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    Whitehaven Welcome Center

    4.2 (29 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Historic home and Welcome Center
    Catherine W.

    Beautiful historic home, Welcome Center, Rest Area. Very clean facilities and informative place to walk your pet, have a rest or grab a snack.

    Whitehaven Welcome Center
    Rae L.

    This looks likes an old southern plantation house. It has a lovely garden, gazebo with wooden benches, a ton of tourist/informational brochures and large bathrooms. It even has a guest book to sign!

    Whitehaven historical marker, Paducah
    Bruce K.

    I've been in a few rest areas across this great country but I've never been inside one that is an actual mansion. Yes, Whitehaven is the only historic house in the United States that is also used as a rest area and has been so since 1983. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Located on I-24 not far from the border with Illinois, it is a proper rest area with parking for cars and restrooms and an opportunity to view the interior. Enjoy the exhibit on Alben Barkley who served as US Vice President from 1949 to 1953. [Review 16323 overall - 136 in Kentucky - 1830 of 2021.]

    Phil Y.

    This welcome center...I don't know if I would ever be able to find it again as I was traveling west from Nashville to Branson. Whitehaven is a historic mansion. It was a Sunday morning. The bathrooms were open, but, there was no staff. It would've been nice to have staff present to find out more about the history of Whitehaven. The mansion was beautiful. The bathroom was clean. It was better than stopping at Kohl's for a road trip pit stop.

    Sidewalk of bricks from one of the parking lots into one of the entrances.
    Victoria H.

    This is a neat place a few miles inside KY on the IL/KY border. I used to come here as a kid and have good memories here and stopped by to eat lunch in my car and checked out the inside while I was here. There's some cool history here and it's cool that they're keeping it up. As of Nov 2022, they are doing some remodeling on the structure, so that may get in the way of certain things for a bit.

    This is a rest area? Yup!
    Jerry M.

    You've never been to a rest area/welcome center like this one! Even Iowa, with its magnificent rest areas, hasn't got one like Whitehaven! The Anderson Mansion, as it was known when it was built, was constructed in the 1860s and remained in the family until 1903. It was sold to a family that remodeled the mansion significantly and named it Whitehaven. It was sold again to the mayor of Paducah and successful merchant, James P. Smith in 1908. He renamed it Bide-A-Wee and it remained in the Smith family until 1968. Abandoned and unloved, the house was feared to be in the way of Interstate 24, but remained in place. Close to demolition because of vandalism and disrepair, the house was saved by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The property was extensively restored and remodeled to serve as the Kentucky Welcome Center and Rest Area. The majestic house is the pride of Paducah and a welcome spot (pun intended) for travelers. On the property is a pair of Kentucky Coffeetrees. The name is derived from the beans that were used to make coffee when the real article was not available. The trees are male and female and devoid of foliage for most of the year. If you're on I-24 in McCracken County, Kentucky, this is a wonderful place to stop and stretch. You'll enjoy the beauty of this stately, Civil War Era mansion along with its modern amenities. It's a great stop!

    Entrance to Whitehaven Welcome Center.
    Kit T.

    So after a few hours of driving on I-24, I made a visit to what I thought was your typical restroom/vending machines rest area. Wow was I in for a surprise. This is a rest area, yes but it's far from your typical rest area. The Welcome Center is inside this historic house. The restrooms were clean and there is a visitor's information center to read up on brochures. Great stop if you go down I-24.

    Tracy N.

    Many times we have stopped in here! Perfect stopping point for us as we realize it is always clean! Lots of parking room, grounds are kept so nice and lots of information for tourist. The old home is quite stately and kept up very nice! Sure is one of a kind rest stop! Thank you!!

    David O.

    If you enjoy labyrinthine excursions from Westbound I-24, this is your stop. I have it on good authority that this is a historic home that acts as a rest stop, but it is also home of the worlds most bizarre exit method, as well as the strongest hand driers in history. When the XLerator Electric Hand Dryer says "Feel the Power" it is not joking. You can literally feel the power as you stand at the urinal 10 or 12 feet away. Fear the power might be more appropriate! As for the exiting, you have to exit, exit again, loop around, and then exit to the Welcome Center. Not very welcoming from the Westbound lane! We did not have the "Pleasure" of touring the house, but the woman on staff was kind enough to inform us of a bridge closure and suggest an alternate route to our destination. As rest stops go, not too bad.

    The prettiest rest stop ever- We got to peek into the windows of this historic beauty
    Marisa A.

