4 Louisville spots nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. How to vote
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Louisville favorites nominated for ‘Best Attraction for Sports Fans’
USA Today has nominated four Louisville staples for its “Best Attraction for Sports Fans” The city is the only in the U.S. with four attractions nominated, more than any other destination. The nationwide list includes 20 museums, venues and other iconic destinations. Fans can vote once daily for their favorite attraction by visiting USA Today’s website.”From baseball to boxing to horse racing, Louisville offers one of the most dynamic and immersive sports experiences,” tourism officials say.
What You Need To Know USA Today has nominated four Louisville staples for its “Best Attraction for Sports Fans” readers’ choice award
The attractions nominated include Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and the Muhammad Ali Center
The city is the only in the U.S. with four attractions nominated, more than any other destination
Voting is open on USA Today’s website through Monday, Aug. 18
The nationwide list includes 20 museums, venues and other iconic destinations selected by a panel of journalists and editors. The four nominated Louisville attractions include:
Churchill Downs Racetrack
Kentucky Derby Museum
Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory
Muhammad Ali Center
They go up against other renowned attractions such as the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Iowa, the Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio.
Voting is open through Monday, Aug. 18. Fans can vote once daily for their favorite attraction by visiting USA Today’s website.
“From baseball to boxing to horse racing, Louisville offers one of the most dynamic and immersive sports experiences in the country — and continues to be recognized on such a national stage,” Louisville Tourism said in a news release.
The publication’s top five last year saw the Kentucky Derby Museum place No. 3 and the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory place No. 5. Also in the top five were the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Boise State’s Blue Turf and the Savannah Bananas.
Whether you’re from out of town or a local, visit GoToLouisville.com for everything you need to know about planning a trip to the Derby City.
Michigan ‘thrills n wheels’ top Readers’ Choice Awards. 5 attractions to check out
Five Michigan venues, focused on cars, boats, and aircraft, were recognized in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The recognized venues include the Battle Creek Field of Flight, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit Boat Show, Woodward Dream Cruise, and Michigan International Speedway. The awards highlight top travel based on nominations from industry experts and votes from the public.Here’s a look at the top 10 in each category, and how Michigan attractions ranked:USA TODAY’s readers’ Choice 10Best Air Shows: Airshow London, Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s World War II Weekend, Wings Over Houston Airshow, Cleveland National Air Show, Florida International Air Show. The 10Best Car Shows: Savoy Automobile Museum, National Corvette Museum, Revs Institute, America’s Transportation Experience / AACA Museum. The top 10 Boat Shows in the U.S. include Newport International Boat Show (Newport, Rhode Island), Discover Boating Atlantic City Boat Show and St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show.
AI-assisted summary Five Michigan venues, focused on cars, boats, and aircraft, were recognized in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The recognized venues include the Battle Creek Field of Flight, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit Boat Show, Woodward Dream Cruise, and Michigan International Speedway.
The awards highlight top travel based on nominations from industry experts and votes from the public.
Five Michigan locations featuring “Thrills ‘n’ Wheels” have received recognition in USA TODAY’s 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025.
The Battle Creek Field of Flight air show, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit Boat Show, Woodward Dream Cruise and Michigan International Speedway all were selected among the best places for car, air and boat enthusiasts.
Here’s a look at the top 10 in each category, and how Michigan attractions ranked:
USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice 10Best Air Shows
1. Airshow London (London, Ontario)
2. Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s World War II Weekend (Reading, Pennsylvania)
3. Wings Over Houston Airshow (Houston, Texas)
4. Battle Creek Field of Flight (Battle Creek, Michigan)
5. Cleveland National Air Show (Cleveland, Ohio)
6. Florida International Air Show (Punta Gorda, Florida)
7. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
8. San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show (San Francisco, California)
9. TBM Avenger Reunion (Peru, Illinois)
10. MCAS Miramar Air Show (San Diego, California
Battle Creek’s Field of Flight Air Show
The Battle Creek Field of Flight, a midsummer aviation show and balloon festival, was considered the fourth-best air show among USA TODAY readers.
