Plan Your Visit

Programs start promptly at listed showtime. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the screening. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and seats in the Cinema may not be saved for additional guests. The Cinema entrance is located on the south side of the Museum.
A map with walking directions to the Cinema can be found here.
The Museum code of conduct applies to the Cinema and Cinema lobby.

All Museum prohibited activities apply to the Cinema and Cinema lobby. In addition, video recording in the Cinema is strictly prohibited, and shoes must remain on feet at all times when in Cinema spaces.

For less ambulatory guests attending a screening, very limited parking may be available at the rear of the museum. These 2-3 parking spaces shorten the walk to the Cinema and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call our Security Console at 502-634-2712 so they may assist you in locating the spaces.

Please be advised that the Speed Cinema auditorium does not have a ramp. We encourage guests to arrive early to provide time before the screening to use our lift. Speed Cinema seats are 19” wide from arm to arm. A limited number of blankets are available at the auditorium entrance.

Note: The Museum’s main entry may be closed during private events or when galleries are closed; the Cinema entrance will always be available.

When available, food and drink purchased before a screening in the Cinema Lobby can be enjoyed in the Cinema, Cinema lobby, or outside the Museum.

Outside food or beverages are not permitted in the Cinema.

Professional or commercial photography must be scheduled through the Museum.   

Service animals are welcome under ADA guidelines. All other pets must be leashed and stay on designated walkways. Pets are not permitted in or on art, water features, or gathering spaces. Please clean up after your pet.   

Outside food welcome in small amounts. Please reserve cafe seating for cafe patrons.

Please smoke only in designated areas.

Prohibited items include: weapons and firearms, open flames and grills, amplified music, drones, glass containers, lawn chairs, alcoholic beverages.   

No recreational riding or tricks. Bicycle racks are available—please do not lock bikes to trees, furniture, or sculptures.  

Do not climb or touch artworks unless otherwise indicated. No walking or playing in water features. Please don’t climb trees, hang hammocks, or set up slacklines. Ball games, frisbee, and similar play are not permitted. Kindly use designated trash and recycling bins

The Museum’s lactation room is located in the Satterwhite hallway near our African Art collection. Please ask a guest experience associate or gallery attendant if you would like to use the room.  

Lightweight, portable stools are available throughout the Museum. These “docent stools” can be moved through the galleries and returned to any of the racks located throughout the building. 

Our Guest Experience and Security staff are happy to direct you to quiet areas of the Museum, should you need them. Complimentary sensory bags are available at Guest Experience (main lobby, front desk) for guests to borrow. The sensory kits contain earmuffs for sound dampening and fidget “toys”.

Braille and large print appear on all location signage.

Assisted hearing devices are available at Guest Experience for Speed Cinema screenings.

All restrooms are ADA compliant. Family and single occupancy restrooms located on the second floor of the North Building are lockable and provide more room for guests who require assistance or prefer more privacy. Find them on the Museum map, available at the front desk.

As a public institution, the Speed Art Museum is compliant with all regulations put forth by the American with Disabilities Act, and we strive to make our building accessible for those with different abilities. All restrooms at the Speed are wheelchair accessible. We have three elevators throughout the galleries for guest use, an automated lift inside the Speed Cinema, and an elevator within the Speed parking garage, wherein accessible parking is available on every floor. Should you need one, wheelchairs are available to borrow by request at Guest Experience.

For less ambulatory guests attending a Speed Cinema screening, very limited parking may be available at the rear of the museum. These 2-3 parking spaces shorten the walk to the cinema and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call our Security Console at 502-634-2712 so they may assist you in locating the spaces.

The following are prohibited and may be grounds for ejection from the Speed Art Museum property: 

• Actual or attempted misappropriation of and/or damage to Speed property 

• Violation of established rules, policies, or the Museum’s code of conduct 

• Failure to follow the instructions or requests of Museum staff or posted signage 

• Activities prohibited in Museum areas, including any entrance areas, entrance steps, parking facility, platforms, gallery spaces, access ramps, or open space 

• Blocking Museum areas or interfering with the flow of pedestrian traffic 

• Blocking or interfering with admission lines or special event-related activities, including valet parking services for special events 

• Unauthorized solicitation, petition signature gathering, leafletting activities, unaffiliated public or private events, mass gatherings, demonstrations, or protest activities on any part of Museum property 

• Possession, use, and/or being under the influence of controlled substances while on Speed’s premises, except as authorized by a physician’s prescription 

• Smoking, including the use of vaping devices, is not permitted inside the Speed Art Museum. 

