At the congruence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers within the western reaches of Kentucky, the peaceable metropolis of Paducah is a spot to admire artwork, be taught native historical past, and eat effectively. It’s a metropolis the place essentially the most stunning public art work got here due to the town’s worst pure catastrophe. A spot the place artistic locals produce art work, craft spirits, nifty buying, and savory delicacies. It’s residence to the nation’s fiber artwork museum and a genuinely distinctive welcome heart.
Paducah is a spot deserving exploration and welcoming to guests. And it was a spot the place I spent 4 days throughout a whirlwind highway journey throughout the Southeastern United States.
Three months after leaving Charleston, South Carolina, I arrived in Paducah. It was early August, the climate was timid, and the crowds had been skinny – it was the right time to go to. But weeks earlier than arriving within the metropolis, I started listening to tales about it.
The floodwall murals. The ice cream store. The new brewery, distillery, and vineyard.
I spent 4 days exploring the riverfront metropolis, beginning with visiting the National Quilt Museum, the place I discovered a brand new time period. At the River Discovery Center, I bought to pilot a ship simulator for 5 exhilarating minutes. Finally, I visited probably the most beautiful museums I’ve ever seen.
Leaving the historical past behind, I spent a night with craft beer in an previous Greyhound bus station, ordered a pizza whereas sipping beer at a brewery named for the town’s pure catastrophe, and met the proprietor at a distillery named for an intriguing piece of native historical past. I shopped for antiques, sampled the meals, and bought that ice cream everyone had been speaking about.
My face harm from regularly smiling by the point I left Paducah. When individuals ask about my favourite vacation spot, I all the time say, “Wherever I visit next.” I’m all the time wanting ahead to my subsequent highway journey journey. But for a second, I glanced within the rearview mirror as Paducah trailed away.
Brief History of Paducah
During the Revolutionary War, George Rogers Clark was granted land on Kentucky’s frontier on the congruence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. After Kentucky was granted statehood in 1792 – the primary state west of the Appalachian Mountains – settlers rushed westward as quick because the Ohio River may take them.
In 1827, famed explorer William Clark bought 37,000 acres from his brother’s, George Rogers Clark, property for $5. Clark laid out the location for a city, and in 1830 Paducah was based.
By the time the town was integrated in 1838, it had already been established as an essential river port for steamboats and a railway hub for steam locomotives. Dry docks had been constructed alongside the riverfront. Locomotive workshops had been constructed within the heart of the town. By the early 1900s, Paducah was residence to lots of the barge firm headquarters and the Illinois Central Railroad’s largest steam and diesel locomotive restore retailers.
In the late 1900s, factories had been shuttered, and industries left the town. But with its perfect location on the Ohio River between Shawnee National Forest and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, life in Paducah shifted towards tourism. In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Paducah as a UNESCO Creative City. Since the Creative Cities Network was established in 2004, solely 5 United States cities have been added to the checklist.
No. 1
Visit The National Quilt Museum
The very first thing I discovered at The National Quilt Museum is that quilts aren’t simply quilts – typically, they’re known as “fiber art.” The second factor I discovered is that quilting – combining at the least three layers of cloth with stitching – has been round for 1000’s of years.
And with all these thick quilts hanging on the partitions, the museum was a tranquil place.
The museum close to Paducah’s waterfront was a surprisingly beautiful place to go to. Hundreds of quilts are displayed all through the 30,000-square-foot museum, making it the biggest quilt show on the earth. After spending an hour meandering by the shows, I discovered a brand new appreciation for fiber artwork and the labor spent creating such stunning artworks.
The National Quilt Museum was established in 1991 by Paducah residents Bill and Meredith Schroeder. In 2008, Congress formally designated it the National Quilt Museum of the United States – a title that signified the museum’s significance within the fiber artwork world.
215 Jefferson Street, Paducah, KY | 270-442-8856 | www.quiltmuseum.org
No. 2
Explore the Paducah Wall to Wall Murals
In 1937, the Ohio River crested at 60.8 ft in Paducah, flooding downtown companies and houses. As a outcome, 27,000 individuals had been pressured to evacuate, looking for increased floor additional away from the river.
