About Discover Downtown La Grange

Discover More About the Discover Downtown La Grange Organization…

It starts as a low rumble. Then, the bells. Next, vibrations. Most first-time visitors to historic downtown La Grange are astounded as they watch a freight train roll through town. Yes, a train runs through it — right down the center of Main Street. Up to 30 trains a day come through this county seat of Oldham County, Kentucky, much to the delight of locals and tourists a like.

Tourists also are thrilled to learn that Historic Downtown La Grange is filled with unique shopping experiences, including art galleries, amazing eateries, gift shops, clothing stores and great monthly events that include the retailers. When people come to La Grange they feel as if they have found a little get-away not far from Louisville.

In 2003, a group of citizens, city government officials and business owners, all concerned about the future of La Grange’s central historic district, decided to form a Main Street Program based on guidelines from the Kentucky Heritage Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. These organizations’ goals are to assist communities with downtown revitalization and economic development in the context of historic preservation.

Our Main Street Program in La Grange, originally known as Crossroads La Grange, became known as Discover Downtown La Grange. The founders created this organization as a non-profit 501c-3 and our mission centers on three pillars:

  • Business — to promote and support business growth and development, sustain existing businesses and recruit new ones.
  • History — to preserve, promote, revitalize and celebrate our unique historical character.
  • Community — to make La Grange a better place to live, work and play.

We are a private organization but have a strong working relationship with our city and county governments and frequently collaborate on projects and events with other town and county not-for-profit organizations. We also partner with several local businesses and depend on their support, through our Ownership Program, to enable us to hold special events throughout the year. These events include:

In 2004, First Lady Laura Bush recognized the city of La Grange as a Preserve America community, a designation for communities that protect and celebrate their heritage. Are you interested in becoming part of the Discover Downtown La Grange effort? Learn more about how you can help.

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