Hornets Nest Elite Art Studio

Dale was super chill and did an amazing job on my tattoo! Will definitely be back for more.He also even gave me after care products for free! My whole experience was awesome, can’t wait to be back :)

Came in today as a walk in for a piercing and a tattoo. The staff were incredibly friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. Pricing was more than fair and I was overall very happy with how everything turned out. It was a lovely experience and I highly recommend Dale!

I cannot describe how awesome these guys are. Incredible artwork, insanely friendly. It was my first tattoo and they made me feel calm and welcome. Dale is absolutely incredible!

It’s been about a week since I’ve had my tattoo done at the shop! Such a great experience for my first tattoo💗 Everyone was so friendly and insightful! Rico @theinkhashira_ worked with me until the design was just how I wanted it! As of now, It looks great and has been healing perfectly😊

Took my daughter to get her ears pierced for her birthday and decided to get my nose pierced too. Vex was very professional and took time to explain how to care for the piercing. I would definitely recommend getting any piercing done by a professional.

I went into the Hornets Nest a couple of weeks back for a couple of piercings with, JD! It was a comfortable and painless experience! He is professional and knows what he’s doing. I will go back for any piercings in the future. Today, I had my tattoo touched up by Dale! Dale is a fantastic artist. He also made my 4 hours comfortable and painless. Great chat and good people. Highly recommend!!

First time tattoo, Went in with an idea, they set me up an appointment, actually got called in earlier. @LissaG13tattoo, brought my idea to life. Great staff, all I met were friendly and put you at ease. Done some research before deciding on this place and their artists, and they Did NOT disappoint!!

I came here as a walk in on my birthday and I just have to say that Rico is absolutely amazing! He took fantastic care of me and I LOVE my tattoo. I will be coming back for more!I highly recommend this tattoo shop!

I had gotten my nipples pierced here 5-16-2024 and the guy who did them cant remember his name was very professional and knowledgeable and pretty awesome well everyone who I interacted with was very friendly and the shop itself was very clean and good atmosphere.

The Hornets Nest is great. The only place I go for ink! I’ve gotten all of my tattoos from Lissa! She’s an amazing artist. Very reputable tattoo shop.

JD was AMAZINGLY!!! So easy to work with and super nice! I felt more comfortable in this shop than any of the other “top rated” ones in town. He took his time to make sure everything was to my liking and talked me through the whole process. Even gave me lots of recommendations for body jewelry places. I will definitely be back for the rest of my piercings! The Hornet’s Nest is the place to go! Great experience!

Got 3 new piercings for my Birthday!! The piercer didn’t really catch his name but he was mad cool and very knowledgeable and quick. I love love love them. I will be coming back again for future piercing projects. I was also given a discount the piercer here is so fire. Promise you won’t regret coming.

Everyone here is so friendly, from Sherifa at the front desk, JD the piercer and all of the tattoo artist. Very clean establishments. Lissa did mine and my friends’ tattoos and we are both very happy with them. Plus she is a lot of fun to hang out with. Dale did my son’s and he is very happy with his also and also had a lot of fun. You want a tattoo or piercing in Louisville this is the place to go!

Got both my nipples pierced this weekend! I have gotten plenty of tattoos done in the past from other places around the country. But never had any body piercings done. So I am a first timer. I was greeted wonderfully at the door. was taken in with the upmost care. Was asked great questions to make sure I was at 100% comfortable level. Was walked through everything that JD was going to be doing and how he was going to be doing it. Even the after care was wonderful.I can’t wait to get more and book for a new tattoo!!!

Went in for my first tattoo, matching with my spouse, they were so so nice and patient.

The studio here is very good, clean and inviting. The work they do is truly art and top notch, but the most impressive reason to shop here is the owner. He made our experience here outstanding. We were apprehensive, but his generous and inviting manner set us at ease. It was a joy to employ them.

Love this place so much! I had my second session on my half sleeve with Bree yesterday and she truly does such an amazing job! She is really good about checking in to make sure you are feeling okay throughout the session and keeps the vibes immaculate during the process✨❤️ I had also sought some advice from their piercer JD and he was very thorough and knowledgeable about piercings. 10/10 recommend this place!

I had a fantastic experience at HN today! From being greeted by JD at the door to the exceptional and professional work of Noah, I found it be a top notch shop. I couldnt be more excited about the work Noah did and am booked for another tattoo with him already!

Had a great experience here, felt like my tattoo was extremely reasonably priced and the guy at the front desk was so friendly, helped calm my nerves. Shop was super clean and overall very happy!

JD was very nice, polite, and informative. He definitely knows what hes doing! Dale was my tattoo artist and he was INCREDIBLE! If I liked closer hed be my permanent artist , he was hilarious, honest, and made sure I was comfortable and pain free. Definitely recommend these two.

Love my tat. Boomer is the man to bring your idea to life. My next cancer ribbon will be with him as well as many of my family. I look forward to my next one.

Noah is the best! His art work is out of this world and he is so kind, he made me feel very comfortable during my tattoo. Noah is a true professional and I couldn’t recommend him enough!

Had a wonderful experience here getting tattooed. The whole atmosphere and vibe is on point. Everyone was so warm and welcoming!Lissa worked with me to ensure I got exactly what I wanted and I couldnt be happier with how it turned out!

