12 Louisville Adult Education Classes to Broaden Your Horizons

Whether you want to become a bourbon expert, finally learn to square dance, explore the world of horticulture, or master HTML5, it’s never too late to get started. Here are 12 adult education courses in Louisville to inspire creativity, challenge your mind, and enrich your life. Check them out!

FOR ARTSY TYPES

Preston Arts Center

Locally owned Preston Arts Center has been serving Kentuckiana since 1941. With locations in Louisville and Jeffersonville, the Center offers a myriad of art classes and workshops. Create a Bob Ross-style painting, learn flower steaming on silk, or make your own cobweb broom. Class types, times, and prices vary by location. View more info and register online.

Whet Your Palette

Set in the heart of Anchorage, Whet Your Palette caters to all ages, offering adult classes, semi-private painting lessons, virtual courses, one-on-one piano and guitar lessons, private parties, and more. It is also the only studio in Kentucky with drop-in painting sessions. Plus, it has a full liquor license, which means beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — as well as sodas, snacks, and charcuterie boards — are available for purchase during all paint-and-sip classes, drop-in sessions, and private events.

For the Foodies

Cooking at the Cottage

Kentucky’s only independent culinary retail store and its premier cooking school, Cooking at the Cottage offers a variety of cooking classes nearly every day of the week. Classes are broken into categories, including basic training, demonstration, hands-on, and more. Options include everything from macaron making and southern-fusion cooking to cake decorating and intro to sushi. Most classes begin at 6:30 p.m. and start around $55. Check the online schedule early and often, as classes tend to fill quickly.

Cooking at Millie’s

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned chef, experiences at Cooking at Millie’s are designed to help you whip up entertaining meals. The classes feature chefs, restaurant owners, and other culinary pros from around Kentuckiana. Attendees might make peanut butter fudge with Amoreena Harrison, candy specialist from Muth’s Candies, or whip up orecchiette pasta with Rocco Cadolini, the owner and executive chef of Highlands Italian restaurant, ROC. Prices vary per class. Classes are often booked up months in advance, so register early.

For Aspiring Bartenders

Liquor Lab Louisville

Creating fun beverages with world-class cocktail, wine, and beer experts is easy at Liquor Lab in NuLu. The state-of-the-art mixology venue offers hour-and-a-half-long classes every Friday and Saturday. Attendees learn to make three cocktails while enjoying food from a local eatery. Class themes include margaritas, martinis, seasonal cocktails, and more. Guests can also keep it dry, as non-alcoholic options are available at every class. Registration is $65 per person and must be completed online.

Moonshine University

For those who are serious about their alcohol education, Moonshine University offers technical training and business management education for start-ups, industry professionals, or anyone interested in the distilling industry. Sign up for barrel aging or a botanical spirits workshop, or enroll in a six-day distiller course. The university also offers different levels of bourbon certification and numerous online courses. Tuition varies per course. Learn more at moonshineuniversity.com.

For Dancing Queens

Bravo Dance Studio

Family-owned dance destination Bravo Dance Studio offers ballroom, Latin, swing, salsa, and wedding dance lessons in a professional studio that boasts a floating hardwood floor, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, a professional sound system, and multiple ballrooms. Whether you want a fun new hobby or are interested in competitive dance, the instructors at Bravo Dance Studio can help with everything from basics to open choreography. Private lessons and group classes can be reserved online, starting at $10.

Dance Louisville

Whether you’re looking for private lessons or group classes or want to put something special together for your wedding, Dance Louisville has something for everyone. The company has served Louisville for more than 17 years, offering lessons on everything from ballroom dancing and West Coast swing to salsa and country line dancing. Individuals are welcome, as no partner is necessary, and new clients receive their first 30-minute private lesson free. Learn more about all the dancing options available at dancelouisville.com.

For Nature Enthusiasts

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

Bernheim believes in nature-based education for children and adults alike. Professionals can take advantage of teacher training or professional development, while amateur enthusiasts will enjoy many other options, such as conservation practice and kid’s discovery days. Check the online calendar to catch the next educational trail walk, hike, or other event. Scheduled strolls through Bernheim’s 16,000+ acres are often centered around a specific theme, such as woodland rehabilitation or prairie establishment and management. Registration prices vary and are discounted with a Bernheim membership.

Waterfront Botanical Gardens

The staff at Waterfront Botanical Gardens (WBG) strives to educate, inspire, and enhance appreciation of the relationship between plant life and a healthy environment. The gardens’ adult classes and workshops help to do just that. Every month, the special event calendar offers various opportunities to explore horticulture and gardening, science and environment, nature photography, and more. Attendees can learn everything from how to design and care for raised garden beds to how to prune shrubs. Registration prices vary and are discounted with a WBG membership.

For Lifelong Learners

Louisville Learns

Whether you’re interested in starting your own pet-sitting business or want to know how to write grants, Louisville Learns has a course for you. Part of Jefferson County Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education, the courses feature expert instructors and high-quality content. There are more than 450 courses available, and most are $115. There are also career-training programs, including Medical Office Basics and Creating Mobile Apps with HTML5, as well as more than 100 certificate programs.

MyLibraryU

Louisville Free Public Library’s MyLibraryU connects adults to numerous new and free learning opportunities, regardless of academic background. Short Courses are just like real college courses — they are taught by professors and experts and might require reading or offer field trips. Fast Classes are the library’s one-time educational events led by local experts. These classes might teach practical skills or cover current events, literature, or science. All courses and classes are free and open to the public. Registration is available online or by calling (502) 574-1623.

Never stop learning, Louisville!

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