    Would have paid for our family to see the "Free tours every half hour, 1-4 PM when available" Unfortunately, we had to peek into the windows to see this gem as it was one of those "unavailable" times. However I would stop to use the bathroom here again (as this is a gorgeous rest stop) if nature called but it was disappointing to not be able to see inside the house. The visitor center closes at 4 so we missed it on our way into the state too.

    Stephanie U.

    Pretty mansion and grounds to walk around and take in the charm of it all. Clean rest rooms. Nice place to stretch your legs and walk a little.

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    12 years ago

    Very nice place and friendly people. The tour was informative and interesting. They even gave our son a goodie bag.

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    SO nice! What a wonderful, FREE historical nugget right here in Paducah. I highly recommend it....

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    Ask the Community - Whitehaven Welcome Center

    Review Highlights - Whitehaven Welcome Center

    If you're on I-24 in McCracken County, Kentucky, this is a wonderful place to stop and stretch.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Flood Wall Murals

    Flood Wall Murals

    4.5(18 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    The Paducah Flood Wall Murals are a unique and singular attraction in Paducah, Ky. Since having a…read moreflood wall is necessary if the river floods, it might as well be decorative. Along this area of the Ohio river, the mural walls stretch out about 3 city blocks in length, with over 50 murals telling various stories of the Paducah area. Each is 14 feet high and various widths. There's a lot to learn by studying these gorgeous murals and the accompanying plaques. There are also a number of train cars the line a portion of the mural walls. Being a big fan of trains, I took my time meandering around this steal beats. It's easy to spend over an hour taking it all in. We were there on a weekend and there were a fair amount of people visiting and taking photos. The detail and the artistry for these murals is amazing. It's amazing to think how much time these murals, took, and the fact that they were all done by just two artists. I got educated as well. I had no idea there used to be a Coca-Cola® plant located in Paducah, much less the fact that it was in use for over 100 years! (sadly, it ceased operations in 2005). Visiting the Flood Mural Walls is something I didn't expect when we went to Paducah, but I'm glad we took the time.

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Paducah,…read moreKentucky a Creative City in November 2013 for the City's important role in the connectivity of cultures through creativity. The first twenty-panel timeline was completed in 2001 and the last painting in the three block section was completed in 2010. It is absolutely fascinating. The flood control system is part of a concrete and earthen levee system that extends over 12 miles along the river. Here in Paducah, the concrete wall is 14 feet tall and includes 12 pump stations and 47 vehicular openings. It was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between August 1939 and July 1949. These works of art depict Paducah's rich history in more than 50 life-sized panoramic murals by renowned artist Robert Dafford and the Dafford Murals Team. Informational plaques are associated with each mural providing additional details about Paducah's history. [Review 16315 overall - 129 in Kentucky - 1822 of 2021.]

    Photos
    Flood Wall Murals - Congo visit the River Walk

    Congo visit the River Walk

    Flood Wall Murals
    Flood Wall Murals

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    Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site - Mounds viewed from parking area toward exhibition plaques

    Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site

    4.0(2 reviews)
    5.0 mi

    This site is a hop skip and a jump away from Wickliffe Mounds if you are passing through Paducah,…read moreKY. Cross the bridge into Illinois and take a brief excursion through river flood plain to see this site. It is quite impressive even if you are observing the mounds (respectfully) from a distance. I was moved by these features. To think what people accomplished at this site nearly a thousand years ago. Absolutely astonishing to behold. The size of these mounds is amazing.

    To be honest, there really isn't that much to see. Unless you are an Ancient World History…read moreenthusiast, you may find this fascinating. It is very interesting that at one point in the past, this was an actual city. The land where the site stands today was once a major trading post on the Ohio River. If you're looking for something spectacular in sight, this probably won't be for you. There are signs and plaques that tell the story, as well as showing what was believed to have existed at the time, but not very much else. The public is not allowed near or on the mounds. Speaking of which, they really weren't that attractive as they looked like their grass hasn't been cut in years. Maybe it is intentional, for all I know. The site is very tricky to get to. The best way to get there is from Brookport, Illinois. You'll see a sign for Kincaid Mounds as you're going onto Unionville Road. It is probably ten miles from the town. Once you pass the small village of Unionville, you'll know you are getting close and follow the signs. The roads are uneven, as there are no paved roads (just dirt and rocky roads) getting to the mounds.

    Photos
    Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site - Looking at longest mound from parking area

    Looking at longest mound from parking area

    Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site - State furnished explanation of site

    State furnished explanation of site

    Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site - NHR plaque

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    NHR plaque

    Whitehaven Welcome Center - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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