PADUCAH, KENTUCKY | 128 MILES | 2 HOURS
For a town with just shy of 27,000 residents — about the size of our Ohio River sister city, Henderson — Paducah, Kentucky, packs a big punch of creative culture. In fact, Quilt City USA’s reputation as a fiber arts capital has earned it a UNESCO Creative City designation, one of just nine such locations in the nation.
Sitting at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers, Paducah calls to mind a smaller Savannah, Georgia, or perhaps a scaled-down Charleston, South Carolina, with a charming, walkable Downtown that boasts 19th-century brick buildings, tempting restaurants, shops, and arts venues.
“By centering Paducah as an arts city, we’re able to provide opportunities for artists to create and exhibit their work both here and abroad, while also making sure our local culture is preserved for future generations,” says Liz Hammonds, Marketing and Communications Director for the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Start at the National Quilt Museum, a mind-blowing must-see and a vibrant celebration of both traditional covers and striking modern masterpieces created by a global roster of artists. Feeling inspired? Pay a visit to one of Paducah’s 10-plus quilt/fabric shops for patterns, materials, and DIY instructions. One block to the northeast, the Wall to Wall Floodwall Murals by Robert Dafford offer a fascinating glimpse into Paducah’s colorful past and most significant moments on the protective barrier built after the Ohio River flood of 1937 devastated the area. If you work up an appetite strolling the floodwall’s three blocks, venture over to fifth-generation family-owned Kirchhoff ’s Bakery and Deli around lunchtime for a lineup of delicious sandwiches and cute cookies, or sample the signature hickory-smoked pulled pork on a sandwich with cole slaw at Starnes Bar-B-Q.
The city’s oldest neighborhood, the Lowertown Arts District, is just southwest of Downtown and is home to a deep collection of galleries, artisan maker shops, and studios situated in live/work properties thanks to an innovative artist relocation program launched in 2000. Another beloved landmark, the revitalized Art Deco Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, now is a buzzy multi-use development encompassing a brewery, a coffee shop, a pizzeria, and a yoga studio. Take dinner at Freight House, set in a former railroad depot where 2025 James Beard-nominated “Top Chef ” runner-up Sara Bradley cooks up elevated Southern-style fare like deviled eggs, butter bean hummus, and Asian carp.
For overnight stays, the sleek loft-style 1857 Hotel feels like something dropped out of Midtown Manhattan, with an excellent cocktail bar for bourbon tasting. The Italianate-style Belle Louise Historic Guest House accommodates visitors with five luxury suites and plenty of gracious Southern hospitality. Although not a hotel anymore, Hotel Metropolitan — an African American history museum in a restored 1908 building — hosted an impressive roster of African American athletes and entertainers through the years.
“One of the many great things about Paducah is accessibility,” Hammonds says. “Where else can you spend a day visiting a restored Green Book hotel, a state-of- the-art performing arts center, a national arts museum, and a James Beard finalist chef ’s restaurant without having to visit a major city?”
