Top 6 Destinations to Visit in Owensboro

Green River Distilling Co. 

 

Enjoy and explore over 100 years of history at this newly renovated facility located on the Ohio River. After restoring the distillery to its original glory in 2014, Green River Distilling Co. has continued to impress and amaze visitors with one of the top-ranked bourbon tours in the state of Kentucky. Even better, Green River’s new Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has received amazing reviews since its launch in 2021, and you’ll get to taste the distillery’s name-brand bourbon at the end of your tour. You can schedule one-hour tours Tuesday-Saturday at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. for $20. 

 

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum

 

Nowhere else in the world can you find a facility dedicated solely to Bluegrass music. After being declared the “Bluegrass Music Capital of the World” in 2021, there’s never been a better time to visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum at our city’s downtown waterfront location. You can play instruments at a pickin’ parlor, shop at an amazing gift shop and catch live performances from the best Bluegrass artists in the world at the facility’s indoor and outdoor theaters. 

 

Smothers Park

 

Smothers Park has everything you could dream of in a world-class park, and then some. Stretching over a mile along the downtown riverfront, you can enjoy a nice walk with amazing sunset views, lit-up water fountains at night, and a color-changing lighted bridge that connects Owensboro to Indiana across the Ohio River. Even better, Lazy Days Playground was named one of the best parks in the world in 2015, so you don’t want to miss it. With a spray park and more slides than you count, we can’t recommend the playground enough to anyone traveling with kids. 

 

Western Kentucky Botanical Garden 

 

This 12-acre facility is located only minutes from downtown Owensboro, but you will feel like you’ve entered a whole new world once you arrive. With plenty of beautiful walkways, event spaces and, of course, gorgeous trees, flowers and plants, it’s hard to name a more beautiful place to explore. With a new entrance and visitor center located at the historic WeatherBerry house, you can tour the garden Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is super affordable too – $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and veterans, and only $1 for children. 

 

Preservation Station 

 

One of the coolest places to check out in the entire state of Kentucky, Preservation Station Market, Restaurant and Event Center is a 39,000 square-foot retail marketplace housed in a former elementary school. The school was converted to include more than 60 shops and a gymnasium that has all kinds of unique treasures inside. Preservation Station is open Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and a 100-seat restaurant serves southern favorites Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 

 

Barbecue

 

A barbecue-lovers paradise, Owensboro has long been famous for some of the best mutton, pork and other delicious dishes on the planet. You can visit historic barbecue restaurants like Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn and Old Hickory Bar-B-Q, or newer establishments like Ole South Barbecue, for a meal that you will never forget.