The following yr, the Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the communities alongside the Ohio River. They developed a plan to guard the cities from future floods. From 1939 till 1949, a 3-mile-long, 14-foot-tall concrete and metal floodwall was constructed round downtown Paducah.
READ MORE: The Paducah Wall to Wall Murals – One of Kentucky’s Most Interesting Attractions
For fifty years, the uninteresting partitions left individuals feeling like they had been residents inside a concrete fishbowl. In 1995, the Paducah Floodwall Mural Advisory Board employed muralist Robert Dafford to color a sequence of murals on the partitions. Each mural depicts a second in Paducah’s historical past, from frontier exploration by shipbuilding to the fashionable age.
Completed in 2007, the Paducah Wall to Wall Murals aren’t distinctive however beautiful to go to. A sidewalk in entrance of the floodwall lets guests shortly stroll together with the murals. From the general public car parking zone on the finish of Broad Street, it takes about 20 minutes to see many of the murals.
No. 3
Experience the River Discovery Center
The River Discovery Center takes visitors behind the scenes of the river trade all through Paducah’s historical past. Fascinating displays for all ages discover the river’s geology, the expertise of riverboats and barges, and life on the river for pilot boat captains. It’s the most effective museums to know Paducah’s historical past.
The Boat Simulator is the most well-liked exhibit on the museum. Built by the identical firm that furnishes simulators for riverboat coaching facilities, the simulator affords kids – and typically adults – an opportunity to expertise what it’s like piloting a ship on the river. The steering wheel vibrates, a three-screen show creates a panorama view, and the physics are actual.
Insider Tip The Boat Simulator has a time restrict per person – offering the person solely performs one spherical. So be ready to attend in your flip on the simulator and be ready solely to look at as others get pleasure from a couple of minutes piloting a ship on the simulated river.
Opened in 2003, the River Discovery Center has modified as many instances because the course of the Mississippi River. The thought started in 1988 to create a museum showcasing the river trade heritage all through the area. The museum expanded with new displays and a ship simulator 5 years after opening.
117 South Water Street, Paducah, KY | 270-575-9958 | http://riverdiscoverycenter.org
No. 4
Visit the Paducah Railroad Museum
The Paducah Railroad Museum interprets the opposite half of Paducah’s historical past. The coronary heart of the museum is a miniature railroad set with a number of working mannequin trains and dozens of shows. Throughout the museum, discover the historical past of railroads within the metropolis and find out how steam and diesel locomotives function.
The museum options a number of displays of railroad equipment and workplace tools. Handcarts, useful railroad crossing indicators, and instruments are a part of the show. The most fascinating exhibit is the railroad operator’s board.
200 Washington Street, Paducah, KY | 270-908-6451 | www.fb.com/Paducah-Railroad-Museum
No. 5
Visit the William Clark Market House Museum
After strolling into the Market House Museum, my jaw dropped. A second later, I involuntarily laughed out loud. This is essentially the most beautiful museum I’ve ever visited, I believed.
Built over 100 years in the past as Paducah’s market home, the inside was a cavernous house with uncovered trusses beneath a cathedral ceiling two tales above the museum’s floor flooring. Intricate wooden show cupboards with glass doorways wrapped the inside, the final remnants from List Drug Store. In the middle, a horse-drawn carriage was draped with an attractive quilt.
Visitors to the Market House Museum can discover the town’s historical past from its founding in 1838. An previous fireplace engine sits in a nook, historic artifacts fill glass show instances, and interpretive panels clarify key moments by time. It was my final cease in Paducah after a four-day go to – nevertheless it ought to have been my first cease.
Did You Know? The William Clark Market House Museum is called after famed explorer William Clark. In 1804, the Corps of Discovery Expedition, extra generally generally known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, started in Illinois and ended on the Pacific Ocean six months later. The expedition handed by the realm on the Ohio River, and almost thirty years later, Clark returned to put out the unique streets of Paducah.
