This will be the 21st year Wayne Hettinger has produced Thunder Over Louisville. So I figured there's nobody better to ask about the best spot to watch this Saturday's fireworks display. Hettnger's view is from the command center, housed on the 24th floor of the Galt House's west tower. That's the best place to be, no doubt. Second best?
"If you're not in view of the Second Street bridge," Hettinger says, "you're missing half the show." The blend of colors launched from the bridge, which Hettinger calls a "rainbow effect," is one of his favorite parts of the display. As you might expect, though, Thunder regulars are constantly suggesting viewing spots to Hettinger. "I even get people who swear the best place to see the thing is from Iroquois Park, and I'm going, 'What? You're not seeing the bridge or anything,'" he says.
Hettinger adds that the view from the Louisville Science Center's rooftop is great because that venue stands at a bend in the Ohio River. "People don't realize how much the river turns right there," he says. "If you're at the Science Center, you're looking straight at the Second Street Bridge."
And I think we can all agree that the worst view is the one you get if you watch Thunder on your television.
You also may enjoy: Kentucky Derby Festival releases Thunder viewing tips [Thunder Over Louisville]
