This fascinating historic city grew up at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers and was named after the legendary explorer William Clark.
Paducah is oriented toward the water, and because of its proximity to Kentucky’s Western Coalfields, it quickly became a transportation hub, both by steamboat and rail.
In the twenty-first century, the city has reinvented itself as a cultural hotspot, earning the designation of UNESCO Creative City and housing the outstanding National Quilt Museum.
The historic riverfront, which has long been the lifeblood of Paducah, is now a place where you can immerse yourself in the city’s history thanks to a series of 50 lifelike murals painted on the floodwall.
Things to Do in Paducah, KY
1. Historic Riverfront
For the most part, Paducah’s riverfront has served as the city’s beating heart. Of course, the river brought settlement, trade, and industry, but it also posed a threat.
The floodwall, which is now adorned with beautiful murals, was built in 1946 in response to damaging floods in 1884, 1913, and 1937. The first thing you should do when visiting Paducah is walking down to the waterfront at the Foot of Broadway and look upriver to the confluence.
Riverside industry may be a thing of the past, but the Port of Paducah still serves as a stop for ships such as the American Queen and the Queen of the Mississippi, and coal barges can still be seen making their way from the Western Coal Field to the Mississippi.
The newly extended Greenway Trail can also be reached from the riverfront, and this area is ideal for summer concerts and 4th of July fireworks.
2. Flood walls Murals
Since 1996, the floodwall that protects the riverfront has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind outdoor gallery celebrating various aspects of Paducah’s history and culture.
Robert Dafford and his muralist team, who are responsible for more than 50 of these works, started the project.
The panels depict river industry, African-American heritage, Native American history, Lewis and Clark, steamboats, Paducah’s Carnegie Library, hospitals, quilts, labor unions, steamboats, and more, with interpretive plaques on the lawn in front.
There’s no better way to learn about Paducah’s history, and the mural project is ongoing, with new artists contributing to the murals every few years.
3. National Quilt Museum
Paducah’s reputation as “Quilt City” stems from the founding of the American Quilter’s Society and the first AQS Quilt Show & Contest in 1984. Quilt Week, a four-day event for contemporary quilting held every April, grew out of this.
The National Quilt Museum first opened its doors in 1991, honoring the art of quilting with exhibits from all 50 states and 40 countries around the world.
The collection contains over 600 quilts, which are on display in the main gallery on a rotating basis, with two other spaces devoted to temporary exhibits.
This attraction features valuable, inspiring, and thought-provoking fiber art pieces created by the most talented fiber artists.
The museum also serves an educational function by hosting workshops and camps for people of all ages and skill levels.
4. White Haven Welcome Centre
This stately mansion, located just off I-24, now serves as an interstate Welcome Center. Whitehaven, which dates from the 1860s, is regarded as one of Kentucky’s finest examples of Classical Revival residential architecture.
The current design, with its round Corinthian portico, dates from the early twentieth century when local businessman Edward Lafayette Atkins commissioned a comprehensive Classical Revival renovation.
During the 1970s, the building was stripped and left to rot until it was chosen as a welcome center, carefully restored, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Monday through Saturday, you can take a free tour of the mansion and look at memorabilia related to Paducah’s famous son, Alben W. Barkley (1877-1956)
5. Bob Noble Park
Paducah’s favorite public park is located in Midtown and offers a variety of activities. The amphitheater Bob Noble Park is a fitting venue for Concerts in the Park and Movies in the Park in the spring and summer, as well as the lovely Christmas light display in December.
The beautiful, meandering pond, flocked by waterfowl and with a cute pavilion on the bridge in the center, is a defining feature.
This park also provides access to Paducah’s Greenway Trail, which is five miles long and bends around the Ohio River bank on its way to the Paducah Convention Center.
The park includes 20 picnic shelters, a new interactive music garden, a skate park, tennis courts, eight baseball/softball fields, and four full-length basketball courts.
6. Lower Town Arts District
Paducah launched its Artist Relocation Program in 2000, offering incentives to artists to relocate to the city’s historic Lower Town, which developed downstream from the city’s main commercial area.
This scheme has since become a model for utilizing the arts for economic development. Lower Town, home to the newly expanded Paducah School of Art & Design campus, is now a desirable neighborhood with an artistic flair.
Lower Town has a smattering of galleries, studios, and coffeehouses, as well as fine residential architecture in styles ranging from Italianate to folk Victorian. It also has a diverse population of students and artists.
Look for the Lower Town Arts & Music Festival in May, which features art vendors, live music, family activities, and delicious food and drink.