JD was amazing, he made the appointment very comfortable and his sense of humor made the session a great experience. He kept making sure I can handle the amount of piercings I was getting at once, didn’t pressure the timing of the appointment and very informative. Definitely going to him again

I went today to get my first tattoo. I got a small tattoo on my wrist that says Be Yourself. The artist that worked with me was Bree. She is very nice and professional. She made the whole experience for me not intimidating. I loved the whole experience today. I go back next week to Bree to get my second tattoo. I highly recommend this place and going to Bree

The best tattoo place. Clean ,friendly staff. Boomer is the best artist in Louisville

JD was absolutely amazing with my nipple piercings! I got them done (on my lunch break) for my 33rd birthday and I couldnt be happier! He was extremely informative and professional.I was expecting them to be sore and bleed while healing but they didnt do either! He definitely knows what hes doing. I will absolutely go back to him in the future!

Boomer was very nice. He talked to us and made us very assured that our daughter was in good hands. He explained everything thoroughly. We are glad she got to get a very nice guy to do her tattoo. It looks very nice. That says a lot coming from the Mom who wasnt really happy about the tattoo. She thought about it for some time, and she is 18 now. She mad s good choice.

Amazing and clean tattoo studio. Everyone was cool but more importantly professional. Top of the line equipment and Lissa (yup! Two “S’s”) was great to work with. Do yourself a favor and get your next tattoo here

Sean was awesome. Do to the detail I want and the tenderness of my arm; I will come back in a few to finish. My first tattoo is my recently departed son. I will update when completed. Sean , JD and crew are fantastic. Thank You Garret Hillerich for the recommendation! Love it so far. The details are amazing. Next the color fill in. Thanks

This is sad..I had to take time to fully wrap my mind around the absolute insanity regarding how far someone will continue digging their own hole; despite being given an out if they had simply placed their own ego aside and communicated.I had researched many of Louisvilles top premiere tattoo shops for weeks via word of mouth, google, instagram, and more. I had landed on Hornets Nest due to the wonderful portfolio of their artists and styles. As a lighter skinned PoC, the initial consultation was stellar. All questions were answered by JD whom was friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming. Great first impression. I was placed with an artist who knew shading and working with my skin tone. He was attentive, kind, and also showed extensive knowledge of the process. I felt comfortable, invited, and overall safe to allow this person to make permanent alterations onto my skin.After a 20-30 minute consultation with said artist, lets call him Neil, we settled on a very intense and elaborate piece. A dragon inspired by Rooney Maras dragon tattoo from the film Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, and Yoshitaka Amano. It would extend from the shoulder blade, down the left side of my back/ribcage and end just below boxer trunk level on my outer left leg. During this consultation it was clear that these were inspirations and NOT replications. Neil agreed this was quite doable.JD helped set up an appointment, a deposit was made the next day and a paragraph long instore description of notes were left for Neil. Within several days, I had emailed a singular extensive email reiterating what was discussed with Neil. The references that were requested? Included. Links to art, media, and themes to be incorporated? Included. Detailed description of body placement, color palate, and significance of tattoo (The tattoo was clearly stated to be a form of reclaiming my body as my own as, like Ms. Salander from TGWTDT, I am a multi-time sexual assault survivor) Included. The parameters/guidelines were set, but I wanted the artist to create something using their own interpretation of these parameters. This was very clear. The email even ended with Get Dark, get creative, get unhinged. A second short email was sent asking for a slight change, that we have the flames be blue and gold. I called the day after sending the email to both Neils personal email and Hornets Nests business email. JD confirmed it had been received.Fast forward 8 days later (Tuesday the 25th).30 Minutes before the appointment Neil calls me (I am in the car on my way. I took off 3 days of work/missed a class during prep week for finals to be available) and says he was sick the entire weekend and feels unable to properly give the tattoo the care it would need. May I reschedule for Wed the 26th at 11 am. Its unfortunate, but people get sick. I agree and ask him how does the outline of the design look, where I am informed that he found a wonderful and clear stencil of the dragon from the movie. I reminded him that I did not want a replica as per our communications over the last two weeks. After feeling something was off, I asked if I may continue to head in and see the artwork of the design going on my body to which Neil said umm sure...Upon arrival, I learned that Neil (whom did NOT seem sick in any manner) had only printed a replica of the tattoo he had found on google. There was a litany of excuses ranging from I was ill. To I misunderstood you. Even I never got your email despite him saying he had. When I pointed out that the email sent to his address (which was confirmed to be the correct address) was CCd to the store and confirmed to have been received by the store as well he brought up the instore intake notes required so the artist has a reminder to look at need be. I also pointed out that he had ignored clear portions in that intake note that stated this was an inspiration, not a replica. This was to be done in the manner of Yoshitaka Amano, and the significance of this piece. Neil apologized and claimed he wanted to make it right. Look for Pt 2

I went to this place with no experience in tattoos about 6 years ago. I got to get Boomer as a walk in, which I now know was a rare thing and I was very lucky! Boomer is the BEST. He is so sweet and very thorough. He will tell you like it is if he feels like he isn’t the right dude to do your tattoo, or if he thinks your idea could be better. He does incredible work that is gentle and consistent. He makes you feel right at home and really tries his best for every tattoo. He is quick, but the work doesn’t suffer for it. He is an awesome guy and I have been his client for the entire 6 years. I swear by his work and I’ll definitely keep going back to him!

Love this place! All of the staff, including the owner were very friendly. I saw Boomer for my appointment. He is an amazing artist. I have followed him for years and his work just gets better and better. He never stops growing and learning as an artist! I also had the pleasure of seeing a piece done by the owner. It was killer work! You can tell theses guys love what they do. Cant wait to get my next tattoo! Thanks for the experience gentlemen!

