcases his beliefs and humanitarian work. The displays are interactive and highly informative. The films are also engaging. Other museums could learn from the Ali Center.The interactive displays were down when we first arrived. They came back after fifteen minutes or so; however, visitors might call ahead to make sure they are functioning. Apparently this has happened before.