7. William Clark Market House Museum
The entrance to this interesting local history museum named after Paducah’s founder can be found halfway down the west side of Market House Square.
The William Clark Market House Museum is located in the market’s tall central section and is open from mid-March to December.
Paducah has an in-depth interactive timeline that spans from the days of the first settlers to the first show of the American Quilter’s Society in 1984.
The stained glass windows and highly ornate woodwork interior of the Paducah List Drug Store, which dates back to 1877, are among the most compelling exhibits, as is a lifelike statue of the Speaker of the House and Secretary to the State, Henry Clay (1777-1852).
8. Purple Toad Winery
The largest vineyard and winery in Kentucky is located on the outskirts of Paducah and is open for tours and tastings to the public.
Following a vacation in Napa Valley, the owners planted the first vines on the property in 1998, and a decade later began work on the winery, which was built by hand and finally opened in 2009.
Purple Toad makes varietal wines such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Moscato, as well as fruit wines such as strawberry, blackberry, apple, peach, cranberry, and watermelon.
A guided tasting session allows you to sample best-sellers, seasonal favorites, and test flavors while a wine expert answers your questions.
9. Luther F. Carson Performing Arts Centre
Paducah has a remarkable regional stage for performing arts facing the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, which is ready for large-scale productions.
The Carson Center’s main theatre can accommodate over 1,800 people, however, no seat is more than 112 feet from the stage.
There are several other notable spaces here, such as the Paxton Family Foundation Lobby, which has a fantastic mural on its back wall depicting the four rivers region on a quilted backdrop.
Then there’s the Myre River Room, which is used for small performances and functions and has a great view of the river confluence. Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Kansas, Darlene Love, Garrison Keillor, and Melissa Etheridge are among the famous past performers.
10. Maiden Alley Cinema
The origins of this fantastic art house movie theatre can be traced back to a recurring event at the Market House Theatre, with once-monthly screenings.
This was such a success that the Paducah Film Society quickly relocated to a permanent location in the Historic Riverfront’s narrow Maiden Alley.
The River’s Edge International Film Festival in November is a major annual event, as is Film Brew, which celebrates film and craft beer.
Look through the listings for upcoming independent, classic, foreign, and documentary films. The concession stand has a good selection of snacks, but the craft beer on tap is a big plus.
11. Kentucky Dam
The hydroelectric dam that impounds the largest artificial lake (by surface area) in the United States is an easy 30-minute drive east of Paducah for a day trip.
Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River is massive, covering more than 160,000 acres and boasting more than 2,060 miles of shoreline.
The Kentucky Dam Visitors Center is a good place to start because it will tell you everything you need to know about this engineering marvel, which was completed in 1944, as well as the history of the Tennessee Valley Authority and its current activities.
The lake is also a popular tourist destination, and the Kentucky Dam Village includes a golf course, a marina with boat rentals, 8.5 miles of mountain biking trails, an 18-hole golf course, an RV campground, overnight lodgings, and other amenities.
12. Etcetera Coffee House
The Etcetera Coffee House first welcomed customers in 2006. Allan and Johanna Rhodes own and operate the coffeehouse, which has evolved from a small coffee shop into a neighborhood fixture. The couple now owns two coffee shops, the Etcetera Coffee House on North 6th Street and Etcetera Squared on 2nd Street in downtown Paducah. Etcetera was founded on the principles of excellent coffee, ethical business practices, and community involvement. Paducah’s fair-trade and organic brews can be found at the coffee shop. In addition to its coffee selection, the shop sells bubble tea.
Address: Paducah, KY 42001, 320 North 6th St, 270-443-7760
13. Fort Massac State Park
Visitors to Paducah can venture further afield and discover Fort Massac State Park in southern Illinois for themselves. The nearly 1,500-acre park is ideal for hiking, picnics, disc golf, fishing, camping, and boating, as well as seasonal hunting programs. Fort Massac is now a fascinating reminder of the past, an intriguing journey through American history, and an ideal place to simply relax amid nature. The park was also Illinois’ first state park, and it has been maintained and preserved since 1908.
Phone: 615-524-4712, 1308 E 5th St, Metropolis, IL 62960
14. The Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum
The General Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum is housed in the former home of General Lloyd Tilghman, a railroad worker turned Confederate army general. The house, which was built in 1852, is now a museum dedicated to “The War Between the States.” Because it is owned by the Paducah chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the museum presents a more Confederate version of Civil War history. It does, however, include some information about the Confederate army’s destruction, such as General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s raid on Paducah in 1864.