Pt 2.Sorry, hit the character limit.After Neil wanted to make it right he explained that when he got off work on Tuesday, he would take the email, the concepts we discussed, and all the notes and work on a presentable outline to be ready first thing Wednesday. I agreed.Wednesday, I arrived at 10:45am excited to see what he came up with and to get my first tattoo. I signed the paperwork. I could not be more ecstatic. Upon entering Neils booth, I noticed that he immediately began shaving my back (not at all my ribcage), and 3/4th of my left pec (to my nipple), saying he needed extra room for the portion that was to go over my collar bone SLIGHTLY. As he continues preparing my body for use, I ask to see the artwork. It took 3 tries to get him to respond.I dont have anything to show you, but I watched the movie. Great movie, but its all in my head. I said I would not be able to stencil this, so I have to draw it up on you directly.I allowed him to begin drawing sharpie on my body of what the tattoo was going to outline. I could feel him crossing my spine into the right side of my body multiple times. I questioned why he was extending to that area of my body when the tattoo was supposed to be on the left side strictly. The response was Its the only way I can make it fit. After 30 minutes I asked to see the progress because I can feel him drawing in areas that were not discussed/see he drew a dragons head down to my nipple (it was to be slight wisps of fire on the collar bone). He said, No. Youll see it, hate it, and walk out. I had to demand for him to stop and look at what he was doing. I looked and decided to wait until the hour mark. After he continued for another 30 min A couple in the shop saw what he was doing, the woman laughed. I felt completely vulnerable and embarrassed/idiotic. Neil asked if I wanted to see what he created... I wish I had not looked.The entire shoulder, collar bone, and left pec to my nipple was covered by a dragon head and neck. My back did not have a dragon that conformed to my body. Proportions were off. It did not extend to my leg as desired. It was horrible (confirmed by 2 other shops who saw the outline from hell as they called it).My response was simple Thank you Neil, but I think per our conversations, you and I have very different ideas of what we had discussed in person and in the notes. I think I will pass. Neil kindly told JD to allow me to get my deposit (non-refundable) refunded...I am hurt, I am angry, I am disappointed. I feel partially violated. I needed the outline done and healed by June 5th... but b/c Neil did not care, I will be missing that deadline and now have to wait until potentially August to even begin. I feel JD and the other staff were delightful, hence the two stars. I also appreciate them acknowledging what a sh*t show this was and refunding the deposit. I am more angry that I do not trust Neil with my body now b/c I LOVE HIS WORK!!!! No one else Ive seen in the city has the same style and detail he has in his portfolio...I guess he thought my idea for this piece was beneath him. Maybe he felt it was stupid, and this was a cruel prank. I do not know, but for $150/hr with an additional $200 in tip money for a 4hr starting session alone... I wish he would have told me to f**k off rather than waste almost 2 1/ 2 weeks of time, 3 days of missed work, and a finals study class.The worst part is, if he said he needed more time or could not manifest this tattoo, I would have given him the time or moved to a different artist in the shop... I do not think I will be comfortable with Hornets Nest touching my body ever again.Luckily, another shop saw/heard of what happened and has been working their butts off trying to find the right person in the time frame to complete the first part so its healed by June 5th.I still wish Hornets Nest would have cared...P.s. Parts of my skin began to break out from the extensive Sharpie marker as Neil tried to freehand this concept on the spot.

Dale did an excellent job and was very respectful creating my tribute tattoo! I have three tattoos now and all have been done at The Hornets Nest.

Highly recommend. Everyone here is so friendly.David Honaker is the artist that tattoos me. I’ve been seeing David for almost 5 years and I love every piece he’s done for me. He’s great about when I bring him an idea, turning it into a unique piece and placing it where it’s going to look the best. I like a lot of nature things and he does an amazing job of expanding on those and turning it into something I couldn’t come up with on my own.While I don’t have “traditional” tattoos, they are works of art, and very me. I get so many compliments on them, even my 80 yr old grandma said “I don’t like tattoos, but yours are pretty” and grandma wouldn’t say it if she didn’t think so. 😉Go see David, you’ll love it!

My son has wanted a tattoo for so long and me being a mom and no tattoos I was worried. You know I am that type of mom... Well, after checking out the shops in Louisville he heard great things about The Hornets Nest and decided to go there. I was so impressed! The shop is clean almost spa like, the employees are courteous and the owner is fantastic! He free styled the design and it looks so good.

Called to ask if they have plugs for my small size and the person that picked up was so kind and informative and pointed me in the right direction even though they didn’t have what I needed. It’s so rare to receive kindness like this so randomly from businesses especially over the phone and without being made to feel like your a burden. It left a great impression on me and even though I haven’t been here I know where to go when I’m ready for some more piercings or tattoos. Thanks for your help and kindness!

My husband and I were in town and wanted to get tattoos. We were passing by and stopped here on a whim. I am so glad we did! The owner, Billy, did an excellent job and overall had an amazing shop. It was a very clean and well-kept environment with great customer service. We will definitely be returning the next time we are in town!

I got my first custom piece from Billy today. Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe the work he did. Besides having a piece that I am in love with I want to point out that Billy and his staff make you feel welcome the moment you walk through the door. I will never go anywhere else. All of the artists did amazing work there today.Thank you Billy and staff for making me excited about coming back!!

JD was amazing! He was super cool and calming during my nipple piercings,as I was very nervous. He explained everything and made me very comfortable. Very glad I came here!

Noah was awesome! He was very professional and kind and did an amazing job on the fox design I picked and was nice to talk to. Everyone at the shop was also nice and professional as well. I liked how laid back everyone was but also they were very upfront with me about anything I asked them. I will be coming back :)

Got my first of likely many tattoos here with Zach. It was a great experience. Zach was awesome, as were the other folks in the shop, even when I was late for my appointment because I put it in my calendar wrong. Would absolutely recommend these folks, and Zach especially, to anyone.