• Creating a physically offensive condition, including disturbing odors, infested clothing, or personal effects 

• Unauthorized entry into controlled or restricted areas or across art barriers 

The Guest Experience and Security teams will make final decisions on all gallery activities. 

 

Any public solicitation must be approved in writing by the Museum Director and/or Director of Protection Services before engaging in such activity. Solicitation includes but is not limited to selling goods or services, sales calls, panhandling, distributing literature or flyers, gathering signatures, demonstrating, or conducting surveys on Museum property. 

All guests, contractors, and service personnel may be subject to a brief security screening while on the property. Bags, purses, backpacks, and other containers may also be checked as part of this process.

We offer a coat check and designated areas to store personal belongings for your convenience. If you’d like assistance, please visit or contact Guest Experiences, and our team will be happy to help.

Prohibited items may be confiscated or/or turned over to authorities:

• Weapons, including guns, knives, blades, pepper spray, mace, tasers, stun guns, tactical batons, or weapons of any kind. No scissors or other such supplies or tools are permitted in the Museum. 

• Open flames of any kind are prohibited. 

• Walking sticks are prohibited in the museum. Canes can be provided upon entry. 

• Large umbrellas are not permitted in the galleries. Umbrella bags and stands are available at the museum entrance. Small umbrellas can be stored in a bag while exploring the galleries. All others must be checked with Guest Experience upon entry. 

• Drawing media such as charcoal, oil pastel, felt-tip marker, pastels, ink, fountain pens, fixatives, and sprays of any type. Easels are not permitted in our galleries. 

• No organic material, including flowers, sticks, and insects. 

• Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, etc. 

• No artificial lights, flashes, reflectors, or diffusers are permitted. 

• Balloons  

Personal Use Photography
Personal photography is allowed in the galleries provided guests pay regular admission. This includes cell phones, handheld point & shoot cameras, and video cameras that are set to take non-flash photos. Flash photography is prohibited. Some artworks may not be photographed, as indicated on the artwork label. “Selfie sticks” and tripods are not permitted in the Museum, monopods, or similar devices are not permitted in the Museum. Drones are not permitted for use inside the Museum and must receive advanced written approval for use on exterior Museum grounds. 

News Media 

Members of the media must always be escorted by a member of the Marketing Department or have permission from that office to shoot independently. All organized photo shoots inside the Museum—for news coverage, school projects, tourism programs—require approval from Kim Butterweck, Director of Communications and Marketing. Unscheduled photo shoots will be declined. 

Commercial Shoots/Wedding Photography/Large Group Photography  

Photo shoots for commercial purposes (advertising, music videos, training videos, etc.) must be approved and scheduled in advance by the Special Events Department. A fee may apply. 

Any large group photography inside the Museum (5 or more total guests) must be approved by the Special Events Department. Large group photography can be qualified as Prom Photos, Graduation Photos, Headshots, School Groups & Proposals. A fee will be applied to the reservation. Unscheduled photo shoots will be declined. 

Engagement photography must be scheduled in advance. A fee will be charged for use of facilities and staff time. Wedding clients who have a current scheduled wedding event hosted with us will have the fee waived however will still need to schedule their time.  

The Special Events Department will schedule any of these sessions directly and communicate them out to Guest Relations, Security and other necessary parties. Unscheduled photo shoots will be prohibited. 

The Fee: Museum Open Hours: $150 | Museum Closed Hours: $300 

General Photography Regulations 

• Indoor portrait photography is allowed in the Museum without escort if the following restrictions are followed: 
• Photographs must be shot in natural light only. No artificial lights, reflectors, or diffusers allowed. 
• All public spaces must always remain accessible to guests and comply with ADA regulations. 
• There is no space for clothing bags or storage of personal items outside the coat closet.  
• No backpacks in the galleries per our regular security procedures. 
• Absolutely no live floral arrangements or other props allowed in galleries without special permission from Marketing or Special Events. 
• Museum security reserves the right to halt any photo shoot that is deemed disruptive. 
• Outdoor photo shoots on the Museum grounds can take place at any time and do not require an escort. 

Each person entering the Speed Art Museum grants the Museum permission to photograph, videotape, record, or otherwise reproduce the image and/or voice of that person and all accompanying minors, without compensation, for the Museum’s educational or promotional purposes.  

