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Kentucky Collections

National Quilt Museum

Paducah

One thing will quickly become clear to visitors as they examine the intricate and breathtaking quilts on display in Paducah’s National Quilt Museum: These are not the same kind of quilts their grandmothers used to make. The museum features some of the finest fiber art in the world, with works ranging from traditional quilt patterns to interpretive 3-D products hanging from the ceiling.

“There’s controversy within the quilting world between the purist and modernists, but the museum’s mission is to help push the envelope about what quilting is,” said Fowler Black, director of sales at the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s more than just art; it’s a way of telling a story.”

To delve deeper into this art form, groups can sign up for an exclusive VIP tour called Creative Stitch. During this program, a museum guide takes the group behind the scenes of exhibits to view distinct quilting styles and fabrics. Participants then take this inspiration back to the classroom to design their own nine-patch quilts.

Afterward, the museum frames the original quilt block so guests can proudly display it back at home. Black described how the male visitors are often surprised by how much they enjoy the experience.

In fall and spring each year, over 30,000 quilters travel to Paducah from around the world to participate in QuiltWeek, a competitive fiber-art event.

www.quiltmuseum.org

Hidden River Cave and American Cave Museum

Horse Cave

In the heart of downtown Horse Cave, Hidden River Cave has transformed over the past 30 years from an abandoned sewage dump to one of the most popular adventure attractions in southern Kentucky.

“Hidden River Cave was once one of the most polluted caves in America,” said David Foster, executive director of the American Cave Museum. “We cleaned it up and restored it. Now, it’s the only place in the region where you can do a cave tour, zip lining and rappelling all in one location.”

The guided cave tour takes groups through two subterranean rivers that flow more than 100 feet below ground. Along the way, visitors pass an early-1900s hydroelectric generator from the days when the cave supplied the local community with water and power. Cave tours include admission to the American Cave Museum, where visitors can learn about groundwater quality, cave wildlife, regional geology and more.

The adventurous can try their hand at rappelling 75 feet from the mouth of the cave or zip lining 70 feet above the ground at 30 miles per hour.

Hidden River Cave plans to expand the attraction over the coming year, extending the zip-line feature and adding an underground swinging bridge.

www.hiddenrivercave.com

Highlands Museum and Discovery Center 

Ashland

Based in Ashland, the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center explores the rich history and cultural heritage of eastern Kentucky, engaging visitors through interactive media, life-size replicas and more.

In the Country Music Heritage Hall, groups will learn about Kentucky’s Country Music Highway, which commemorates local country stars such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Ricky Skaggs and Loretta Lynn. Ashland marks the second stop along the highway as the hometown of the Judds.

Visitors can create their own music on the Karaoke Korner stage or through an interactive sound sculpture called the “Music Quilt.” The “School Daze” exhibit challenges guests to imagine life in the era of one-room schoolhouses, and an exhibit called “Extremes in Fashion” explores the evolution of fashion from tea gowns to wool swimsuits and miniskirts. Designed by the Space Science Program at Morehead State University, the Space Science Hall examines the field of aerospace and how scientists use technology like satellites. The military gallery contains one of the museum’s most fascinating artifacts: the last telephone owned by Adolph Hitler.

www.highlandsmuseum.com