Madisonville, Kentucky is a charming town in western Kentucky located 32.8 miles directly south of Henderson, Kentucky on Interstate 69.
I’m sharing more about the hidden gems, great places to eat, and top things to do in Madisonville, KY, and the surrounding area during a visit.
This article is written in partnership with Steller and may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
Explore Mahr Park Arboretum
55 Mahr Park Rd, Madisonville, KY
Mahr Park Arboretum is a beautiful 265-acre park previously the farm of the late Dr. Merle and Mrs. Glema Mahr.
The property was donated to the city of Madisonville to maintain as a park and the former home now serves as a Welcome Center.
The Arboretum is currently at a Level 1 status.
That means the park has an Arboretum plan, organizational or government group, 25 species, varieties, or cultivars of trees or woody plants that have been planted, and growing per the arboretum plan, and the park has volunteers or paid staff.
The gorgeous scenery makes this a popular venue for weddings and special events.
The park offers outdoor recreation for the whole family. There is a dog park with two fenced-in areas to help keep large dogs and small dogs separate.
Kids will enjoy the Nature Play Area, a playground with natural elements incorporating Douglas fir wood.
Get Moving on the Trails at Mahr Park
My friend and I had a blast on the electric scooters we brought to use on the biking trails.
We met several locals on the trail who use the 2.5-mile paved bike/walking trails multiple times a week.
Bike Rentals and Hiking Trails at Mahr Park
1-hour bike rentals are available at the welcome center and come with a bike helmet during the rental season.
If you prefer to hike, the park has several short trails for you to enjoy ranging in distance from .18 miles to .4 miles. The park also offers special guided hikes and educational events throughout the year.
Check out the Birding Checklist to help you keep track of year-round resident and common migrant birds.
Play on a Championship Disc Golf at Mahr Park
Seasoned disc golf fans will love challenging themselves on the scenic 18-hole championship course with hills and water features.
If you’re not quite ready for the championship course there is a 9-hole recreational course.
Enjoy Lake Pee Wee at Mahr Park
Park guests can rent single or double kayaks to enjoy Lake Pee Wee, a 360-acre lake. Each 2-hour kayak rental comes with life jackets and paddles to use.
The park has a nice kayak launch that makes it easier to enter the water with your kayak and stay dry.
Try BBQ Burrito at Swaggy P’s BBQ & Catering
45 Veterans Dr, Hanson, KY
If you’re looking for delicious barbecue, Swaggy P’s BBQ and Catering is a MUST!
You have several menu options to enjoy their hickory slow-smoked BBQ. Their BBQ burrito is one of the popular BBQ variations on the menu.
The BBQ burrito is made with pulled pork, mac n’ cheese, baked beans, shredded cheese, and house hot sauce wrapped in a grilled tortilla.
Trust me when I say the combination of ingredients works in the best kind of way.
Their BBQ Baked potato is another popular option, made with pulled pork, butter, shredded cheese, and bacon bits piled high on a baked potato.
If you prefer a more traditional BBQ menu item, you can’t go wrong with the pulled pork sandwich served with a side of mac n’ cheese.
There are plenty of non-pork items on the menu too…but honestly, you don’t want to miss out on their 100% hickory BBQ.
All of the pork butts are hand rubbed and take 8-9 hours, low and slow.
Admire the ARTcan Tours in Downtown Madisonville
The trash receptacles by local metal sculptor, Tim Corum unexpectedly add art to downtown Madisonville.
Make sure that you admire each side of the sculpture receptacle.
The closer we looked at each sculpture the more unique details we discovered.
Walking Tours in Downtown Madisonville
If you want to continue your exploration of downtown Madisonville there are three walking tours to choose from.
You can download all three walking tour guides in Madisonville for the following tours:
- Historical Walking Tour – 24 stops on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Patriotic Walking Tour – 14 stops that include memorials and buildings used by the military from different eras.
- Artistic Walking Tour – 23 stops that include murals and sculptures.
Photo Ops Near Beard’s Park
110 South Main St., Madisonville, KY
If you’re looking for a high concentration of photo ops near one location, Beard’s Park in downtown Madisonville is the place.
Sit on the GIANT blue chair underneath the Madisonville sign and afterwards view the beautiful butterfly mural in the adjacent alley.
You’ll also want a closer look at the incredible three-dimensional mural across the street. It’ll make you take a double-take.