My friend and I both got piercings here the same day. Both of ours got infected in under a week. my friend had to get the earring cut out of her ear in the emergency room because her ear had swollen up around the earring and essentially swallowed the piercing. She had to be on antibiotics for a week. Mine got infected like the third day I had them and I took impeccable care of them. Cleaned them with exactly what I was told by the piercer to clean them with at the exact frequency suggested. I have had other piercings and never once had an infection because I make sure I take care of them. I cant be completely certain, but my friend says she cleaned hers as directed also and I doubt she would lie. Anyway, I went and got them taken out at tattoo Charlies and they told me the placement was completely wrong and the jewelry was poor quality and incorrect for the piercings. Had to be on antibiotics for quite some time and follow up with an ear nose and throat doctor. The guy told us he had all this experience and training and talked himself up quite a bit. I just find it hard to believe he didnt do something wrong with both of our piercings becoming so badly infected so quickly, after taking very good care of them. Very upsetting experience to the point that I dont know if I will be able to ever get another piercing again, and I love piercings.

DJ Pearcy helped me design my first tattoo. I got this as a symbolism of my ongoing life and survival with a progressive, debilitating rare disease. He was so patient and designed the perfect piece. The experience was fabulous and I LOVE MY BEE!! I get so many compliments on it..people like the edgy look of it.Recently I wanted to add just a little more...in true DJ fashion, he got my idea and did the perfect design. Spot on perfect.All the people there are so friendly and I had a great time and awesome experience both times from consult to completion. Now its time to add a tad more.....

My boyfriend and I received tattoos from Shawn on a previous occasion. Recently, I got a dermal piercing from Noah, and he did a good job. He wasnt very personable. I like for people to talk. I mean, thats not his job, but it would have been nice. Overall, I was satisfied with the service.

I got a couple piercings from here, and always had a good experience. The staff was informed and willing to answer any questions that I may have had. The only odd thing is that they dont take card, only cash. That is a slight inconvenience, especially if you are unsure on how much your work will cost. Speaking of pricing, I found this shop to be pretty affordable compared to some other piercing places around the city.

Have not used their services yet but I did walk in for a consult for a piercing Im not anatomical suited for. But JD was very professional, and the place was immaculately clean. When I am ready for ink or piercings in the future it will be done here!

DJ Pearcy did my tattoo yesterday, I absolutely LOVE IT! I couldnt have asked for a better tattoo or artist. I had an idea of what I wanted, and asked DJ for his honest and professional opinion. He gave me his ideas of placement and just the overall design of the tattoo. I am more than happy that I went with his suggestions, its perfect and by far better than I had planned out for myself. I will continue going to DJ for any future tattoos and will suggest DJ and Hornets Nest to all of my friends. Hornets Nest is a very clean studio, and I loved the atmosphere. The guys and girls there are very friendly and made my experience enjoyable. Thank you again, DJ! Youre awesome!

My mother had gotten a piercing a few months ago. The man who did it (didnt catch his name) also worked at the front desk. I showed him a bad decision I wanted covered. He said no problem figure out what you want come back and we will get it taken care of. Something about him and the conversation made me feel comfortable. Something I really hadnt felt at the other parlors Ive had work done. I looked at some of the artists work and decided that was my new tattoo shop. I came back, told them what I wanted he set an appt called over Chris we discussed a few things and he created my tattoo. I got it done yesterday and I love it. You cant tell it was a cover up. Despite being nervous I still felt comfortable. Thank you...I will be back and with friends😊

JD was the best!! Made me feel so comfortable getting a daith piercing to help with migraines. I would trust him next with a tattoo for me and a friend. I would definitely recommend him.

I have had 3 tattoos done by Dave and I love them all. He is awesome with his shading. He is friendly and gives great suggestions if he feels the art will better bigger and the reasonings behind it.

I was very nervous about getting my first tattoo almost a year ago. I was worried about my pain tolerance, what it would look like and if I was making a mistake. @charlie_devil1985 Did my very first tattoo and made it into something I could of never imagined. It was above and beyond my expectations. Now presently, I have 7 tattoos. And they were all done by Charlie. Charlie is one of few tattoo artist who cares about the detail of the tattoo. Each tattoo looks unique and creative. Hes really good at listening to your ideas and adding his own touch to it. Every tattoo is sketched to perfection and wont be finished until you absolutely love it. If you want a tattoo you wont regret definitely visit Charlie!

I had an appointment with one of the guys there to get 3 piercings and a tattoo. I got the piercings first and I ended up having to take all three of them out because they were placed so bad. The doubles on my ear were in completely different spots on each ear. After the piercings, I showed him my art that I wanted on my body. He told me that it would look terrible and he began to make his own contorted version of my art that I thought looked so much worse and completely defeated the purpose of getting my own drawing tattooed on me. He kept insisting that my art would look bad on me and told me I had to get his sketch. His attitude was so rude and condescending so I told him I didn’t want him to give me a tattoo at all. He threw a temper tantrum and crumbled up all his own sketches and threw them away and stormed out the door of the tattoo parlor. Horrible horrible experience. However, they set me up with a different tattoo artist that gave me exactly what I wanted and I really enjoyed him.

Top Notch! Billy came in on his day off to modify an old tattoo into a masterpiece. I agreed to meet BIlly an hour early at the shop, on his day off to discuss ideas and I ran a new idea I liked by him at the last minute and his response was, “ No problem man, we will make that rock” and he did just that. Exceeded my expectations. These guys are professional and are the BEST in town.Thanks Billy and Team.