121 Market House Square, Paducah, KY | 270-443-7759 | https://markethousemuseum.com
No. 6
Catch a Show on the Market House Theatre
Ever since eight individuals shaped a “little theatre group” in 1963, the Market House Theatre has placed on a whole lot of performances within the historic market constructing. The theatre’s schedule is filled with performances for half the weekends of each month. Book the subsequent efficiency throughout your go to to Paducah and benefit from the present within the snug high-backed chairs.
132 Market House Square, Paducah, KY | 270-444-6828 | http://markethousetheatre.org
No. 7
View Exhibits on the Yeiser Art Center
The Yeiser Art Center occupies a portion of the historic Market House together with the Market House Museum and Market House Theatre. Established in 1957 because the Paducah Art Guild, the artwork heart hosts a number of exhibitions all year long and promotes schooling concerning the visible arts.
Explore the everlasting assortment, take a stroll by the present exhibition, and go to the present store on the Yeiser Art Center.
200 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-442-2453 | https://theyeiser.org
No. 8
Enjoy Downtown Shopping
Broadway is the “Main Street” by downtown Paducah. Two lanes of visitors moved in a single course with free parallel parking on both aspect of the road. Flat brick sidewalks flanked the roadway, often coated within the shade of timber and awnings. Broadway ended on the Ohio River, so there was no busy visitors wanting to get wherever.
Between century-old facades on a summer season afternoon, the serene soundlessness was a welcome break from the busy world in all places else. And it was the right place to do some native buying.
The PAPA Gallery – Paducah Area Painters Alliance – options art work from dozens of native artists. At the Art Guild of Paducah’s gallery, browse the wide-ranging art work from guild members, together with fiber artwork, work, woodworking, and images.
When US Army veteran Nathan Antonites returned residence, he based the Kentucky BBQ Supply Company. The renovated industrial constructing on Broadway is an outside chef’s dream store. Every possible kind of grill covers the concrete flooring. Along the brick partitions, metallic cabinets are stacked with spices, rubs, and charcoal luggage. It’s the place to buy something associated to grilling – and also you may discover one thing in your subsequent tenting journey to the Land Between the Lakes.
BBQ & More is an fascinating boutique store. It’s extra than simply clothes – it’s a set of trinkets and instruments excellent for any room of the home. But in case you’re in search of a boutique clothes store, Selcouth Shop and McLaran Manner are the place you need to go.
In 1993, three native businessmen based Hooper’s Outdoor Center to supply clients with high-quality out of doors gear and technical coaching. Located in a 5,500-square-foot constructing on Broadway, the retail retailer options gear for each sort of Western Kentucky out of doors journey – kayaking, biking, tenting, and mountain climbing amongst them. Along with attire, maps, books, and many native recommendation, any out of doors journey within the space ought to start right here.
Go for a stroll on Broadway from the waterfront to North 5th Street to expertise native buying in downtown Paducah. You’ll discover antiques, jewellery, boutiques, and quirky retailers that’ll make your metropolis go to productive and entertaining.
No. 9
Take a Tour of the Whitehaven Welcome Center
The Whitehaven Welcome Center is the one customer within the nation positioned in an antebellum home – and you may take a guided tour to see all of it. The authentic two-story brick farmhouse was in-built 1864. But it was the second proprietor, native businessman Edward Atkins, who renovated it within the Greek Revival fashion, added the kitchen wing, carriage home, and painted the home white.
In 1981, Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown Jr. visited the realm and discovered concerning the historic home. Interstate 24 was not too long ago accomplished by the county and ran throughout the home’s entrance garden. Brown thought it could make a wonderful welcome heart for southbound visitors out of Illinois, so the state bought the home and restored it.
READ MORE: Why You Need to Visit the Unique Whitehaven Welcome Center in Paducah, KY
Opening in 1983, the Whitehaven Welcome Center affords clear restrooms, merchandising machines, picnic tables underneath the shade of big timber, and journey brochures. But along with all the standard facilities, guests may take a guided tour of the historic home. The tour consists of the lobby, grand staircase, and the second flooring with displays on Paducah native Alben Barkley, a congressman and vice chairman underneath Harry Truman.
