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Curious Louisville

36 EpisodesProduced by Louisville Public MediaWebsite

Have you ever had a question about the Derby City that you just can't answer? That's where Curious Louisville comes in. Listeners submit their questions, the public votes on which questions to investigate, and 89.3 WFPL finds the answers.

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Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

What's That Door In A Hill On Lexington Road?

January 31st, 2020

3:42
You may have seen it while driving down Lexington road, away from downtown, just before Headliners Music Hall. A retaining wall in the side of the hill... with a door in the middle. What's behind it? It's a question we …

Curious Louisville: Do White Outer Lines Make Roads Safer?

November 27th, 2019

5:55

For fourteen years, Robert Miles has seen cars in ditches, in neighbor’s yards and in his own fencing that borders the boundary of the horse farm his family owns. He lives off Todds Point Road in Shelby County. “It’s …

Why Is A Stretch Of Louisville Highway Measured In Kilometers?

June 14th, 2019

5:45

The United States prides itself on a kind of rugged individualism. We like to think we do things our own way here.

So while the rest of the world uses the metric system, here in America, we use a system based on inches, …

Why Does The U of L Cardinal Mascot Have Teeth?

May 17th, 2019

5:15

Woody Woodpecker. Donald Duck. Iago from “Aladdin." Louie, the U of L cardinal. All these birds have something in common: at various points in their …

Curious Louisville: Why Is There An Omar Khayyam Blvd In Valley Station?

April 26th, 2019

7:07

Nadeem Saddiqui and his family recently moved to Valley Station, in the southeastern part of Louisville. "It's stereotypically not the most …

Curious Louisville: Who Were The Caldwell Sisters?

April 4th, 2019

5:09

Support Curious Louisville:
Curious Louisville is all about you. You send us your questions, and we take you along with us on a search for the …

Curious Louisville: Who Cleans Up Graffiti On The Backs Of Freeway Signs?

March 21st, 2019

4:57

Is it art? Is it crime? A little bit of both? Whatever it is, it's part of your morning commute.

"Every morning when I commute to work, no matter which way I go, I started to see more and more graffiti on the back of …

Curious Louisville: Why Are There So Many Fish Fries In Louisville?

March 7th, 2019

5:39

Every year at the beginning of Lent, (the period in the Christian calendar between Ash Wednesday and Easter) WFPL publishes a guide to all the fish …

Curious Louisville: What Was Old Louisville Called Before It Was 'Old?'

March 5th, 2019

3:17

Louisville is a city of neighborhoods. For a lot of people, where they live is a big part of their identity.

And Curious Louisville listener Evan Patrick wondered about how one neighborhood developed an identity of its …

Curious Louisville: What Happened To Muhammad Ali's Olympic Medal?

February 28th, 2019

6:21

In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, a young Muhammad Ali -- then called Cassius Clay -- defeated three-time European boxing champion Zbigniew …

Curious Louisville: Whatever Happened To The Falls Fountain?

February 14th, 2019

5:43

It was supposed to be Louisville’s answer to the St. Louis arch. But in the press, it was eventually called ugly. A turkey A good idea gone bad. It’s been gone since 1998, but not entirely forgotten.

In fact, it’s been …

Curious Louisville: Why Is The Bridge Being Painted Yellow?

January 25th, 2019

5:29

If you're driving downtown near the river, you can't miss it: a brand new paint job in progress on the Clark Memorial Bridge.

We've heard it compared …

Curious Louisville: What's Up With That Stone Circle In Champions Park?

January 10th, 2019

5:26

In a park off of River Road, nearly hidden by scrubby grass is a mystery: an about 50-foot wide stone circle marking long-ago infrastructure.

This ring intrigued Curious Louisville listener Jim Turner, and he asked …

Curious Louisville: What Is On Shippingport Island?

November 9th, 2018

4:05

In the middle of the Ohio River, visible from I-65 and Louisville’s Portland neighborhood, is a tiny island called “Shippingport.”

You can drive to the base of the island, but you’ll be met with an array of “no …

Curious Louisville: What Is In The Tiny House On The 14th Street Bridge?

October 3rd, 2018

2:52

If you’re driving down I-64, and happen to look out over the Ohio River, you may catch a glimpse of a house-like structure on top of the 14th Street Bridge.

It’s small -- barely noticeable -- but a lot of people have …

What Happens To Your Recycling?

October 3rd, 2018

5:50

Over the last couple years, WFPL's Curious Louisville has received nearly a dozen questions about Louisville recycling. People want to know what happens after it leaves the curb, where it all goes, and how a 2017 …

Curious Louisville: What Causes Traffic Signals To Go Out?

October 2nd, 2018

7:29

Traffic signals: you barely notice them until they’re not working.

But what actually causes them to malfunction?

That's what a Curious Louisville …

Curious Louisville: How Do You Become A Kentucky Colonel?

