Exploring 'Top Chef’s' Paducah

Paducah, Kentucky is home to Top Chef’s Sara Bradley’s Freight House restaurant which will be checking out on our Kentucky road trip.

Paducah is about halfway between St. Louis and Nashville and has a vibrant art scene along with a historic restored brick downtown, amazing river wall murals and restaurants that serve Southern cuisine. You can even find moonshine without going into the backwoods.

Freight House

Bradley was runner-up on season 16 of Bravo’s competitive cooking show “Top Chef.”

She opened the doors to Freight House in 2015 under the ethos food is more than just eating. The restaurant serving traditional southern flavors with a modern twist.

The building itself is amazing, once home to a vegetable depot. It has pine rafters, brick walls, exposed ductwork and can seat 140 people.

Besides the southern cuisine, the bar is stocked with more than 300 bourbons, whiskeys, and ryes. The restaurant will be a high point on our trip to the area.

Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 5 pm – 9 pm; Friday- Saturday, 5 pm – 10 pm and closed Sunday and Monday.

Address: 330 S 3rd St #102, Paducah, KY 42003

Sites in Paducah

Whitehaven Welcome Center

Restored 1860s Southern mansion features period furnishings and memorabilia of Paducah native Alben Barkley, who served as Vice President under Harry Truman.

Whitehaven is built in the Classical Revival style and is the only historic home serving as an interstate Welcome Center. Check with the front desk if a tour is available that day.

Hours: Lobby open 24 hours. Welcome Center open Mon.-Sat., 8 AM-4:30 PM.

Admission: free

Address: 1845 Lone Oak Rd, (I-24 Exit 7), Paducah, KY 42003-7903

The flood wall in Paducah is filled with murals

Paducah Wall to Wall

Voted Trip Advisor’s most popular tourist attraction in 2014, Robert Dafford and the Dafford Murals Team capture Paducah’s rich history in life-sized paintings on the river city’s floodwall. These over 50 panoramic “Portraits from Paducah’s Past” overlook the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and illustrate Paducah’s historical significance and creative connection. The wall was needed after the 1937 flood devastated the city and now the wall facing the city is a beautiful reflection of Paducah through these murals.

Hours: Open 24 hours

Admission: Free

Address: 200-298 S Water St, Paducah, KY 42003

River Discovery Center

In this center, you can guide a model boat. You can pilot a boat or a Coast Guard cutter in a simulator, which is the same one used by the Navy. The gift shop has maritime themed toys and gifts.

Hours: Monday- Saturday, 9:30 am – 5 pm; Sundays (April-Nov.) 1 pm – 5 pm.

Admission: Adults $8, Seniors (60 and up) $7 and Children (under age 12) $5.

Address: 117 S Water St, Paducah, KY 42001

William Clark Market House Museum

The highlight of this museum is the woodwork interior of the 1877 Paducah List Drug Store along with its stained glass windows that were found in the shed of the drugstore owner. The museum is housed in the former public market.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm, Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Closed in winter from Dec. 15 until March.

Admission: Adults $4 and children 6-11 $1.

Address: 21 Market House Square, Paducah, KY 42001

Yeiser Art Center

The host of the international Fantastic Fibers and Paducah Photo juried exhibits. Yeiser’s rotating exhibitions spotlight a diverse range of art forms, styles and techniques through works by regional and international artists. The gallery store offers Kentucky crafted goods and original art as well as craft media.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Admission: Free

Address: (In the same building as the Willam Clark Market House Museum) 200 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001

National Quilt Museum

Museum featuring an extensive collection of quilting & textile arts, workshops & rotating exhibits.

Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm, Sundays 1 pm – 5 pm.

Admission: Adults $12, Seniors (62 and over) $11, Students $5 and children 12 and under are free.

Address: 215 Jefferson St, Paducah, KY 42001

Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum

Former residence of Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, CSA and West Point graduate, highlights western Kentucky’s role in the Civil War. The 1852 Greek Revival home is owned by Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, Noon – 4 pm, April – Nov. or by appointment throughout the year.

Admission: Adults $5, Children ages 6-12 $1.

Address: 631 Kentucky Ave, Paducah, KY 42001

Paducah Railroad Museum

Railroad museum shedding light on the early days of traveling by rail and has a simulator.

Hours: Wednesday – Friday 12 pm – 4 pm, Saturday 10 am -4 pm, Closed Sunday – Tuesday.

Admission: Adults $6, Children $3

Address: Washington St & Marine Way, Paducah, KY 42003

Ephemera Paducah

Host’s art and crafts workshops along with a retail shop.

Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 10 am -5 pm, Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Address: 1845 Lone Oak Rd, (I-24 Exit 7), Paducah, KY 42003-7903

Historic Districts

Market area — Paducah’s riverfront downtown boasts charming restaurants, shops, museums, and an active farmer’s market.

Lowertown Arts District — The centerpiece of Paducah’s Artist Relocation Program, Lowertown plays host to a dozen or so art galleries of varying reputation, one of the most friendly coffee houses ever and a fine-dining fusion style restaurant.

Bob Noble Park

Includes playgrounds, a small lake, and the Wacinton Totem — Chief Paduke, sculpted by Peter “Wolf” Toth in 1985 from local red oak. The historical marker names him “Wacinton” (way-cheen-too) honoring the Chickasaw people.

Address: 2801 Park Ave, Paducah, KY 42001