1845 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY | 270-554-2077
No. 10
Get a Drink at Silent Brigade Distillery
When Keith Bundy and John Brown opened Silent Brigade Distillery in 2016, they provided 5 sorts of moonshine straight from a nonetheless behind a renovated industrial constructing. But in 2020, the distillery diversified and provided a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – identical to all Kentucky distilleries ought to provide.
The façade of the constructing on Broadway has an Art Deco fashion that lights up fantastically at evening. Tables are unfold throughout a painted concrete flooring, and excessive chairs butt up in opposition to the wood bar.
While visiting Silent Brigade Distillery, ask the bartender concerning the Tobacco Wars. It’s an enchanting story – and a darkish chapter – from the early 1900s. By the time you’ve completed your bourbon and heard the whole story, you’ll know why Bundy and Brown selected the identify of the distillery.
426 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-709-3242 | www.silentbrigadedistillery.com
No. 11
Enjoy an Evening at Paducah Beer Werks
When Paducah Beer Werks opened in 2015, guests had been handled to one thing new inside a journey hallmark – the historic Greyhound Bus Station. Outside, the patio seating is roofed with the unique awning that protected bus passengers. Inside, retro indicators left over from Greyhound’s days hold on the partitions.
Owner Todd Blume wished to deliver the craft beer scene to Paducah, however he wished to be greater than only a native brewery. Taps function beers from breweries all through the area and world wide. But you’ll additionally discover their very own English Ale-style beers starting from IPAs to Lagers.
With a full meals menu, snug indoor seating, and occasional reside bands, it’s straightforward to spend a night sampling their craft beers and stress-free in Paducah.
301 North 4th Street, Paducah, KY | 270-933-1265 | https://paducahbeerwerks.com
No. 12
Get a Drink at Dry Ground Brewing Company
In 2015, Ed and Meagan Musselman went in opposition to the grain of Kentucky bourbon distilleries and opened Paducah’s first brewery. The brewery and lots of of its beers are named after the catastrophic 1937 flood that devastated Paducah. Fortunately, the floodwalls shield the town right now, so everybody can simply get pleasure from a very good drink.
The brewery is positioned contained in the previous Coke Plant. The industrial house contains a painted concrete flooring, uncovered ceiling, and high-top tables. The room is flanked by shiny stainless-steel fermenters and tanks – the place the good things occurs.
The greatest technique to spend a night at Dry Ground Brewing is to benefit from the Mellow Mushroom subsequent door. Ask the bartender for a menu and place an order after getting a seat within the brewery. Wait twenty minutes, stroll subsequent door to gather your pizza, and produce it again to the brewery.
3121 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-201-2096 | www.fb.com/DryGroundBrewingCo
No. 13
Visit the Purple Toad Winery
Paducah isn’t a giant metropolis, however you possibly can nonetheless escape the town into the countryside with a go to to Purple Toad Winery. After a fateful household trip to Napa Valley, Allen and June Dossey planted 2,500 vines on their residence property. In 2009, the vineyard and tasting room opened to the general public.
The tasting room is conveniently open seven days every week and appears like residence. Couches, tables, and chairs are unfold all through a sitting room surrounded by massive home windows. Try a flight on the bar to seek out your favourite wine – and admire the handfuls of awards hanging on the wall.
After discovering your favourite wine, take a glass outdoors to the coated patio and benefit from the peacefulness of the winery.
4275 Old US Highway 45 South, Paducah, KY | 270-554-0010 | www.purpletoadwinery.com
No. 14
Start the Day at Etcetera Coffeehouse
What occurs when highschool academics open a espresso store? For one, they select a unusual identify like Etcetera Coffeehouse. In 2006, Johanna and Allan Rhodes opened the espresso store a number of blocks from downtown. Since then, it has grown into an area staple and hangout place.