Greg Mosier (GarbxEdge)did an amazing job on completing a piece I had done six years ago by a different (not so talented) artist. For six years Ive been hiding my arm and finally, after enough courage to just go in and talk to someone- he has turned it into art to be proud to show off! As long as I live in the Louisville area I will continue to come to come here to see Greg. I recommend him to anyone! The shop is clean and pleasant. Everyone I encountered had good attitudes and I felt very comfortable. Thanks again!

I love my tattoo!!! But I do have to say, that everyone in the building except the receptionist were rude. I almost felt like a ghost to them. If your going to be in the business to service people you might want to like people first!!!! A simple hello and a little small talk goes a long way.

Great staff, extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Always willing to answer any questions you may have. Clean and well maintained shop. Would recommend to anyone in the market looking to get tattooed. They have artists that are phenomenal at varying styles and can help you customize a tattoo just for you.

The whole experience is awesome! Boomer is my favorite tattoo artist and is always professional, clean and quick! If youre looking for a new art studio, look no further!

My husband and I traveled from out of town and stumbled upon this shop. We love the layout, the personalities, and of course the quality of our tats. They were very accommodating to our wishes and were able to get us in as a walk-in... no appointment necessary! We loved the whole experience.

I had a bad experience last month trying to get my nose pierced at another shop in town so I was extremely nervous going into the Hornets Nest today. They were amazing! It took seconds to get the piercing and it barely hurt at all. Everyone there was extremely nice. I would recommend the Hornets Nest to anyone getting a piercing.

Charlie did my boyfriends tattoo, and it turned out so good. I have one i need fixed or covered up from a reputable shop, Im definitely going to give my business to a place who cares about their clients, and are clean and professional. My boyfriend and I also got matching tattoos a few years back by Lissa and its still my favorite so far.

I had a tattoo that I wanted cover. I did some research because this is the only tattoo out of my 5, that I dont like. I called the shop and the person I talked to, ask if I could come by so they could see what I wanted covered. I went to the shop and talked to one of the artist. I showed them what I wanted covered and some things that I liked to cover it with. The artist gave me some of their ideas as well, which sounded really good to me. They said that they like to be creative and draw free hand and ask if I had a problem with that. I said, no, I would rather have an original rather than a stencil anyway. This person was telling me what all they could do and I said it all sounded good and I trust their opinion. I paid my deposit and scheduled an appt. I show up for my appt and it was like a totally different person. They ask to see my wrist then puts a piece of paper which they had printed off the computer, on my wrist to see the size. I get in the chair and said, I thought you were going to free hand this? They said, I am going to add my touches to this stencil. Needless to say, I have a stenciled tattoo that is probably like a million other peoples. Now, dont get me wrong, it is a nice tattoo and looks good, but I wasnt expecting the cookie-cutter stencil. They had me excited about them free hand drawing this. The artist is very talented and could have free handed it if they wanted. It only took about an hour and 15 minutes and cost $350. I dont think what I received was worth $350, but if it would have been free handed, then yes, it would have been worth $350. The coverup tattoo looks much better than what was there before, but it could have been much better. I wanted the tattoo this artist described to me in the shop when I stopped by. That is why I gave 3 stars. They did a good job, but not their best, by far, not worth the money I paid.

I would not go anywhere else! Super clean, great atmosphere and most of all Billy Noel is a master of his craft. His artistry is amazing! I highly recommend The Hornets Nest & guarantee you will love whatever art you get on your body.

Absolutely love this place. I have gone to 2 other shops to get tattoos done and have never felt as more comfortable than I do here. Boomer is an absolute sweetheart to his clients and ensures that they are very comfortable, okay and safe. I went in to get a tattoo done (a portriat of chucky) and was a nervous wreck. but Boomer ensured that i was okay and talked to me throughout the tattoo and midway i was much more calm and relaxed. (fell in love with it btw and will be coming back to continue my horror sleeve) all their artists are super sweet and ensure that youre fine and if you need a break to just breath, theyre more than understanding and let you take your time and dont rush you. very much recommend

Im so glad I found Joshua to do my piercing. He was very friendly and made me feel comfortable and relaxed. Also, I loved how he seemed to follow the book on keeping everything clean and sanitary. Im a complete germaphob so thats saying a lot!

Absolutely still in shock, and that’s not an over exaggeration. I asked “This does not contain nickel right?” before receiving my piercing (daith) idk which bafoon was piercing my ear, but he said “oh no of course not, it’s surgical titanium” and I believed him. Yet, surprise surprise it was nickel and now I’m sitting in the hospital to get treated. Also apparently it was an EYEBROW PIERCING they jammed in my ear. I feel betrayed and I would never want anyone to have my experience. THUMBS DOWN x2. I don’t think I will ever get a piercing again because of this. Thanks.

Billy did a tattoo for my girlfriend today. small but sentimental. this was only her second tattoo so he was able to give her lots of good advice and some artistic guidance. We were taken right away without and appointment and treated immediately as if we were old friends. If either of us ever get another tattoo it will only be at Hornets Nest. It is a super clean place with friendly, talented artists too. I am a dentist and one of the guys and i talked about different autoclaves and sterilization stuff just in casual conversation. They know their art and obviously super cautious about keeping a really clean place! LOVED THEM!!! THANKS AGAIN BILLY--YOURE AWESOME!!!!! michele and brenda :)

I have been friends with Lisa for 10 years now she is the best. I love this tattoo shop because its like youre going into a family instead of a tattoo shop. If you want a tattoo done go see Lisa shes a little handful of hot mama Dynamite.

