Jennifer Moonsong
WCLU News Director
Central City, the county seat of Muhlenberg county, which will forever be remembered in song thanks to John Prine’s raw and purely Kentucky lyricism, has become a tribute for music in Kentucky. The small Kentucky city with a picturesque square located only a few miles from Paradise does not only pay homage to the late, great John Prine, but others from the area that have left a lasting and undeniable mark on the American music scene, including the Everly Brothers.
What to do:
It costs nothing to walk through the doors of the Muhlenberg Music Museum just off the Square in downtown Central City. Although small, the museum does a more than thorough job of displaying memorabilia from the lives Prine, the Everly Brothers and other famed Kentucky musicians.
The Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum is located right next door and can be accessed by the same entryway. It’s also free and houses fascinating memorabilia.
Festival Square is situated less than a quarter mile from the museums, between two restaurants, and is the home of life-size bronze statues of John Prine and the Everly Brothers, Don and Phil. The statues are a relatively recent addition to the community, recognizing it’s rich history.
Where to eat:
Stellian’s Italian Restaurant is the place to go if you’re looking for grub while you’re visiting Muhlenberg County. The unique stop features Chicago style deep dish pizzas, and other pizza pies.
Where to shop:
The Apple House Mercantile was born in the small town of Central City, Kentucky in the 1950’s. Located just west of the Green River, and a smidgen north of Paradise at the junction of Highway 431 & Highway 62, it began as a roadside fruit stand that quickly grew into a destination.
These days Apple House Mercantile brings shoppers a selection of modern dry goods, household items, and other Boutique-style items.
What not to miss:
Anyone visiting Muhlenberg County would be remiss to not also drive down the road to the Rochester Dam or to take a drive through Paradise. There’s not much to see in Paradise these days, but there is still an history worthy ominous presence as the land tries to rebuild through conservation efforts. In the words of John Prine, they “dug for their coal ‘til the land was forsaken, and wrote it all down as the progress of man”.
Prior to being a strip-mined as a coal camp it was a prominent trading post along Green River. The remainder of the town was purchased in 1967 by the Tennessee Valley Authority and torn down due to health concerns.
Destination KY is WCLU’s new digital feature that introduces Kentuckians to places right in the Bluegrass State they may never have visited or explored.