Inside, snug tables and chairs are excellent for a brief break from exploring the town or some much-needed distant working. Outside, umbrella-covered tables are scattered throughout a stone patio and surrounded by stunning murals.
Etcetera Coffeehouse affords drip espresso, espresso drinks, tea, and lots of specialty drinks. They solely use fair-trade, natural espresso beans from world wide and recent floor for each espresso served.
320 North sixth Street, Paducah, KY | 270-443-7760 | www.etccoffeehouse.com
No. 15
Get a Dozen at Red’s Donut Shop
In 1955, Howard “Red” Clark opened the Nunn Better Donut Shop throughout the road from a drive-in movie show. The enterprise was gradual, regular, and sure as he baked the savory sweetness from totally different areas across the metropolis. Finally, in 1988 he bought the present location for his rebranded Red’s Donut Shop.
Red retired in 1997, however not earlier than passing on all his secrets and techniques to his sons and present homeowners, Howard Jr., David, and Nicky. Inside the small store, glass instances are full of recent donuts daily of the week. Choose from yeast or cake donuts, crammed or conventional, glazed or iced.
Oh, and particular person donuts are lower than a greenback. Eat your coronary heart out. Literally.
2800 Jackson Street, Paducah, KY | 270-443-6717 | www.redsdonutshop.com
No. 16
Eat at a Local Restaurant
Cajun, seafood, brick oven pizza, and American staples – Paducah is a small foodie vacation spot.
Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine opened in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1986. In 2019, Jason Coalter approached homeowners Hunter and Stephanie Clark about opening a second location for the restaurant in Paducah. The menu consists of savory Cajun staples like crawfish, frog legs, and po’boys. If you’re not sure the place to start out, order a sampler and revel in it on the snug seating inside the massive restaurant.
In 1941, Dominick “Doe” and Mamie Signa opened a small honky tonk within the entrance of the household grocery retailer in downtown Paducah. The recognition of Mamie’s scorching tamales recipe shortly boosted the restaurant’s enterprise, and shortly he closed the honky tonk to open Doe’s Eat Place. Comfortable tables and chairs are unfold throughout the painted concrete flooring and surrounded by rustic brick partitions. It’s the right place to get pleasure from a menu of sandwiches, steaks, and salads.
The Freight House is the very best farm-to-table restaurant within the metropolis. When Paducah native Chef Sara Bradley opened the restaurant in 2015, she knew she wished to work immediately with native farmers to get the freshest substances for her meals. The menu modifications all year long relying on the season however usually consists of salads, appetizers, burgers, steak, and fish.
Korey Vasquez took his childhood ardour for cooking and maturity pursuit of culinary faculty severely when he opened Gold Rush Café in 1999. Vasquez places his personal spin on traditional American dishes like omelets, waffles, sandwiches, and burgers. Comfy tables and chairs are unfold all through the small, quiet restaurant on a nook of Broadway.
In 1873 – simply forty-three years after Paducah was based – Prussian immigrants Franz Kirchhoff and his spouse Hannah Baumer opened Kirchhoff’s Bakery. Fresh bread was baked daily within the bakery’s wood-fired oven whereas the household lived upstairs. Today, the bakery is owned by Ginny Kirchhoff-Elmore, the fifth era of the household to personal and function the enterprise. Artisan breads are nonetheless comprised of scratch daily, and now you’ll additionally discover a choice of sandwiches from their deli.
Max Bastani has a level in electrical engineering, nevertheless it was his ardour for cooking that chartered the course of his life. After working as a chef at a Chicago restaurant, Max and Judy moved to Paducah to be nearer to Judy’s household. In 1998, they opened Max’s Brick Oven Café. The renovated industrial constructing contains a hodge podge of architectural types from salvaged supplies. White linen cloths cowl the tables, however you’re greater than welcome to put on blue denims whereas having fun with brick oven pizza, pasta, and particular entrees.