Walk to Big City Market & Coffee Bar
25 Sugg St, Madisonville, KY ( Located across the street from the Madisonville Visitor Center)
Big City Market & Coffee Bar is a great spot to stop for specialty coffee, pastries, or sandwiches between the walking tours or exploring the local shops in downtown Madisonville.
At Big City Market & Coffee Bar we tried the “The Luck of the Kentuckian” specialty coffee. It’s made with Irish cream and bourbon caramel syrups and is a fun fusion of flavors.
There is plenty of seating for guests who want to socialize or work.
Check out the old photos of Madisonville landmarks in the coffee shop while you’re there.
View the Murals at Elmer Kelley Stadium
745 City Park Drive, Madisonville, KY
Elmer Kelley Stadium is home to the Madisonville Miners, a summer collegiate baseball team, and Madisonville North Hopkins High School Maroons.
The stadium is also the location of a series of incredible murals surrounding the outside walls of the baseball stadium.
The outside walls of the baseball stadium help tell the story of Madisonville and significant events over the years.
Additional Things to Do at Madisonville City Park
The stadium resides within Madisonville City Park and offers lots of things to do for all ages and interests.
The park has the following amenities:
- 18-hole mini golf course
- 9-hole golf course
- Playground,
- Community pool
- Splash pad
- 18-hole disc golf course
- 250 acres of trails
- Shaded picnic areas
- Pickleball courts
- 2 stocked lakes for fishing
- Amphitheater
- Tennis court
- 1.25-mile walking trail
Caffeine Stop at Simply Poured Coffee
190 Madison Square Dr. Suite A, Madisonville, KY
We enjoyed this coffee shop so much that we visited it twice during our 2-day visit!
The full coffee bar offers espresso, hot chocolate, tea, and more.
If you’re having a hard time narrowing down your options, I highly recommend ordering a coffee flight so that you can try more flavors.
Pictured above is a coffee flight with Brown sugar bourbon, Coconut macchiato, and Salted Caramel.
After trying The Casey Jones Brown Sugar Bourbon Latte I had to buy their brown sugar bourbon syrup to bring home.
During my visit, I discovered that one of the employees at Simply Poured created the Bourbon syrup using products from Casey Jones Distillery.
Enjoy a Meal at The Crowded House – Madisonville’s Only Gastropub
26 W Center St, Madisonville, KY
One of the perks of dining at a gastropub is that you know they’ll have great drinks AND food.
I’m happy to report that The Crowded House didn’t disappoint either.
Enjoy Your Drink of Choice
You have plenty of options when it comes to drinks. The hardest part will be narrowing down all your choices including specialty cocktails, wine, and 16 rotating taps with beers ranging from Porters to IPAs.,
The bourbon selection displayed on the wall was impressive, featuring over 75+ “rare and wonderful” bourbons.
I asked to see the bottles of a few of the closest producers in the area.
We visited Green River Distillery the day before in Owensboro and The Bard Distillery was next on our list to try on a tour the following day.
We didn’t want to sample from The Bard Distillery before our official tasting so we decided to try Larceny and Castle and Key small batch.
Casey Jones Distillery was another fun tie-in as an ingredient for the bourbon syrup at Simply Poured.
Do you need a reservation for The Crowded House?
The Crowded House is a popular restaurant and reservations are highly recommended if you have a preferred time and date.
Every Saturday restaurant patrons can also enjoy live music.
Sandwiches at The Crowded House
We tried two of the sandwiches and split both. First was the “Mother Clucker” sandwich.
It’s made with grilled chicken breast, topped with Swiss cheese, fried egg, chipotle aioli, fresh jalapenos, and avocado on a toasted brioche bun.
We also used their chipotle aioli as a dipping sauce for our fries.
Our second sandwich selection was the “Round Here” burger. The 1/2-pound burger is made with Deer Creek Farms beef topped with applewood smoked-bacon, and American cheese, fully dressed with TCH house sauce, and served on a brioche bun.
The Crowded House sources its food as locally as possible. You can’t go wrong with the hand-cut fries or the house-made kettle chips.
Leave Room for Dessert at The Crowded House
For dessert, we tried their brownie and ice cream with a twist. Our server suggested a shot of Skrewball peanut butter whiskey on top that was AMAZING!
Enjoy a Local Craft Beer at Tradewater Brewing Company
111 W Arch St, Madisonville, KY
Tradewater Brewing Company is Madisonville’s first craft brewery. It resides in the former building of Ruby Concrete Company, which was founded in 1869.
