Arts & Entertainment

Owensboro boasts some of the best arts and cultural activities for a city its size in the country. Whether your interests lie in museums, music, art or theater, Owensboro has it.

RiverPark Center

The curtain is always rising on a new event at this performing arts and civic center which is located on the Ohio River in downtown Owensboro. The RiverPark Center includes a 1,500 seat multi-purpose auditorium, an experimental theatre that seats up to 300, lobbies and support facilities, a riverfront plaza, an open-air courtyard, and meeting/reception rooms. Each year, the RiverPark Center hosts more than 150 performance events and more than 900 civic events.

The RiverPark Center is home to several local performing arts organizations including the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Owensboro Dance Theatre, the Owensboro Community College Oak Island Theatre, and the Owensboro Concert Association. In addition, the RiverPark Center presents a professional Broadway series, an Arts Teach Kids series, Kidstuff series, as well as several special events including the Taste of Owensboro.

International Bluegrass Museum

Bill Monroe, known as the "father of bluegrass music," was born and raised in Rosine, Ky., just a short drive from Owensboro. That tradition is still alive and well in the area and is celebrated at the International Bluegrass Music Museum, which displays the history of bluegrass music through interpretive exhibits, posters, costumes and instruments. Other local bluegrass events include a winter concert, the Yellowbanks Dulcimer Festival at English Park and the annual Bluegrass Blast during the last weekend in September.

Owensboro Symphony Orchestra

The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra has an annual concert schedule and performs at the RiverPark Center. The symphony performs with some of the best musical talent in the world and annually conducts a Christmas Pops concert.

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro (TWO) was founded in 1955. TWO is a community theatre with a mission to provide a structured theatre environment for purposes of artistic expression and cultural enrichment for all volunteers. TWO presents community theatre to Owensboro and Daviess County with shows such as "Rope", "Little Shop of Horrors", and "Painting Churches". TWO is housed in the Old Trinity Centre, which is a registred historic landmark.

Museum of Science & History

The Owensboro Area Museum of Science and History and the Wendell Ford Government Education Center is one of the finest facilities of its kind in the region. Among the features of the museum are historic memorabilia, including arts, crafts, and antiques, as well as natural history exhibits and a planetarium. The Speedzeum opened in 2003 and celebrates the rich racing heritage of the Owensboro-Daviess County region, covering everything from Soapbox Derby to local dirt track auto racing to NASCAR, motorcycle racing to hydroplane boats. With six active NASCAR drivers and countless crew members in service in NASCAR’s various racing circuits, Owensboro claims one of the highest levels of motorsports participation of any city in the country. The Speedzeum demonstrates and celebrates this connection, beginning in the early 20th century and following the developments right up through present day, featuring displays of racing vehicles, audio/visual presentations and interactive displays, including a full-scale NASCAR simulator.

Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts

The Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts is housed in two historic structures—the Carnegie Library and the John Hampden Smith House, which dates back to the Civil War. The museum features a permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures, decorative arts dating back as far as the 16th century, and the spectacular Stained Glass Gallery. The museum also features traveling exhibits and hosts educational youth tours during the school year.

Public Library

The Daviess County Public Library provides services to the entire county population from a single facility located in Owensboro. The library provides a wide array of services, including materials in all formats for all age groups; reference and information services; Kentucky history and genealogy research services; interlibrary loan; programming for children and adults; homebound delivery service; public access internet; dial-in access to the on-line catalog; fax and photocopy services; and outreach services to schools, daycare and headstart centers, and other community agencies. About 275,000 people visit the library each year.