Louisville’s link to The Great Gatsby
City celebrates F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal novel in 2025
“In June [Daisy] married Tom Buchanan of Chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before. He came down with a hundred people in four private cars, and hired a whole floor of the Muhlbach Hotel. . .”
-The Great Gatsby
Readers familiar with The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece marking its 100th anniversary this spring, know the story is set in Jazz Age New York. What they may not be aware of is the key role Kentucky played in the novel.
Louisville and its attractions, particularly the historic Seelbach Hilton (the Muhlbach of the novel) with its Grand Ballroom, Old Seelbach Bar and Rathskeller Room—a USO, and an unusual one at that, during Fitzgerald’s time here—provided the inspiration for the story and setting.
“Kentucky is known around the world for a variety of things, like Kentucky Bourbon, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Fried Chicken,” says Jordan Skora, marketing communications manager at Louisville Tourism. “But when it comes to The Great Gatsby, even locals are sometimes unaware of its Kentucky connections.”
In 1918, an unknown Fitzgerald was a soldier stationed at Louisville’s Camp Zachary Taylor—one 16 national army training camps created during World War I. On weekend passes, the aspiring author frequented the Seelbach, scribbling notes on cocktail napkins and rubbing elbows with the likes of George Remus—known as “The King of the Bootleggers” and on whom Fitzgerald based his character of Jay Gatsby.
Fitzgerald’s first book, This Side of Paradise, would not debut for two years; it would be another five before The Great Gatsby was published in the spring of 1925. But his time in Louisville—which consisted of a mere month—had made an impression.
He chose it as the hometown of wealthy socialite Daisy Fay Buchanan—the Belle of Louisville and Gatsby’s great obsession. The Seelbach’s Grand Ballroom is the site of Daisy’s lavish wedding to Tom Buchanan. Other ballrooms featured in the book are drawn from Fitzgerald’s experience of the Rathskeller Room, an ornate gathering space modeled on a German biergarten in the hotel’s basement and made entirely of Rookwood pottery—possibly the largest such collection in the world.
“This spring, in conjunction with the novel’s 100th anniversary, Louisville attractions will be celebrating the book’s ties to the city—helping cement Louisville’s legacy as a must-visit Great Gatsby destination,” says Skora.
Among events is the World Ballet Company’s “The Great Gatsby.” Held at the Louisville Palace on Sunday, April 13, this new production brings the book to life with a multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers adorned in handcrafted costumes and performing against a backdrop of sets as lavish as some of the scenes described in the book. (Great Gatsby events will be auto loaded at www.gotolouisville.com/gatsby as they are confirmed.)
Additionally, the Seelbach Hilton—an official sponsor of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and part of the Historic Hotels of America—is poised to become an irresistible year-round locale for fans of The Great Gatsby. The newly redesigned Gatsby suite immerses guests in the décor and style of the day. The hotel offers guided tours of the historic property, including the Grand Ballroom, giving visitors a sense of the opulence F. Scott Fitzgerald experienced on his 1918 visits and that inspired him in his writing of The Great Gatsby.
The Old Seelbach Bar, the perfect place to buy a libation and soak up the atmosphere that so fascinated Fitzgerald, pours a drink after the author’s own heart—the prohibition-era-inspired Seelbach Cocktail. Louisville Tourism’s “Guide to Gatsby’s Louisville” (www.gotolouisville.com/blog/guide-to-gatsbys-louisville) takes visitors to the sites, including the hotel, Union Station and Whiskey Row, connected to the author and the era.
To learn more about the Seelbach Hilton’s pedigree and its famous visitors, including a signature ghost, watch a series of videos presented by Seelbach historian and master concierge Larry Johnson: https://seelbachhilton.com/videos.
The Seelbach Hilton
- 500 S 4th Street
- Louisville, KY 40202
- 855-516-1090
