Paducah, Kentucky · Published by Emberlight Studios
Updated October 2026 · 9 places · Paducah
Quick answer
Our top picks are The National Quilt Museum, Inland Waterways Museum and Hotel Metropolitan.
These museums, historic sites, galleries, and public-art attractions are located in Paducah, Kentucky. Addresses and descriptions are based on City of Paducah, venue, or official tourism sources; check each venue’s own site for current visiting information.
$ · 215 Jefferson Street, Paducah, KY 42001
The National Quilt Museum presents quilts and fiber art in contemporary gallery space. It was established to educate, promote, and honor quiltmakers, quilts, and fiber art.
Best for: quilts and fiber art
117 South Water Street, Paducah, KY 42001
The Inland Waterways Museum is a museum with educational, interactive exhibits. It celebrates Paducah’s maritime legacy and lore.
Best for: inland waterways
724 Oscar Cross Drive, Paducah, KY 42003
The Hotel Metropolitan is a museum in a hotel built in 1909 to house African-American travelers. It commemorates African-American heritage and notable guests, including Ike and Tina Turner and Louis Armstrong.
Best for: African-American heritage
631 Kentucky Avenue, Paducah, KY 42001
The Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum is an 1852 Greek Revival home that was once the residence of Gen. Lloyd Tilghman. Its exhibits cover Western Kentucky’s role in the Civil War.
Best for: Civil War history
$ · 200 Washington Street, Paducah, KY 42001
The Paducah Railroad Museum presents equipment, maps, and memorabilia related to railroads in Western Kentucky and the Paducah area. Its exhibits tell the history of trains and the people who ran, rode, and repaired them.
Best for: railroad history
121 Market House Square, Paducah, KY 42001
The William Clark Market House Museum is housed in a historic market-house building. Founded in 1968, it focuses on education and preservation and presents artifacts from Paducah’s past.
Best for: local history
200 Broadway, Paducah, KY 42001
Yeiser Art Center is a visual arts center with a permanent exhibition space and collection, as well as rotating exhibits. Its exhibitions include the international juried shows Fantastic Fibers and Art Through the Lens.
Best for: rotating art exhibitions
115 Market House Square, Paducah, KY 42001
The Art Guild of Paducah operates a gallery in downtown Paducah. The guild is a community arts organization, and its gallery showcases work by artists from Paducah and the surrounding region.
Best for: regional artists’ work
Free · Paducah floodwall, Water Street, from Jefferson Street to Washington Street, Paducah, KY
Paducah’s “Wall to Wall” Murals are a public-art project along the downtown floodwall. More than 50 life-sized murals and interpretive panels present portraits from Paducah’s past.
Best for: public art and local history