I recently went and got a couple of private piercings. JD made me feel super comfortable and was an absolute professional. It was quick and I felt very minimal pain. 10/10 would recommend!

The gentleman at the front was very helpful with paperwork and info, very welcomining. But when I went back to get my Philthrum piercing, it wasnt a great experience. Noah was my piercer and he had pierced it extremely slow and was pulling my lip a lot, making it a bit more painful that it shouldve been (not quick and painless) which was weird since all of my other piercings never seem to be that bad. Its started to imbed itself in my lip, turns out he pierced it at an angle (not straight through my lip) so I now have to take it out, let it heal up, then I plan to get it redone but by another piercer. Also I was uncomfortable about the fact he didnt tell me what he was doing as he was doing it, didnt show me him opening the needle, didnt tell me what material of jewelry he used, what guage he pierced it at, gave me no aftercare instructions. He just said clean twice daily, brush your teeth. Dont think Ill be going back.

I have searched for quite a while to find the right artist for a cover up of an old mistake. I came in to the hornets nest and was immediately greeted with a clean, professional environment. After sharing my idea and need of cover up work it was recommended I talk to @Charlie_Devil1985. We talked for about 30 minutes. I loved his work and he loved the idea I had. That was what I had been looking for. He took my concept and ran with it. Letting me know what would and what wouldnt work. And then created the design from the ground up. One more session to go to finish this but thats alright by me. Great conversation and jokes and I am blown away by the art so far. Definitely get a hold of Charlie.

I can only speak of my experience with the piercer. He barely said anything to me other than aftercare. He may have just made a mistake, but he told me that the healing time for both my labrets and conch would be 4-6 weeks. And I guess $100 for three piercings isnt bad, but you can find better.

I really like this studio. The environment is warm and the music is always at the perfect volume. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting and the lighting is excellent. The furniture is comfortable and all the artists are friendly. My artist is David Honaker, has been for ages now. I always go back with Dave because we can discuss piece placement, size, design, and shading options. Dave has been at this game for a long time and he has seen tattoos age and what the tend to do over time. Thats a grest in site to have on your side when you think you have a good idea that might not look so great in 10 years lol. Thats probably my favorite thing about Dave and other good seasoned tattoo artists, they will shoot you straight about your ideas from their experience. Its not all about making money, its alao about making a name for yourself.

My husband and I went here tonight, on our 20th wedding anniversary, to get tattoos. We wanted to speak with someone and ask questions, being that this would be our first tattoo. A bald man with sideburns approached us and just sat in a chair at the desk and looked at us as if we were freaks. He was the tattoo artist that was supposedly going to get our business. We asked him some questions and I will say that I have never met a more rude man!!! He had no personality. He showed us some pictures of his work (only after we asked) which were blurry and very comic-like. He gave no suggestions or even asked us what we may like. My husband did not have his mind made up completely on what he was going to get. He thought talking to someone would help. This man was a disgrace to The Hornets Nest! We left. I was not going to give that place our business. I will have my kids/friends pass the word around Facebook and school that this place is very unfriendly. Why would anyone want to trust someone like that? Ill give bad reviews for this place anywhere I am asked to save someone the time from going there. Go somewhere that has been around for awhile. Just because their studio looks new and shiny does not mean the staff is. He must not be happy with what he is doing if he treats potential customers this way!!!

Went in to have them put my daith jewelry back in after taking it out for a medical procedure. JD was very helpful, professional, and was quickly able to get it back in! He explained what he was doing before and during. Very glad I came here, and will definitely be back!

I just got my first piercing by JD he was so chill and made me feel really comfortable. It made me alittle less nervous to get a needle stuck in my face, I will 100% come back here one day!

Went here for my first tattoo and the guy that did it was absolutely amazing and I’m in love with my tattoo! I moved to Georgia sadly but when I go back to Kentucky I will definitely be coming back to get my second or third tattoo! I highly recommend coming here!

Very clean and professional staff. I love the way the owner treated my Mother like she was his. Very impressive! My artist was Amazing and Ill definitely come back for a 2nd Tattoo!!

Sean stone worked magic on a tattoo I already had that was not in anyway good. He took the time to make sure I got what I wanted and that it looked good. Thank you for turning my mess into something beautiful. You were so sweet and kind. Also the lady who greeted us was so nice and very willing to help us. Thank you!!!

Great shop with an awesome vibe, very clean! I get my work done by David Honaker, hes great artist. I recommend him to anyone that asks about a tattoo! Go check em out and you will feel right at home!

I recently had a hideous tattoo covered with another at The Hornets Nest by Sean Stone. The new tattoo is gorgeous and you cant tell that there was ever another one there. Sean does excellent work and I highly recommend him!

@charlie_devil1985 at hornets nest did my tattoo and I am absolutely in love with my tattoo, he did an amazing job. It was my first tattoo, so I was a little nervous ! But he did a great job and less than a week later Im going back to him for my second tattoo.

I had Noah do some breast cancer tattoos for me.. they are amazing!!! I cant wait to go back for some more! Noah has an awesome light touch.. I barely felt anything!!! He is worth asking for!!!

Got two tattoos here. I was 16 for my first one and my mom came with me, thankfully, becaude she was able to talk them down from a $90 quote to $60(+tip) for a small tattoo on my foot that took maybe 20 minutes. Went for a touch up and everything and everyone was fine. When i went to get another one a few years later of the letter B on my wrist the size of a thumb print they quoted me $80! I tried back with $60 (eventhough its only worth 50) they shot back with $70 and i said sure because i really wanted it and didnt want to change my loyalty from a place plus i was already there but they took complete advantage of me and after going to another very well accredited tattoo parlor i realized how badly i had been taken advantage of. Its sad because i really respect tattoo artist(i still gave a $20 tip to the artist after that 2nd tattoo) and im sure that not everyone at hornets nest is the same but unfortunately i had too bad of an experience to go back. Not saying you shouldnt go here just saying make sure you do your homework better than i did so you dont get ripped off and taken advantage of like me.

