Entertainment and Attractions

Curbside Architecture & Historical Homes Tour

This tour offers the opportunity to visit several of Owensboro-Daviess County's remaining gems. Especially suited for groups, spouses programs, and special events of all kinds for out-of-town guests and locals. It is intended to inform and entertain.

Dogwood Azalea Trail

Walk the picturesque and beautiful blooming tree-lined boulevards during the last two weeks in April and the first two weeks in May.

Hall of Fame

Browse through the "Hometown Hero"" Hall of Fame and view the celebrities that have reached national or international acclaim in their field that are from Owensboro and the surrounding regions. You might even see someone you know! This is located in the Owensboro Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Haunts of Owensboro

Take a walking tour of some of downtown Owensboro's rumored haunted buildings. This 1 1/2 hour tour will cover some of Owensboro's favorite ghost stories and sightings. Sights include Trinity Center, home of Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, the Area Museum of Science & History, the Daviess County Courthouse, and others. Tours begin and end at The Creme Coffee House at 109 E. 2nd Street. Friday and Saturday nights. Call for reservations.

International Bluegrass Music Museum

IBMM is the only international museum dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history, collections, and artifacts of bluegrass music - an exciting, original American art form with its genesis in Kentucky. This facility is a state-of-the-art cultural center, paying tribute to the bluegrass pioneers and other legends, enlightening its public and inspiring its future. IBMM is committed to being a Living Museum and serves as the base of operations for numerous arts projects augmenting the public's awareness, acceptance, and love for this original Kentucky art form. They provide an exciting hands-on museum experience complete with live music and clogging for larger tours. Visit exhibits showcasing photos from the earliest bluegrass music festivals of this nation, and works of art inspired by the folklore traditions and beauty of our music. The museum offers many varied tours.

Mount St. Joseph Conference & Retreat Center

Established in 1983 as a corporate ministry of the Ursuline Sisters, Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center is located on the grounds of the Ursuline Sisters' Motherhouse. Located 15 miles west of Owensboro, Kentucky, on Highway 56, the Center is complete with a dining room, conference rooms, and bedrooms. A bookstore, gift shop and guided tours are also offered.

Musick Dance Studios

411 E. Second Street 270-688-8908
Three uniquely-styled studios offer 6000 square feet of space for classes in hip hop, ballet, ballroom, contemporary, belly dancing, tap, and line dancing. The studio offers classes for all levels, from age 6 through adult.

Owensboro Area Museum of Science & History

This large museum encompasses many adventures, including a unique hands-on exhibit area and displays depicting local history. You will also have the opportunity to learn about government in the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center or Owensboro's NASCAR connection with a cruise through our motorsports gallery, The Speedzeum. Admission is $3 adults/children, $10 family, and special group rates are available.

Owensboro Dance Theatre

Owensboro Dance Theatre has provided professional dance instruction and quality performances to the Tri-State area for over 25 years. ODT produces two main stage productions each season performed at RiverPark Center in downtown Owensboro. A unique version of the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker", is presented each December, plus an "In Concert" performance in March. Both concerts feature ODT Company and Apprentice Company members, professional guest artists, and community members.

Owensboro Museum of Fine Art

The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art presents traveling exhibitions from major museums, galleries and private collections and rotating exhibitions from the permanent collection. The facility includes two structures listed on the National Register of Historic Sites; the 1909 Carnegie Library and the John Hampden Smith House, a pre-Civil War era mansion which serves as a decorative arts wing. The permanent collection features American, European and Asian fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th century to the present; a stained glass gallery of late 19th and early 20th century German stained glass windows; a collection of contemporary studio art glass; a major collection of American Folk Art with emphasis on the works of 20th century Appalachian artists and craftsmen; and a collection of works by artists and craftsmen with Kentucky connections from the early 1800's to the present. The Museum Gift Shoppe offers works for sale by regional artists and craftsmen.