The brewery sources locally whenever possible including grain, hops, and fruit, and is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 4-10 PM.
Tradewater is also the first brewery to open in Hopkins County but owner Ted Webb isn’t a novice at making beer.
As a homebrewer, he has previously won 100+ medals for his beer.
Now locals and travelers can enjoy his skill set on a bigger scale with 6 different varieties of beers on tap including a sour.
Breakfast at Ferrell’s Snappy Service
112 N Main St, Madisonville, KY
Ferrell’s Snappy Service is a cozy American diner serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner that dates back to 1929.
There is bar seating where you can watch the cook in action or sit on the stools in front of the large windows.
We visited during breakfast time and ordered the classics. Eggs over easy, bacon, and biscuits and gravy.
Our seating in front of the cook made me appreciate her attention to detail even more. That included removing the excess grease on the bacon before serving it to us.
The diner is open 24/7, the prices are very affordable, and the hours help serve the community who are on varying work schedules. We saw several patrons picking up orders after completing a night shift.
You may notice a large display case with an assortment of rubber ducks when you walk in.
Many of these rubber ducks are gifts from customers from all over the world over the years.
Worth the Drive – A Tour and Tasting at The Bard Distillery
5080 KY-175 South, Graham, KY
A tour and tasting at The Bard Distillery is worth the 25-minute drive from Madisonville.
The Distillery is housed on a 1920s school site where owner Thomas Bard and his father attended the school as a youth.
Thomas’s family lineage is also a direct line to William Bard, the founder of Bardstown, Kentucky, known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”
Thomas is the fourth great-grandson of William Bard, bridging the family’s history with a town known for bourbon with a new distillery that’s also an official member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Who knew that a former schoolmate would one day return to the area to give the abandoned schools new life and purpose.
You have to smile at the irony of the spirit-producing stills on the stage of the former gym.
The restored gym is also a beautiful space for special events.
When are tours and tastings available at The Bard Distillery?
Tours are available every hour starting at 10 AM and the last tour is at 4:00 PM (Open 7 days a week)
If you’re on a tighter schedule you can skip the tour and go straight to the tasting, which is the best part!
The Bard Distillery is a place whose reputation had been building during the course of our Western Kentucky road trip from other distilleries and staff who had previously visited.
When we mentioned that we were going on a tour of The Bard Distillery, the immediate response was to talk about how AMAZING co-owner Kim Bard was.
(Her husband Thomas is great too…we just spent more time with Kim during our tour and tasting.)
Bourbon With a Big Heart
After our visit, we understood why. Even though we only spent a few hours with Kim it felt like we had known her for years. She connects with people in such a genuine way that you feel like family by the end of your visit.
Her professional history as an educator, NASCAR Busch driver (now XFINITY Series), a driver for Monster Jam in Central America, and a present driver for monster trucks in Australia made me even more in awe of her.
But what got me teary-eyed was hearing more about their passion and future plans to continue to bring back life into the town. It never really recovered after the loss of the coal mine industry in the 1950s.
The evidence of their heart is imprinted on the community they give back to in so many ways and programs. Their staff are like an extended family that has worked for them since operations began in 2019.
Award Winning Bourbon
The Bard Distillery has a product that matches its heart and its heart is BIG!
They also have the trophies to prove it. There are multiple Ascot Awards displayed on the shelves next to their award-winning products.
The Ascot Awards are an international spirits competition created by veteran tasting judge, Fred Minnick. The competition focuses on two categories for bourbons being judged which are taste and marketing + design.
Cinder & Smoke Bourbon has received multiple awards including the Ascots Awards Platinum medal, The Gold Medal from John Barleycorn, and the Double Gold medal from the SIP Awards.
I’ve been on many bourbon tours and this is a distillery to have on your radar that’s definitely worth the drive!
Lodging in Madisonville, KY
Looking for a place to stay in Madisonville, KY?
You can find the lowest prices on hotels and vacation rentals in Madisonville here.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
234 Midtown Blvd., Intersection Of Pennyrile Park, Madisonville, KY
We enjoyed a comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
Amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool, parking, gym, free wifi, and free breakfast.
You’ll want to try one of the delicious warm Cinnabon sweet rolls on the breakfast bar.
Additional Things to Do in Madisonville, KY
Glema Mahr Center for the Arts – Located at Madisonville Community College, 2000 College Drive, Madisonville, Kentucky