October 2nd, 2018

6:28

What do Paul McCartney, Betty White and Muhammad Ali have in common?

All three, along with about 100,000 other people, have been given the title …

Curious Louisville: Where Is Pokey LaFarge's 'Carpet Alley?'

October 2nd, 2018

5:46

If you listen to our sister station WFPK, or attended Forecastle in 2016, you’ve probably heard of Pokey LaFarge

He’s an artist whose music, as NPR’s …

A Curious Louisville News Special: Your Questions About The JCPS Audit

May 25th, 2018

49:40

Earlier this month, Curious Louisville asked what questions you have about the JCPS audit and possible state takeover. You sent us more than 50 in the first 24 hours, and we realized we’d need to dedicate some extra …

Curious Louisville: Could A State Takeover Of JCPS Affect Teacher Contracts?

May 15th, 2018

4:21

Curious Louisville asked for your questions about the JCPS audit -- and you had lots of questions! In today’s edition, we take a look at the Jefferson County Teachers Association--also known as JCTA or the teachers …

Curious Louisville: Have There Been Other State Takeovers in Kentucky?

May 14th, 2018

5:59

Last month, the Kentucky Department of Education released an audit recommending the state take over Louisville’s public school system. Curious …

Curious Derby: What Happens to Retired Horses?

May 4th, 2018

4:03

As part of Curious Derby, we’ve reported on horse safety, injuries and even deaths while racing.

But this caused Rob Harris from Louisville to wonder: "What happens to race horses once they retire, winners or not?"

Curious Derby: What's The Cheapest Horse Ever To Win The Derby?

May 4th, 2018

3:14

When you watch the Kentucky Oaks tonight, look for a solid brown filly whose jockey is in orange and brown checkered silks. Her name is Chocolate …

Curious Derby: What's The Origin Of The Call To The Post?

May 3rd, 2018

2:14

It’s 34 notes in the key of C -- no sharps, no flats. And it means the next race is about 10 minutes away. You know it as the Call to the Post. Listener Hannah Zimmerman wanted to know where it came from, so WFPL's …

Curious Derby: How Do Jockeys Stay In Racing Shape?

May 2nd, 2018

5:22

During the most exciting two minutes in sports, a lot of people pay attention to the athleticism of the horses -- and with good reason. But have you ever wondered what type of physical conditioning it requires to guide …

Curious Derby: Can Animal Lovers Make Peace With Horse Racing?

May 1st, 2018

7:43

Every horse racing fan remembers Eight Belles’ death, said Michael Blowen, the owner of Old Friends, a retirement farm for thoroughbreds. It happened in 2008, minutes after the filly had placed in the Kentucky Derby; …

Curious Derby: What's Up With Men's Derby Fashion

April 25th, 2018

6:52

The perfect dress. An outrageous hat. A pair of killer heels -- and a pair of backup flip flops. Everyone knows what the Derby essentials are for women. But what about men?

Tyler Franklin wanted to know, what's up with …

Curious Derby: How Many Planes Fly In During Derby Weekend?

April 24th, 2018

3:55

During the first weekend in May, people from all over the world flock to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. But Fred Benz and his wife typically leave that weekend to avoid the rush of tourists.

Whenever they do, Benz …

Curious Louisville: What Happened To The Belvedere’s ‘Pan’ Statue?

February 13th, 2018

5:10

When Donna Finnell was working downtown in the late 1970s, she spent a lot of lunch breaks walking around on the Belvedere. She especially liked to visit a small statue nestled in the landscaping there — a delicate …

Curious Louisville: What Happens To Zoo Animals When They Die?

January 4th, 2018

6:20

We know that all dogs go to heaven, but what happens to the Louisville Zoo animals when they die?

This Curious Louisville question actually has a variety of answers — ranging from the zoo’s educational programs to a …

Curious Louisville: How Did We End Up Here?

November 22nd, 2017

3:01

For our latest installment of Curious Louisville, WFPL listener Ben Taylor came to us with this inquiry:

“Why is Louisville located at this …

Curious Louisville: How Do You Pronounce ‘Nachand’?

November 17th, 2017

4:33

For our latest installment of Curious Louisville, listener Peggy Hoffman came to us with the question, “How do you pronounce N-A-C-H-A-N-D? It’s a street off of Watterson Trail — what’s the history of it?”

We found out …

Curious Louisville: How Did Hillcrest Avenue Become Halloween Headquarters?

October 31st, 2017

2:12

Ask anyone in Louisville the best place to see Halloween decorations, and you’ll likely be sent to Hillcrest Avenue in Crescent Hill. It’s just one of those things everyone seems to know. But how did it get started? And …

Curious Louisville: Was The High-Five Really Invented In Louisville?

September 18th, 2017

7:37

You see it performed everywhere. At sporting events, on television, maybe even at your workplace.

It’s the high five.

From the documentary ‘Doctors of Dunk’

But while this gesture seems like it’s probably been around …

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