Owensboro Public Art

The Owensboro Public Art Commission was established in 2002 to commission pieces of art for display around the community to promote the appreciation of visual art. To date, there are seven sculptures on display. These are Inchworm II at 104 E. 4th Street; Love Song at 412 E. 2nd Street; Acclivis at 2200 E. Parrish Avenue; The Bathers at 1-2- Breckenridge Street; Falling Man at 3800 Frederica Street; Little Mo at the corner of Frederica & 9th Streets; and Into The Wind at Frederica & 10th Streets in front of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art.

Owensboro Symphony Orchestra

The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is a premier producer of live classical and pops music for the Western Kentucky region. According to the Kentucky Arts Council, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is among the top twenty Kentucky arts organizations. Under the leadership of Maestro Nicholas Palmer, Executive Director Bill Price, and an active and dedicated Board of Directors. The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra performs over 60 services annually, reaching an estimated audience of over 50,000 per year.

Owensboro's Sassafras Tree

The largest known Sassafras tree in the world approximately 300 years old, is located on one of the main streets of Owensboro. The tree measures over 100 feet tall and 21 feet in circumference. A few other sassafras trees are 60 feet or taller, but the average sassafras is 30 to 50 feet tall.

Reid's Orchard

This family orchard offers opportunities to pick your own fruits, learn about farm life, enjoy seasonal activities, and even sample some the of the homemade goodies at their store. Each fall, the Reid's Orchard Apple Festival is celebrated on the third weekend in October. New to the orchard in 2009 is ReidLand play area, which features the Apple Slider, a 14-foot-high platform with two 40-foot pope-enclosed slides, and Rat Racers, PVC pipes that children can get inside and race.

River City Trolley

Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost to ride is $.50 (seniors over 60, $.25) The Trolley makes shopping a breeze since the route circles through the historic downtown area with its great antique and speciality shops, and then travels south to the major shopping areas including Towne Square Mall and Wal-Mart. A sign is posted at all other stops.

RiverPark Center

101 Daviess Street 270-687-2787
Box Office hours Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm
RiverPark Center, beautifully situated overlooking the Ohio River, is a bustling regional performing arts and civic center hosting nearly 200,000 visitors every year, including nearly 50,000 students from the Tri-State region. The hundreds of activities taking place at RiverPark include professional Broadway tour productions, Owensboro Symphony Orchestra concerts, free family movies on a gigantic outdoor screen, Friday After 5 music concerts all summer, Bluegrass festivals, hundreds of educational programs, and many festivals including Winter Wonderland and the International Mystery Writers' Festival. Winter Wonderland offers a magical atmosphere for the holidays along the downtown riverfront with an outdoor ice rink, children's activities, and thousands of twinkling lights! RiverPark is also home to the International Mystery Writers' Festival, featuring The Angie Awards. This festival has hosted celebrities including Gene Hackman, the "Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark, and the creators and producers of top television hits including CSI, and Law & Order.

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro

407 W. Fifth Street 270-683-5333

Owensboro's community theatre for over 40 years, TWO produces five mainstage productions each season, plus youth productions in the summer, and summer musicals. Many outreach programs are also offered to business and civic organizations for entertainment. Housed in the renovated historic Trinity Church built in 1875.

Trunnell's Farm Market

9255 US Highway 231, Utica 270-733-2222 / (877)733-2202
Trunnell's Farm Market features Absolutely FreshProduce and Kentucky Proud productsall year-round! Come on out for Fall Family Fun every weekend in October, featuring hay rides, pumpkin & face painting, a straw maze, straw pyramid, corn pit, pumpkin maze, corn hole, pumpkin toss, and more. Trunnell's Farm Market is the flagship "Kentucky Proud" location in the region.

Western KY Botanical Garden

With six established gardens - Butterfly, Rose, Daylily, Iris, Herb, and Fruit & Berry - the garden is becoming a center for the growth and display of hundreds of outstanding plant selections as well as a beautiful location for social gatherings. The newest addition to the garden is the Takahashi Japanese Memorial Garden. Appreciate the wonders of the environment and learn to interact with nature. Special seasonal activities are enjoyed each year. Meeting space and catering are available. Groups are welcome.