Owensboro

October is apple harvest time in Kentucky and this is the best time of the year to visit Reid’s Orchard, Owensboro.

The orchard holds an Apple Festival on the third weekend of the month with dozens of food and craft stalls, kid’s entertainment and much more. Except for January and February, when the orchard is closed, you are welcome to visit the Apple House all year round to stock up on delicious farm-fresh fruit and vegetables as well as flowers.

If you visit in mid to late may you can enjoy the U-Pick strawberry season and peaches are at their best in August. There is a children’s play area which offers pony rides and a petting zoo during October.

Reid’s Orchard, 4818 HWY 144, Owensboro, KY 42303, Phone: 270-685-2444

Nestled in the heart of Owensboro, the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden is a must-see attraction for all nature lovers.

A great way to enjoy your visit to the garden is to download a map for a self-guided walking tour. The garden includes 10 individual themed gardens including a rose garden, day-lily garden, herb garden, fruit and vegetable garden and the very popular children’s garden.

There is just about always something lovely in bloom and gardeners come from near and far to seek inspiration and plants to take home with them from the on-site nursery.

The gardens offer several attractive indoor and outdoor venues for events and celebrations.

Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, 25 Carter Rd, Owensboro, KY 42301, Phone: 270-993-1234, (website link)

Romantic Ideas

For 40 years the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art has been bringing a feast of visiting fine art exhibitions to Owensboro. The museum is housed in three separate wings, two of which are housed in historic buildings which are worthy of a visit in their own right. The John Hampden Smith House is a fine pre-civil war mansion which houses the museum’s permanent collection of decorative art from all over the world. Local Kentucky artists offer their work for sale in the Regional Art Market and RIVERARTS is an outdoor sculpture garden which is also managed by the museum. Guided tours may be booked in advance.

Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, 901 Frederica St, Owensboro, KY 42301, Phone: 270-685-3181

The Owensboro Sports Center is one of the town’s oldest buildings. It first opened in 1949 and is currently the home ground of two local basketball teams, the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers and the Owensboro Catholic High School Aces. (TBL team Owensboro Thoroughbreds have also recently relocated to the center). As such, it is a popular meeting place for Owensboro locals. In addition to hosting riveting basketball matches the 5,000-seater sports center also regularly hosts other sporting events as well as concerts, shows and exhibitions. The newly-renovated concessions area ensures that you will not go hungry during the game or concert.

Owensboro Sports Center, 1215 Hickman Ave, Owensboro, KY 42301, Phone: 270-687-8330

The Riverpark Center is Owensboro’s delightful performing arts center, located in a prominent position on the Downtown river front. The center is home to three outstanding local groups including the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, the Owensboro Dance Theatre and Friday After 5. In addition to all the brilliant local talent, the center is often used as a springboard for National Broadway Tours. On these occasions lucky Owensboro residents are treated to fabulous tour launches at the center. It would be a shame to visit Owensboro without attending one of the 400 annual productions. You can check their website for details and tickets.

Riverpark Center, 101 Daviess Street, Owensboro, KY 42303, Phone: 270-687-2770

Housed in an historic building in the heart of downtown Owensboro, the Owensboro Museum of Science and History is a great place to spend a few hours with the family. There are several themed environments within the museum including the Rotary Playzeum where children under 10 can have hours of educational fun crawling and playing on the colorful exhibits. At the ENCOUNTER exhibit children will enjoy learning all about science in a fun, interactive way. The Coal Mine Gallery is also a lot of fun and the whole family will learn about historic coal mining.

Owensboro Museum of Science and History, 122 East 2nd Street, Owensboro, KY 42303, Phone: 270-687-2732, (website link)

Where to Eat

After a busy day of exploring there is nothing better than settling in to enjoy a traditional Kentucky barbeque. If you happen to be in Owensboro, the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn is the place to go. The family-owned and operated restaurant has over 50 years experience in serving up delicious slow-cooked prime cuts of meat with an authentic hickory flavor. The restaurant is famous for its very impressive buffet, which is served at lunchtime and dinner time from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays you can visit for a mouth-watering brunch served from 10am to 2.30pm. They also offer an extensive Take-Out Menu is you prefer to dine at home.

2840 West Parrish Ave, Owensboro, KY 42303, Phone: 270-684-8143

The Miller House Restaurant is located in history downtown Owensboro where it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from Tuesday to Friday, dinner only on Saturday and a Sunday brunch. The mood is relaxed and informal and the food has a distinct southern twist. The restaurant has its own vegetable garden where much of the fresh produce is produced – you can be assured of a true farm-to-fork meal. In the basement of Miller House you will find their bar called Spirits, which has won several awards for the amazing collection of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskeys you will find there – at any one time the bar has at least 600 different varieties.

Miller House Restaurant, 301 East 5th Street, Owensboro, 42303, Phone: 270-685-5878