Lost items remain at the Guest Experience desk until the end of the business day. For items lost on a separate day or at an after-hours event, please contact the Guest Experience Desk or Security to inquire about lost and found items. 

For the protection of our collection, we ask that you please consume your food and drinks prior to entering the galleries. Closed bottles of water may be carried through the museum in a bag. 

Please see our Dining page to explore dining options at the museum. 

Food and drink purchased before a Speed Cinema screening in the Cinema Lobby can be enjoyed in the Cinema, Cinema Lobby, or outside the Museum. 

When writing in the galleries, we ask that only pencils be used. Pens, markers, paint, and other permanent forms of writing utensils are not permitted in the galleries. 

The galleries are open to individuals wishing to sketch during regular Museum hours and under the conditions outlined below: 

• Individuals sketching should remain a minimum of five feet away from the artwork. 

• The only media allowed for sketching are pencils (no softer than a 4B graphite pencil). Sketch pads up to 24”x 36” are okay. 

• We ask that artists do not hinder normal traffic flow while working in the galleries, and for this reason, may not work in doorways or within the normal traffic flow of the doorways. 

• Only works in the Museum’s permanent collection may be copied. We ask that you not sketch in our special exhibitions, as those artworks are on loan to the Museum. 

For the safety of guests and to protect the collection, the following items are prohibited in the Museum and on Museum grounds, including the Museum’s parking garage and exterior pathways, except as a means of transportation. 

• Roller skates, including shoes with skates built in, skateboards, hoverboards, or bicycles 

• Segways, scooters, or similar devices, except as needed for mobility for persons with disabilities

Pets are not permitted in the Speed Art Museum. 

Service animals, as defined by the ADA, are welcome. They must be under the handler’s control while in the Museum. 

Children under 12 years of age must always be accompanied by an adult. 

Strollers are welcome. Front-facing child carriers can be worn in the Museum. Diaper bags can be placed under a stroller or carried over one shoulder. 

Wagons, large-framed child carriers, and child carriers worn on your back are not permitted in the galleries.  

Museum map
Mapa en Español

Hours

Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm

The fun doesn’t end at closing time – check our events calendar for special events and programming.

The Elizabeth P. and Frederick K. Cressman Art Park is open daily from dawn to dusk.

Café hours
Wednesday – Saturday: 10 am – 3 pm
Sunday: 12 pm – 3 pm

Closed Monday & Tuesday

2035 S 3rd Street
Louisville KY 40208
502.634.2700

The Speed Art Museum is located on the University of Louisville’s main Belknap Campus. Hourly parking is available in the Speed Art Museum parking garage and there also is nearby on-street metered parking. The Speed also is accessible via TARC, Louisville’s public bus system; and bike racks are available at our Third Street entrance.

The parking garage has accessible parking spaces on every level closest to the elevators. Additionally, guests can avoid the curb when entering/exiting via the sidewalk at the Northern entrance/exit.   

For less ambulatory guests attending a Speed Cinema screening, very limited parking may be available at the rear of the museum. These 2-3 parking spaces shorten the walk to the cinema and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call our Security Console at 502-634-2712 so they may assist you in locating the spaces.  

A self-serve coat rack is available at the Museum entrance for storing coats, water bottles, umbrellas, and bags. If you have luggage, the coat check closet can be accessed by Museum staff.  

Bags and Backpacks larger than 17” x 13” x 6″ are not permitted in the Museum unless they are required for essential medical equipment or use in childcare. Bags and backpacks smaller than 17” x 13” x 6” must be worn on the front, under one arm, or carried in hand by your side. 

The Museum is not responsible for lost or stolen items. 

All bags and parcels brought into the Museum are subject to search. Prohibited items may be confiscated and/or turned over to authorities. 

To help us protect and preserve our collection for the enjoyment of all Speed guests, please follow our general rules of Museum conduct.

While visiting the galleries please do not touch or point closely to any art or lean on cases or walls; the smallest touch can irreparably harm the works.

Please maintain a standing distance of 2-3 feet, approximately an arm’s length, between yourself and any work on display.  As you visit the galleries, please be aware of your proximity to each work you pass, and keep all carried items (bags, unworn coats, etc.) from touching the art – remember the closest artwork might be behind you.  Please do not cross any barriers in front of or surrounding artwork, such as tape lines or rope stanchions. Open flames of any kind are prohibited.

Considerate behavior is expected of all guests. Guests are expected to follow the reasonable directions or instructions from Museum personnel. Any individual or group whose behavior is disruptive may be asked to leave.