LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As Kentuckians pick out their outfits and hats for the Run for the Roses, the Kentucky Derby Museum store has also undergone some styling. It was renovated in January, improving the aesthetic. 

“It’s lighter, it’s brighter, it’s fresher. This store hasn’t had any makeover or glow-up in 20 years,” Katrina Helmer, the communications and social media manager for Kentucky Derby Museum, said. 

The white walls and new flooring allow the products to stand out in the 1500-square-foot store. And, Helmer says, they did this at a strategic time, as March, April and May are the busy seasons for the store. 

“We shut the store down and got everything out so we had room for the crews to rip out all the carpets, sand down all the walls, repaint and re-stain everything,” Helmer said. 

Another reason this was a good time for the remodel was because of the success the store is having. Sales went up 17% and the customer count went up 14% between 2021 and 2022. 

“So seeing everyone want to come back and want to get a taste of the Derby and of our museum and of the products in the store, we knew it was time to say if we’re going to do this, we do it now.”

About 50% of the store’s products are sold by local vendors. 

“We wanted to give them something that’s just not the track, but that’s going to give them a memory of Kentucky or of Louisville. So that’s why it’s so important to showcase all these local vendors.” 

The Kentucky Derby Museum store is open seven days a week.