Phone: 270-575-5477, 631 Kentucky Ave, Paducah, KY 42001
15. Paducah Railroad Museum
The Paducah Railroad Museum was founded as a project of the Paducah chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The museum displays vintage memorabilia and equipment, primarily from America’s railroad era. It emphasizes the significance and impact of trains in the development of the region as well as the development of the United States as a whole. A new simulator at the museum allows visitors to take a ride in one of the locomotive cabs. Photographs, maps, tools, books, signals, lights, vintage telephone and telegraph equipment, lanterns, and a hand pump car are among the mementos and artifacts on display.
Paducah, KY 42003, 200 Washington St, Phone: 270-908-6451
16. Paducah Wall to Wall
The floodwall murals created by Robert Dafford over five seasons of painting bring the rich heritage of western Kentucky to life at Paducah Wall to Wall. Visitors can take a stroll along the site’s floodwall to learn about Paducah’s history through photographs. In front of each mural, there are interpretive panels that describe the painting. Paducah Wall to Wall tours is available upon request. The floodwall overlooks the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers and draws both locals and tourists who come to admire Dafford’s detail and style in the murals.
Paducah, KY 42003, 200 South Water St, 270-519-1321
17. River Discovery Centre
The River Discovery Center is located along the riverfront in Paducah’s historic downtown area, overlooking the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. Through its interactive exhibits, the center aims to educate the public about the important roles rivers play in the environment. A state-of-the-art boat simulator, the only one of its kind in Kentucky, is one of the many water-filled exhibits. Other hands-on activities focus on the natural environment, history, economy, and culture of the country’s rivers. The River Discovery Center’s museum shop sells nautical-themed gifts, books, toys, and educational games.
Paducah, KY 42001, 117 S. Water St., Phone: 270-575-9958
18. Silent Brigade
Silent Brigade Distillery was founded in 2014 by John Brown and Keith Bundy, who shared a passion for producing smooth, traditionally crafted bourbon. The distillery’s lifeblood is quality, which is why the copper pots used at Silent Brigade were specially designed and built to produce the highest quality of hand-crafted bourbon. The distillery offers a variety of flavored moonshine, including peach, apple pie, pia colada, and blackberry. At the distillery, visitors can sample these Kentucky moonshines as well as specialty cocktails.
Paducah, KY 42001, 426 Broadway St, 270-709-3242
19. Troutt Old Time General Store
Customers can enjoy an old-fashioned shopping experience at the Troutt Old Time General Store and Market. The store sells a wide range of items, from vintage and antique items to old-fashioned favorite foods. Troutt Old Time sells two coffee blends from local roasters, as well as a non-profit coffee blend from Mississippi that gives the proceeds back to the coffee bean growers. The store is also the exclusive retailer of Blessing Baskets in Kentucky, as well as a retailer of Sweet Grass Farms, Troyer Cheese Company, Swan Creek Candles, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day products, and several other brands.
Paducah, KY 42001, 433 N. 4th St, 270-443-0858
20. Yeiser Arts Center
The Yeiser Art Center should not be overlooked when making a list of things to do in Paducah for couples. The Yeiser Art Center, sited close to the historic waterfront, is a gallery with the mission of encouraging the growth and acknowledgment of visual arts in the local community and the surrounding area through expositions and educational opportunities.
The center hopes that its educational experiences and exhibitions will help to nurture the creative spirit of visitors to the center. While the center is constantly adding new artwork and exhibits, there are a few essential components as well. Contributions by Jim Pullen, Mary Yeiser, Virginia Black, and Paul Lorenz were included in this permanent collection.
When you visit Paducah, ensure that you check their event schedule because you may be able to visit during a demonstration or participate in a workshop. They host events such as pet portrait painting workshops, where visitors can learn and grow as artists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best places to have some fun games time in Paducah?
The following places are some of the best for fun games in Paducah:
Vertical Jump Park
ACS Airsoft
Mindscape VR-Cade
Kingsway Skateland
Atomic City Family Fun Center
What are the top attractions that one should visit in Paducah?
Purple Toad Winery
The National Quilt Museum
Paducah Riverwalk
Floodwall Murals
Whitehaven Welcome Center
What are the best outdoor activities to get involved in Paducah?
For outdoor activities, you should have a fun time at the following locations
Kentucky Dam
Bob Noble Park
Greenway Trail
Conclusion
Start planning and preparing for your vacation now. This piece was created to help you decide what activities to do during your stay. Please try to pin it and return to it at any time.