Brian Shemwell opened Barrel & Bond in 2019 with a single goal: to supply one of many nation’s largest choices of bourbon and American whiskey. And he succeeded with over 1,600 labels. A bar constructed from brass and bourbon barrels wraps round floor-to-ceiling cabinets full of bourbon and whiskey from world wide. The bartenders will aid you discover one thing nice to drink, order a charcuterie board, after which you possibly can get pleasure from it on snug couches and armchairs.
Over/Under is one thing totally different – it’s a sports activities bar that includes industrial décor with a child’s menu and meals served on glass plates. Over thirty televisions are held on the partitions above tables, over cubicles, and behind the bar. The menu is twenty laps forward of typical sports activities bar meals with burgers, tacos, sandwiches, and sides. And you received’t go thirsty with a dozen beers on faucet!
After an extended day of exploring, buying, and eating, get dessert at Craving the Curls. When Randy and Renee Hayden opened a dessert store in downtown Paducah, they selected the novelty of rolled ice cream. Step inside their stylish store and watch them roll recent ice cream made to order.
Over the years, the brownstone three-story constructing on Broadway has been residence to many ice cream retailers. In 2022, Susan and Stewart Lofton opened the latest model – Forever Sweet Creamery. The homeowners like experimenting with ice cream flavors to go along with home made waffle cones and bowls.
Restaurant Guide
Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine 123 North 2nd Street, Paducah, KY | 270-444-5220 | www.broussardscajuncuisine.com
Doe’s Eat Place 136 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-443-9006 | www.doeseatplace.com
The Freight House 330 South third Street # 102, Paducah, KY | 270-908-0006 | www.freighthousefood.com
Gold Rush Café 400 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-443-4422 | https://goldrushcafeky.com
Kirchhoff’s Bakery 118 Market House Square, Paducah, KY | 270-442-7117 | www.kirchhoffsbakery.internet
Max’s Brick Oven Café 112 Market House Square, Paducah, KY | 270-575-3473 | www.maxsbrickoven.com
Barrel & Bond 100 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-442-2663 | https://barrelandbond.com
Over/Under 314 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-201-2047 | http://overunderpaducah.com
Craving the Curls 113 Market House Square, Paducah, KY | 270-408-2875 | http://cravingthecurls.com
Forever Sweet Creamery 116 Broadway Street, Paducah, KY | 270-556-0443 | www.fb.com/foreversweetcreamery
Where to Stay
Paducah has loads of good resorts surrounding the Interstate 24 hall – with one downtown exception.
Budget
The Red Roof Inn is an older constructing, however all of the rooms have been renovated not too long ago. Guest rooms function hardwood flooring, new furnishings, loads of shops, and safe entry contained in the constructing. Choose from rooms with two queen beds or a king mattress.
Moderate
Country Inn & Suites is likely one of the greatest resorts within the metropolis, with an indoor swimming pool and comfy visitor rooms. Choose from rooms with two queen beds, one king mattress, or suites with two queen beds or a king mattress together with a sleeper couch.
Auburn Place Hotel & Suites contains a informal class with a towering foyer, indoor swimming pool, and comfy visitor rooms. The accessible rooms solely function a king mattress, however the different visitor rooms function both two queen beds or a king mattress together with a sleeper couch. This is the greatest lodge in Paducah for households.
Premium
La Quinta Inn & Suites is a bit awkwardly positioned, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a very good lodge for a weekend go to to Paducah. The lodge options an indoor swimming pool and scorching tub. Choose from rooms with two queen beds, one king mattress, or suites that embrace a sleeper couch.
Hampton Inn & Suites contains a small indoor swimming pool with lounge chairs and the very best complimentary scorching breakfast of any chain within the nation. Choose from rooms with two queen beds, one king mattress, or the King Suite with a king mattress and a sleeper couch.
Holiday Inn is the one downtown lodge and the greatest place to remain in Paducah. The lodge contains a beautiful indoor swimming pool and a very good out of doors patio behind the floodwall. Riverfront rooms function a balcony overlooking the Ohio River. Choose from rooms with two queen beds, one king mattress, or suites that embrace a sleeper couch.