Founded in 1831 by Mother Catherine Spalding, foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, it is the oldest school in continuous operation in Louisville.

[2] The school expanded, and in 1891 NLBI, the corporate arm of the religious community operating Presentation, bought a lot and house at the corner of Fourth and Breckenridge for $35,000.

However, a successful grassroots campaign by alumnae, students, and parents paid off the debt; and the Sisters of Charity relinquished control of the school to nearby Spalding University.

[4] In 2006 the school purchased a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) property across the street to serve as the current location of an Arts and Athletic Center[5] that replaced the past gym/auditorium (built in 1938 and now owned by Spalding University).

[citation needed] Because Presentation Academy is located near the heart of Downtown Louisville, the students have after-school access to 4th Street Live!, the Main Library, and various Spalding University resources.

Field trips are usually taken on foot, such as to The Courier-Journal building, the Louisville Hall of Justice, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier History Museum.

Designed by Gil Stein & Associates and built by Whittenberg Construction Co., the facility is a result of Tower Vision, Presentation Academy's first capital campaign.

Presentation offers archery, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, cross country, golf, cheerleading, lacrosse, dance, basketball, swimming, softball, track, and tennis.