Don’t Take Our Word for It. Take a Respected Observer’s.
Every once in a while, a story comes along that captures the arc of a community better than any marketing piece ever could.
That happened recently when longtime journalist and columnist Keith Lawrence, a trusted and official news source for generations of readers, shared a reflection that quietly said a lot about Owensboro.
It started with a phone call.
A reporter from another newspaper reached out asking about the World’s Largest Sassafras Tree on Frederica Street. Keith noted that when he and his wife moved to Owensboro in 1972, that tree was one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. Maybe second only to Gabe’s Tower, the old silo-shaped hotel that once stood on Triplett Street.
That was Owensboro then.
What followed in Keith’s reflection was a simple but powerful timeline of progress.
Towne Square Mall arrived. The Executive Inn opened. Later came the RiverPark Center, Smothers Park, and the Owensboro Convention Center. Each investment added momentum. Each one raised expectations.
Fast forward to today, and the difference is clear.
Downtown Owensboro now offers multiple hotel options within steps of the riverfront, including Home2 Suites by Hilton Owensboro, Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro Waterfront, and Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront. New residential development is bringing more people to live downtown, not just visit it.
The momentum isn’t slowing.
The Bluegrass Fieldhouse, an $18 million indoor sports facility, is set to open this summer—bringing tournaments, teams, families, and year-round economic impact. What was once a gap in our community is now a competitive advantage.
And while Towne Square Mall is gone, its site is being reimagined in a big way. Malibu Jack’s is transforming the former mall into a full-scale indoor entertainment destination—go-karts, bowling, laser tag, mini golf, rides, arcade games, group space, and dining. That’s not nostalgia. That’s reinvention.
Keith summed it up best. Owensboro has come a long way from being known for a single roadside attraction.
He’s right.
What makes his perspective matter is that it isn’t promotional. It’s observational. It comes from someone who has watched Owensboro grow, adjust, and invest over decades.
Owensboro didn’t change overnight.
It changed on purpose.
And when a trusted, independent voice tells that story without being asked, that’s how you know the progress is real.
Read more about Owensboro tourism: www.messenger-inquirer.com