Saying Goodbye to Muhammad Ali

The public is invited to pay tribute to The Greatest on several occassions throughout the week.

I Am Ali Festival

10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Wednesday, June 8, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St. (Map)

The I Am Ali Festival will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the lobby of the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St. I Am Ali is meant to celebrate Ali’s life journey and fierce determination as an example to all children that no matter the circumstances, they can be the greatest at anything they choose. Jefferson County Public Schools, the Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Zoo, Louisville Free Public Library and other local arts and education organizations will provide booths and entertainment geared toward children.

Prayer Service

Noon, Thursday, June 9, Freedom Hall, 937 Phillips Lane (Map)

On Thursday, an Islamic funeral prayer will be held at Freedom Hall. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the prayer will be held at noon. Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Kentucky Exposition Center box office, 937 Phillips Lane. The tickets will be limited to four per request and will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Funeral Procession

9 a.m., Friday, multiple locations throughout Louisville
Beginning at 9 a.m., people are invited to line the route on surface streets as the funeral procession makes its way from A.D. Porter & Sons Funeral Home, 4501 Bardstown Road, to Cave Hill Cemetery, past sites of significance to him and his family.

From Bardstown Road, the procession will go north to the Watterson Expressway westbound, and then north on Interstate 65 toward Interstate 64. The procession will exit on Ninth Street, with a view of the Muhammad Ali Center, and then make its way to the street named for him, Muhammad Ali Boulevard. The procession will go west toward Ali’s childhood neighborhood. Making a left at 34th street, the procession will proceed to Broadway, then east to Cave Hill Cemetery for a private burial.

A map of the procession route can be found here.

Cave Hill, 701 Baxter Ave., is one of Louisville’s oldest cemeteries and an integral part of the legacy of the Louisville community. Dedicated in 1848, Cave Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Cave Hill Cemetery contains the gravesites of many prominent citizens, including Col. Harland Sanders and George Rogers Clark. For more information: www.cavehillcemetery.com

Public Celebration of Ali's Life

Noon, Friday, June 10, KFC Yum! Center, 1 Arena Plaza (Map)

After the private burial at Cave Hill, a public celebration of Ali’s life will take place at the KFC Yum! Center, beginning at 2 p.m. Friday. This celebration will include eulogies from former President Bill Clinton, comedian/actor Billy Crystal, and television journalist Bryant Gumbel. The ceremony will be led by an Imam in Muslim tradition.

Tickets were available exclusively at the KFC Yum! Center box office (1 Arena Plaza). They WERE available beginning at 10 a.m. today. Tickets were limited to four per request on a first come, first serve basis. 15-thousand tickets were available and sold out this morning in 90 minutes. Ticket hopefuls were allowed to line-up at 6 a.m.

The Friday event will be streamed live from www.alicenter.org.

* Ticketholders for Friday’s celebration will not be able to park within a three-mile radius of the KFC Yum! Center. Complimentary parking and a shuttle service will be available at the Kentucky Exposition Center for ticketholders beginning at 7:30 a.m. Friday. The shuttle will run continuously through 11:30 a.m. Also, TARC will provide free rides on all routes Friday to passengers with tickets to the memorial service at the KFC Yum! Center. More information can be found here.
* Road closure information for the funeral procession and the public memorial: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/road-and-street-closures

Tributes for Ali

* In Louisville, visitors to the Muhammad Ali Center (144 N Sixth St.) are invited to sign a book of condolences. The Center will be open throughout this week to allow the public to celebrate the life and legacy of Ali.
* Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer ordered flags lowered to half-staff at City Hall and other government buildings.
* The small house where Ali grew up on 3302 Grand Ave. has become a place for Louisville residents and visitors to mourn the loss.
* In lieu of gifts or flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Muhammad Ali Center so it may continue to promote Ali’s legacy of humanitarianism.
* “Muhammad Ali belongs to the world, but he has only one hometown,” Mayor Greg Fischer said at a brief Memorial Saturday.
We're asking Ali's fans to share stories of meeting him here.