The United States 23 Country Music Highway Museum is one of eastern Kentucky’s newest and most popular attractions. Opened in 2005, the museum in Paintsville honors country music entertainers who were born or lived along United States Highway 23, a 150-mile stretch of road that runs from Portsmouth on the Ohio River south through the Kentucky Mountains to Whitesburg on the Virginia border.
United States 23 Country Music Highway Museum: Cyrus, Judds, Hall, Skaggs
The museum offers fans the opportunity to see displays created to honor many of the country music entertainers who consider U.S. 23 home. Among the musicians’ displays, which include instruments, costumes and awards, are those honoring Billy Ray Cyrus (Flatwoods, Greenup County), the Judds (Ashland, Boyd County), Tom T. Hall (Olive Hill, Carter County), Ricky Skaggs (Blaine, Lawrence County), and Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gale (Butcher Hollow, Johnson County).
The museum also features a unique gift shop with items supplied directly by the entertainers, including CDs, videos, cookbooks and other books by the entertainers. Also for sale are items made by Appalachian crafters, including hats, belt buckles, and individually designed blue jeans.
One of the most popular exhibits is Loretta Lynn’s. Nearly 30 years ago, she took her story of the country music world to Universal Studios, which picked actress Sissy Spacek to portray the singer. A video discussion between Lynn and “Coal Miner’s Daughter” movie director Michael Apted is the culmination of the museum’s attractions. In it Lynn talks about her still rigorous concert schedule of 150 performances a year.
Rent Out the Great Room for Functions at the Country Highway Museum
Another feature of the museum is the Great Room, where 160 guests can be seated at either round or rectangular tables. Two hundred guests can be seated theater style. The room is equipped with a 60-inch screen, projection video equipment and other amenities.
The museum provides a spacious setting for Kentucky hospitality: wedding receptions, reunions, holiday get-togethers and private dinner parties. The kitchen is filled with modern appliances to ensure catered foods are kept fresh and ready to serve.
For more information, please visit: US 23 Country Music Highway Museum