Get to know Kentucky’s creative side with this Art and Culture Road Trip!

There is no end to the originality and variety of art and culture in Kentucky. From the Appalachia foothills in the east all the way to the Mississippi River in the west, the Bluegrass State holds its own when it comes to artistic expression. No matter what medium you are looking for or what direction you want to travel, you can find art that speaks to your soul in Kentucky.  

Day 1: Louisville 

Art and Culture in Louisville is not difficult to find. In fact, all you have to do is take a stroll outside. The Historic Old Louisville Walking Tour is a 60-minute guided tour of the gorgeous architecture that is contained within the Old Louisville neighborhood. The tour showcases houses built between 1880 and 1910 in a wide variety of styles including, Beaux Arts, Chateauesque, Italianate, Neoclassical, Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, Richardsonian-Romanesque, Second Empire, Tudor Revival, and Venetian Gothic. 

After you’ve had your fill of old-world architecture, head over to Flame Run, an art studio that specializes in glassblowing.  Flame Run is designed to completely immerse visitors in the fascinating and beautiful world of glass art. From a balcony overlooking the hot shop, guests can watch artists transform molten glass into breathtaking masterpieces. After watching the glassblowers, take a tour of the gallery and see the finished products on display.   

The next stop is the Frazier History Museum, but on your way, you should stop for lunch at any number of unique restaurants. In Season is walking distance to the museum and features farm fresh seasonal foods cooked from scratch and locally sourced.  

While we are on the subject of Kentucky culture, there are few subjects more Kentucky than bourbon. If you are looking to learn about America’s original libation, the Frazier History Museum has a wide array of tours, tastings and experiences. From crafting your own mint julep to testing your palate with a blind bourbon flight, you will emerge with a new perspective on the “Spirit of Kentucky.” 

Round off your day of Louisvillian art and culture with Kentucky’s oldest and largest art gallery, the Speed Art Museum. With regularly rotating exhibitions and an encyclopedic permanent collection that spans 6,000 years of human history, this institution has something that will appeal to every sensibility.  

It’s getting late, but you don’t want to stop the experience. Get a room at Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel. This 91-room boutique hotel and contemporary art museum will leave you fully rested and inspired with its beautifully curated art collection that includes a double-size replica of David (inspired by Michaelangelo). 

Day 2 : Owensboro and Paducah

Leaving Louisville after breakfast, head west toward Owensboro and the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. There you will find more than 4,000 individual pieces on display in the three wings of the OMFA building. The collection of artwork is enjoyably diverse in terms of time period, genre and medium. Over the course of one morning visitors can wander the halls of the museum and see paintings from the 1500s, then walk a few yards further and view ceramics pieces created by Pablo Picasso. 

After touring the OMFA, stop by Lure Seafood for a lunch that can range from artisan hamburgers to fresh poke bowls with your choice of protein.  

Once you are properly fueled up walk over to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum and learn about the music that Kentucky gave to the world. As you work your way through the museum’s interactive exhibits, posters, costumes and live instrument demonstrations you will be amazed at the versatility and global influence bluegrass holds in the modern world.  

After visiting the Hall of Fame it is time to continue heading west to Paducah. 

On top of being a UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is home to a vibrant downtown arts scene that includes the National Quilt Museum and the Paducah Floodwall Murals.  

The Quilt Museum exhibits fiber art and quilting from around the world. Since the early 90s the NQM has attracted nearly one million visitors, curated more than 250 exhibitions, and served 90,000 students.  

The quilts on display depict a wide array of subjects.  From modern art masterpieces, full of shapes and patterns to depictions of everyday life around the world. The artistry, color and, detail on the exhibited quilts will appeal to quilters and art enthusiasts alike. 

Just a block from the NQM there is a completely different kind of art medium in the form of murals. The paintings capture Paducah's rich history in paintings on this floodwall overlooking the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers.  As an art history exhibit that is open 24/7, it attracts millions of visitors each year.  

Wind down with dinner at one of Paducah’s many fine dining restaurants. Be sure to have dinner at the Freight House, which is owned and operated by Top Chef: World All-Stars finalist, Sarah Bradley. After your world class meal, stroll over to 1857 Hotel and get a good night’s rest.  

Day 3: Paducah and Bowling Green 

After filling up on breakfast pastries and coffee at the venerated Kirchoff’s Bakery and Deli located down the street from the hotel, you should drive over to the Hotel Metropolitan for a tour with Miss Maggie.  

There you will be immersed in African American heritage and learn about the importance of hotels that hosted people of color before desegregation. The Hotel Metropolitan was a home-away-from-home for many African American icons such as Louis Armstrong, Jackie Robinson and Duke Ellington.  

From there you will head to Bowling Green. Once you get there, be sure to get lunch at Cafe Kindness which is situated in Bowling Green’s idyllic downtown square.  

After lunch head over to the  Downing Museum at Baker Arboretum. The museum has a vast collection of art by its namesake, Kentucky native and world-renowned visual artist Joe Downing. In additions to Downing’s work, the facility also exhibits pieces by artists around the region and the world. Located on the beautiful 115-acre Baker Arboretum, visitors can get the best of both the art and natural worlds along with everything in between.  

If you would like to continue your outdoor adventure, be sure to check out Bowling Green’s outdoor art and culture in the form of murals. With dozens of paintings on the sides of buildings all over the city, you can not only take in the art, but make some of your own. Many of these works of art are just begging to be a featured part of your Instagram.