OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY - Travel Guide!
Updated: Sep 1, 2023
One day you're 12 years old, hopping into your granny's mini van to go to the Mall in Owensboro & the next, you're 26 years old getting to WORK WITH the Visit Owensboro Team! Life really is so crazy right? Owensboro, Kentucky has always held a special place in my heart so getting to go back & visit, nearly 15 years later was magical to say the least.
Before things get too sappy... Let's dive into everything you need to know about visiting Owensboro: Where to Stay, What to Do & Where to Eat!
Where to Stay
Even though you will be spending most of your time out & about, a good resting place to come home to at the end of the day is essential & can make or break your traveling experience.
To kick us off, let's start with where we stayed this go around: TownePlace Suites
Towneplace Suites Owensboro is located on 3365 Hayden Road, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA, 42303 & is newish to the area. Offering a Free & Hot Buffet Style Breakfast, Outdoor Saltwater Pool, Late Checkout of 12pm & they are Pet-Friendly! We really enjoyed our stay here. Everything was clean, homey & we were less than 15 minutes away from all of our activities.
The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown is located on 401 West 2nd Street, Owensboro, KY & If you're looking for a more walkable experience, this one is for you! The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown is located near the waterfront & in the heart of downtown. Walk to restaurants, activities, light shopping & more!
Prefer to go the AirBnB Route? Try one of these highly rated rentals! Go ahead & tap the image to be redirected to the Airbnb Listing itself.
What to Do
We had a jam packed weekend filled with everything from a distillery tour to visiting the Botanical Gardens & more. We even found time to do a little thrifting so be sure to checkout these 2 "Thrift with Me" TikTok's I filmed while there: Part 1 & Part 2
Green River Distillery
Our first stop of the trip was the Green River Distillery for a Tour, we don't drink alcohol but there was a tasting too & I'm sure it was just as fab! We really had so much fun on this tour. Getting to walk the grounds, see a little *behind the scenes* action and hear the History of the property/ Green River Distillery made for the best afternoon activity.
Western Kentucky Botanical Garden
Following the Green River Distillery, we headed to the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden!
Here is a little blurb about their History that I was lucky enough to hear about in person from the WKBG President: Sarah Williams & a couple photos Daniel snapped while we were there.
Smothers Park
Day 2 of our weekend in Owensboro, we headed to Smothers Park for a morning walk & we quickly realized why everyone tells you to visit the waterfront. Smothers Park is absolutely stunning & features a playground, water play area & 3 water fountains with a show every 15 minutes.
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10AM - 5PM and allows you to interact with the History of Bluegrass Music! We had so much fun exploring the exhibits and even playing a few instruments ourselves.
To see a full breakdown of all the activities we got into while in Owensboro, be sure to checkout my vlog: Visit Owensboro, Kentucky with us!
Where to Eat
Who was going to tell me Owensboro has so many delicious local spots? Every meal & drink we tried was seriously a 10/10! Here is a quick roundup of where we ate & what we ordered.
The Famous Bistro: 102 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42303
Our order: Cheese Pizza & Sun-dried Tomato Penne Pasta
Sassafras: 420 Frederica St, Owensboro, KY 42301
Our order: Cheddar Dumplings, Ratatouille, Three Sisters Succotash & Banana Pudding Brullee
Nicos Bakery & Cafe: 601 Emory Dr. Owensboro, KY 42301
Our Order: Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll, Iced Matcha with Oat Milk & Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mocha
The Cottage Farm Stand & Baking Company: 6869 Hwy 56, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301
Our Order: The Cottage
The Miller House: 301 E 5th St, Owensboro, KY 42303
Our Order: Sweet Potato Biscuits, Hushpuppies with Tomato Gravy, Farfalle with Summer Squash & Fried Green Tomato BLT (minus the bacon because we are vegetarian)
Gramps Coffee & Donuts: 333 Frederica St, Owensboro, KY 42301
Our Order: Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
Thank you again to the Visit Owensboro, KY Team for the incredible weekend. We can't wait to come back!
Truthfully,
Charlie