Very clean and professional environment. Everyone was very helpful. Jesse was my artist and did an excellent job. I would highly recommend going to The Hornets Nest for your next tattoo.

Came here to see about getting a cover up done. Had my 8 y/o son with me and apparently they no longer allow anyone under the age of 18 in the shop. That puts them on the same level as tattoo charlies to me, and for that reason I will never give either a penny. Not saying they do bad work my wife has had work done here as well as a few friends but any shop thats not good enough for my little man to come into isnt good enough for me. Sorry but on to the next place for me.

Noah Childs did amazing tattoos on myself and my daughter! Extremely professional and informative. The next time we pass through Kentucky we will definitely be back for more ink! Also the piercer was EXTREMELY helpful! I got a piercing back home that was giving me issues, he looked at it and new exactly what the issue was and fixed it for me.

I’ve had two piercings and two tattoos done here. Everyone’s nice and laid back, cool people. They’re very honest and understanding. Noah and Sean are awesome!

I went to Chris and didn’t like my work all I git was 2 letters it was &80 I feel he could have told me what the minimum was I wouldn’t have committed to it, also he wasn’t very people person no convo not a smile or anything I tried to imitate on and NOTHING! I’ve heard good about everyone else and more bad about CHRIS in particular. Found out the next day a few ppl I knew had him and said the same as me.

Awesome place. Staff was great and helpful. If youre looking for something stop in and ask for Noah childs. He killed my expectations on my own tattoo.

Dale was amazing and did a phenomenal job!! He took an idea that I threw out there and turned it into a unique design with some killer water color work. Will definitely be back.

My wife and daughter have both gotten tattoos from Lisa, and Im hoping to have her do something for me soon. Amazing artist! I now have an awesome tat from the amazing Lisa!

I have been here twice and have had the BEST experience both times. Great environment and my piercer is the absolute best!!! Highly recommend

The best oneMy first one. I am little tensed but the way the guys over there take care of me , I felt like it’s my millionth time. Thank you guys ❤️

Jesse Fraser tattooed me, and it was a great experience! Hes professional, courteous, and extremely talented. If youre in the market take a look at his portfolio on Facebook, Instagram, or shops website.,Tor th

I’ve received multiple tattoos from David Honaker from here. Super helpful when it comes to planning them out! Very happy with all the work I’ve gotten! Highly recomend!

I received a tattoo from Billy Noel at this shop. It was very professional and the work very clean. I will be going back for my future tattoo requests. The staff was friendly and helped me work around my busy schedule.

The guys are absolutely amazing here. If you want quality ink and a friendly environment, this is the place to go. A variety of artists with different styles all in one spot. I personally recommend Boomer or Sean. 👌💯

Im covered in tattoos, but if Hornets Nest had been open when I started every one would be from here. Billy Noel is a master ND the shop is spectacular.

THANK YOU so much Chris Weddle for stepping up tonight and doing my tat! You do Great work!!!! It looks amazing and I absolutely LOVE it!!! I will definitely be back to see ya!!! DEEZNUTS!!

Absolutely amazing work done by Dale. I loved it before he was even done.

Everyone was so nice, the atmosphere was awesome. Great work done finishing my tattoo. Will definitely go here again✨

Boomer is a really wonderful person to talk too, my friends butterfly tattoo is beautiful ❤️ would recommend him highly to anyone (:

Got a third ear piercing done - guy was super nice, very professional, and everything was very clean. Definitely recommend!

I love Joshua he is an awesome guy. He is very sweet and makes you feel comfortable when getting a piercing!!!

Great shop. Im very happy with the work done by Dale! Will definitely be back.

I called to see about scheduling an appointment for a tattoo and the woman who answered the lone said I should emails my tattoo to them in advance so as she proceeded to give me the email address the artist in the background says email it to DEEZNUTS!SERIOUSLY! CAN YOU NOT WAIT UNTIL I GET THERE AND GET COMFORTABLE WITH YOU FIRST BEFORE YOU START BEING UNPROFESSIONAL.

Very clean studio. Staff was great as always. David Honaker is a true genius with the tattoo gun.

Very professional and super nice. I have several tattoos and the ones by Hornets Nest are by far the best!

Lisa is awesome & does awesome work..she re-did a tatt for me which turned out better then ever...love going to Hornests Nest. .they are amazing

Excellent service. JD was awesome. My piercing was so quick and painless

Hard to get appointment because the artist seems to always be gone with family. Receptionist says they will call back to schedule with Billy and they never do. My art has been paid in full and I keep getting the run around. Taking business elsewhere.

Noah was amazing!! Both of my tatoos are beautiful and they healed nicely!!

My first tattoo. David did an awesome job! Would definitely recommend him.

You are treated like people. They are there to help. Got my ear pierced at age seventy, feel like one of family

Excellent crew who are very patient at explaining things. they do walk-in appointments for at least piercing

JD did my industrial piercing. He is awesome. I will be going back to him. Ask for him by name!

