It’s hot this week in Louisville. Here’s where you can stay cool.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Wednesday afternoon as heat index values in Louisville could reach as high as 111 degrees. It also preemptively issued a heat advisory for Thursday from noon until 8 p.m. when heat index values could reach 107 degrees. 

People looking to cool down can visit one of the following locations offering a free place to sit inside in air conditioning. Several are “white flag” centers – private nonprofits who offer shelter during extreme heat or cold. Others range from police stations to libraries. 

“You can just sit down and hang out,” Paul Burns with the Louisville Free Public Library said. “We would love for you to check out a book or check something out on the internet, but no obligation to do that. You can just come in and relax.”

Downtown Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Main branch) – 301 York St.
• Louisville Public Library (Western branch) – 604 South Tenth St.
• Louisville Public Library (Highlands-Shelby Park branch) – 1250 Bardstown Road, Suite 4
• Louisville Public Library (Crescent Hill branch) – 2762 Frankfort Ave.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Fourth division) – 1340 South Fourth St.
• Healing Place (for adult men only) – 1020 West Market St.
• St. John  Center (for adult men only) - 700 E Muhammad Ali Blvd.
• Re:Center Ministries (for women only) - 733 East Jefferson St.
• Wayside Christian Mission – 432 East Jefferson St. 

West Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Shawnee branch) – 3912 West Broadway
• Louisville Public Library (Portland branch) – 3305 Northwestern Parkway
• Louisville Public Library (Shively branch) – 3920 Dixie Highway
• Louisville Metro Police Department (First division) – 416 North 29th St.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Second division) – 3419 Bohne Ave.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Third division) – 7219 Dixie Highway
• Salvation Army of Louisville (Main office) – 911 South Brook St.
• Healing Place (for adult women and their children) – 1503 South 15th St.
• Neighborhood Place (Cane Run) – 3410 Lees Lane

South Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Iroquois branch) – 601 West Woodlawn Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (Southwest regional branch) – 9725 Dixie Highway
• Louisville Public Library (South Central regional branch) – 7300 Jefferson Blvd.
• Louisville Public Library (Fairdale branch) – 10620 Manslick Road
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Sixth division) – 5600 Shepherdsville Road
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Seventh division) – 7201 Outer Loop
• Neighborhood Place (First location) – 1503 Rangeland Road

East Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Middletown branch) - 12556 Shelbyville Road
• Louisville Public Library (Newburg branch) – 4800 Exeter Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (Northeast Regional branch) – 15 Bellevoir Circle
• Louisville Public Library (St. Matthews branch) – 3940 Grandview Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (Bon Air branch) – 2816 Del Ri Place
• Louisville Public Library (Jeffersontown branch) – 10635 Watterson Trail
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Eighth division) – 2927 Goose Creek Road

Clarksville

• Jeffersonville Township Public Library (Clarksville branch) – 1312 Eastern Blvd.

During extreme heat, the weather service recommends drinking plenty of water, avoiding direct sunlight and never leaving pets or children in vehicles.