For five days, spectators enjoy air shows of military and civilian aircraft, a twilight and night air show (among the largest in the nation), fireworks, concerts, a carnival, and hot air balloon launches.
Field of Flight is an air show and balloon festival rolled into one — the largest of its kind in North America, USA TODAY noted.
USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Attractions for Car Lovers
1. Savoy Automobile Museum (Cartersville, Georgia)
2. National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
3. Revs Institute (Naples, Florida)
4. America’s Transportation Experience / AACA Museum (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
5. National Automobile Museum (Reno, Nevada)
6. Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
7. Museum of American Speed (Lincoln, Nebraska)
8. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation (Dearborn, Michigan)
9. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California)
10. America’s Car Museum (Tacoma, Washington)
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
Named the eighth-best attraction for car lovers, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation was started by one of the pioneers of the U.S automotive industry, Henry Ford, in 1929.
The museum exhibits include flight, railroad, agriculture and automobile showcases, highlighting innovation and ingenuity in the transportation industry.
USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice 10Best Boat Shows
1. Newport Beach International Boat Show (Newport Beach, California)
2. Palm Beach International Boat Show (West Palm Beach, Florida)
3. St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show (St. Petersburg, Florida)
4. Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
5. Detroit Boat Show (Detroit, Michigan)
6. Newport International Boat Show (Newport, Rhode Island)
7. Discover Boating Atlantic City Boat Show (Atlantic City, New Jersey)
8. Annapolis Sailboat Show (Annapolis, Maryland)
9. Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show (Miami, Florida)
10. San Diego International Boat Show (San Diego, California)
Detroit Boat Show
The Detroit Boat Show was listed No. 5 in the Best Boat Shows in the U.S.
It includes live music, educational workshops, boat driving simulators and of course, boats, ranging from 10 feet to 55 feet.
Additionally motors, boat accessories and trailers are available for purchase.
USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice 10Best Car Shows
1. Cruisin’ The Coast (Mississippi Gulf Coast)
2. Triple Crown of Rodding (Lebanon, Tennessee)
3. MSRA Back to the 50’s Weekend (St. Paul, Minnesota)
4. The Amelia Concours d’Elegance (Amelia Island, Florida)
5. NSRA Street Rod Nationals (Louisville, Kentucky)
6. Renaissance Euro Fest (Ridgeland, Mississippi)
7. Iola Car Show (Iola, Wisconsin)
8. Woodward Dream Cruise (Detroit, Michigan)
9. Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
10. Hot August Nights (Reno, Nevada)
Woodward Dream Cruise
The 16-mile cruise fills Woodward Avenue on the third Saturday of every August.
In 1995, the Woodward Dream Cruise started as a small fundraiser to support a local soccer field.
Today, it’s one of the largest one-day automotive event with some 40,000 classic cars and more than 1 million people gathering each August.
It ranks as the eighth-best car show in the U.S.
USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice 10Best NASCAR Tracks
1. Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pennsylvania)
2. Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, New York)
3. Chicago Street Race (Chicago, Illinois)
4. Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada)
5. Atlanta Motor Speedway (Hampton, Georgia)
6. New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, New Hampshire)
7. Dover Motor Speedway (Dover, Delaware)
8. Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, Michigan)
9. Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee)
10. Talladega Superspeedway (Lincoln, Alabama)
Michigan International Speedway
NASCAR fans are familiar with the Michigan International Speedway, the wide 18-degree banks of the 2-mile raceway are located in the Irish Hills of the Wolverine State.
Ford-backed teams have historically dominated the track, but GM and Toyota have edged their way into Ford’s territory and the race is as competitive as ever, according to USA TODAY.
Readers ranked the Michigan track No. 8 in the country.
Who does the rankings?
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards highlights the very best travel, food, drink and lifestyle.
The panel includes industry experts who nominate their favorite attractions across a range of categories. Editors then vet the nominations and set a final list of nominees to be presented to the voting public.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
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