Super quick and professional. Reasonable prices, clean. (My husband and I both have had piercings here)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️MY DAUGHTER AND I TRAVELED 2 HOURS AS BILLY NOEL WAS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO US. HE ACCOMMODATED US WITH AN EVENING APPT 7:45 PM, WE WERE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS AND HAD TO CALL UPON ARRIVAL TO BE LET IN THE DOOR. IT WAS JUST US NO OTHER PATRONS INSIDE. MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS HOW NICE AND CRISP CLEAN THE STUDIO IS, STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, VERY MODERN AND UP TO DATE, THE DECOR WAS SO INTERESTING IT TELLS ITS OWN STORY... THIS ARTIST WAS SO PROFESSIONAL, PATIENT, AND WORKED WITH US TO MAKE SURE SHE GOT EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED WHICH WAS A MEMORIAL TATTOO, BEING HER FIRST TATTOO HE MADE SURE SHE BREATHED AND TOOK TIME TO PREPARE HER AND GIVE HER A “TEST” OF WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE. BILLY IS VERY WISE AND MY DAUGHTER LEFT FEELING GRATEFUL FOR HIS INSIGHT AND IS SO THRILLED WITH HER TATTOO AS AM I! THIS IS DAY 3 AND ABSOLUTELY ZERO SWELLING/REDNESS/SCABBING NONE WHATSOEVER! EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN IT LOVES IT! WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO ADD ON THE REMAINDER OF THE DESIGN WE WANTED AS TRAVEL TIME DIDNT ALLOW FOR HER TO COMPLETE IT ALL IN ONE NIGHT AND WE KNEW THAT BEFORE HAND. IF I COULD GIVE THIS PLACE 100 STARS, I WOULD! GO SEE BILLY IN LOUISVILLE FOR ANY TATTOO NEEDS.... A TATTOO IS SOMETHING YOU NEVER WANT TO REGRET, IF YOU ARENT GOING TO HORNETS NEST.... YOU JUST MIGHT.

Boomer is the best. Great artist and makes you feel so comfortable. I will be going back for more.

Awesome customer service, we were walk-in customers and amazed at how well we were treated while the artist still continued to perform their respective work, thank yall

Did great on my first session, awesome vibes all around great people

Gotten all my tattoos from here and the artists are amazing, definitely plan on coming back soon

JD is the absolute best. Hes kind, professional, informed and intelligent. He loves his craft and it shows.

My wife got her nose pierced. The guy was super nice and professional. Will go back..

David is great. I just got my fourth tattoo today. Everyone is friendly.👍

Lissa is amazing. 3 trips to complete an awesome tattoo my husband helped design.

We had a great experience there.! We have Noah do piercings for us!

Boomer is an amazing artist, highly recommend but always booked pretty far out. Totally worth it though.

Always love it got my first tattoo there from boomer second from billy will always come back

Put up with me for an hour as I was very indecisive. Did an excellent job on my tattoo!! I will be back!!!

Got 2 piercings here for a good cost and they were safe about it.

The staff is super helpful! I will definitely go back for another tattoo.

I see Boomer there and he does amazing work. The shop is clean, the staff is awesome. Wont go anywhere else

I love this place. I went and had my initials put on my wrist. It turned out real good thanks to Boomer.

I went here to get my tongue ring shortened and I will definitely be getting my next piercing here!

Customer service very helpful friendly really appreciate the work they did for me tattoo was great

Personally thought it was a bit over priced. Food tasted okay. Presentation was fair. Adult beverages were good, though.

Sean was wonderful and did amazing work on my first tattoo!!

Clean, friendly, and talented artists who take the time to talk with you about your ink to ensure its exactly what you want.

We walked in to see if they had any openings, knowing that they may not, but just wanted to see...front desk employee was extremely rude to us! So shocking and unexpected. We walked right out. They will not be getting our money.

All I had done was jewelry change but he was very nice and helpful

Great shop. Very clean. High quality work

David made my reality even better than what i imagine, very professional. 10/10 recommend

Awesome work coming out of this place from everyone there.boomers doing my sleeve.that guy is talented. Busy to.thanks boomer.

Beautiful place. Pierced my eyebrow.

By far best tattoo parlor in town make sure to ask for Billy!

Sean stone does an over the top job! Overall everyone there is very chillax.

Friendly staff. Very good prices and very good job doing the actual art piece!

Went to go get my ears pierced and they couldnt do it cuz I wasnt 18

Everyone was really nice. Good variety of artists

I saw a tattoo come out of this shop that looked as if it was done by a blind toddler. Seriously go somewhere else.

Hornets nest is the best place to get piercings Josh is the best

Personable staff, clean enviorment, impressive artists - would suggest :}

They where really nice and friendly and explained everything very well.

Bill wss super fast and did amazing wotk.

Professional, friendly, great atmosphere, clean.. overall an amazing experience!!

Nice, and friendly. Boomer did a awesome job.

Amazing work and fun people. Highly recommended.

Cant wait for my tattoo on Wednesday!!!!

Great artists. Always a great experience.

Chris Weedle is Awesome!

Great atmosphere and staff!

Awesome, professional and of the highest quality.

Best Tattoos in town are done here!!!!!

Great artists and a great atmosphere.

Great place for Tattoo or piercing

Boomer is the best artist

Clean studio and awesome artist

Awesome place with fantastic people

Very professional. Clean environment.

Excellent and clean place.

Very clean and very professional.

Great people to work with

👍🏼

Clean, comfortable place

Outstanding

Great artist..

Excellent

Billy is the best!

J.D. is awesome

Book with David Honaker

Worst tattoo shop in town

Great place.

Boomer is the man!

Love this place

Dope artist

This is disgusting

They let me and my friend walk-in because of a cancelled appointment. The artist that did mine, Rico, even stayed over 30 minutes after closing to finish it :)