The hotel quickly became a central part of the growing downtown Louisville economy and the social lives of the locals.

David Lloyd George, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was the first person to sign the guest register, and Queen Marie of Romania also visited.

The famous soprano Lily Pons was allowed to bring her pet lion along with her, and it roamed free in her room.

James Winkfield, a Black jockey who won two Kentucky Derbies was refused admittance at the front door in 1961.

Elmer H. Weck, a bell captain of the hotel at this time, is recorded to have caught a two-pound fish in the lobby.

Thousands of soldiers passing through from Fort Knox would stay in the area, and the hotel would frequently be filled to capacity.

As part of this project the "Broadway Group" was formed, which acquired The Brown from Jefferson County Public Schools and began its renovation in 1983.

[citation needed] The Brown served as location for numerous scenes in the 2005 film Elizabethtown, directed by Cameron Crowe.