6 Friendliest Towns to Visit in Mid-South in 2024
Explore the charm of the Mid-South in 2024 through the unique history, culture, and Southern hospitality of its friendly small towns. From Paducah's artistic streets to Gatlinburg's gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, these towns promise a warm welcome and memorable experiences. Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, exudes a laid-back vibe, while Eureka Springs, Arkansas, invites visitors to explore its haunted past. Discover these friendly towns and others in the vibrant culture of the Mid-South.
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is a small town located at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. The town is one of only nine UNESCO Creative Cities in the U.S., which recognizes a city that has identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. It is home to the world-renowned National Quilt Museum, which is currently exhibiting “The 2024 New Quilts From an Old Favorite: Roaring Twenties.” In the historic part of this town founded in 1827, visitors will find plenty of artisan shops, art galleries, and studios to spark their own creativity, including the Art Guild of Paducah, the Papa Gallery, and the Bricolage Art Collective.
Wander along the riverfront to see Wall to Wall—an outdoor art installation depicting Paducah’s rich history painted on the town’s floodwall. It is the town’s most popular 24/7 attraction and draws thousands of tourists annually. With 95% of the world’s bourbon produced in Kentucky, be sure to visit one of Paducah’s bourbon bars, like Freight House, which serves up flights of Kentucky bourbon or Barrel and Bond. To taste Kentucky BBQ, visit Backwoods BBQ or head to town for “BBQ on the River,” celebrating its 30th year from September 19 to 21, 2024.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg is the gateway to the 520,000-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States, with 14 million visitors annually. Some visitors use Gatlinburg as a basecamp to hike the over 800 miles and 150 trails through the park, including popular trails near Gatlinburg like Alum Cave, Clingmans Dome, and Laurel Falls—a fast-moving 75-foot waterfall and a popular spot for photographers. If visitors want to stick around town, hop on the Gatlinburg Free Trolley, which is the best way to get around. It also stops at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, voted #6 in “USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Aquariums for 2024.”
Other not-to-be-missed attractions in Gatlinburg include the two-tiered Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park. Visitors can reach the park by taking the scenic chairlift ride, the Chondola, or a Ridge Rambler truck, which transports them through the forest to the summit. The Gatlinburg Skylift is another way to see panoramic views of the Smokies and the surrounding landscape. It brings visitors from downtown Gatlinburg up 1,800 feet above sea level to Crockett Mountain, where they can traverse the 700-foot-long Skybridge—North America's longest pedestrian cable bridge. Back in town, indulge in a well-earned sweet treat at the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen, a landmark candy store that’s been pulling taffy since 1950.
Leiper's Fork, Tennessee
While the small town of Leiper’s Fork may have less than 700 residents, it is still a sophisticated town that has attracted some fairly big country celebrities, with Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Keith Urban as one-time homeowners with its proximity to Nashville. The town has a laid-back vibe, full of porch swings and friendly neighbors, but with a surprisingly strong retail game. Spend time visiting Props Antiques, Creekside Trading Company showcasing the work of local artists, Moo Country, where “cowgirl meets glam,” and the Tennessee Turquoise Company, selling vintage silver and turquoise jewelry.
Indulge in local cuisine with a pick-me-up Matcha Latte at Red Byrd Coffee, or stay up late for live music and open mic nights at Fox & Locke (which used to be the historic 1947 Puckett’s Leiper’s Fork). Leiper’s Fork Distillery has been distilling small-batch whiskey since 2016, so whiskey lovers can book a tour of their facility and a taste of spirits in their 200-year-old tasting room.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Hidden in the Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs is a quirky little town where visitors can stay overnight in “America’s Most Haunted Hotel”—the landmark 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa. Book a tour with a senior paranormal expert, and guests can learn about the building's history and its previous incarnation as the Baker Hospital. They can also visit the former morgue in the hotel’s basement.
Learn more about the town’s history with a narrated one-hour excursion aboard the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway, or book a table on the Dinner Train where guests can dine in luxury as they ride the rails in the 1940s-era vintage dining car. Visitors can’t miss the seven-story, 67-foot-tall Christ of the Ozarks Statue overlooking the town of Eureka Springs. Today, it is still one of the most popular attractions in the Ozarks since its construction in 1966. Attend a performance of The Great Passion Play in the amphitheater near the statue, take a guided tour of a recreated Holy Land, and visit the onsite Biblical Museum.
Medicine Park, Oklahoma
Historic Bath Lake in Medicine Park is ideal for cooling off in the hot summer of 2024 in the 1920s town swimming hole. Bring the kids to enjoy the shallow pool while the grown-ups can keep an eye on them from the waterfall. Off-season, Bath Lake becomes a fishing hotspot stocked full of trout. Historic downtown Medicine Park is renowned for its distinctive cobblestone architecture and welcoming atmosphere called “the Cobblestone Community.” Most buildings are constructed from rounded river rocks collected from the Wichita Mountains, dating back to the early 20th century. Be sure to indulge in a baked fresh cinnamon roll from the local institution, Mrs. Chadwick’s Bakery.
The nearby Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge preserves 60,000 acres of grass prairie, granite mountains, and freshwater lakes and streams for the wildlife that live there, such as roaming herds of bison, river otters, longhorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain elk. The refuge is the perfect retreat for birdwatchers and attracts over 275 species of birds to nest, feed, or rest during migration.
Parkville, Missouri
Parkville, Missouri, is a charming historic town along the Missouri River. Only 12 miles north of Kansas City—the city that straddles both Missouri and Kansas—it is a nice day trip. English Landing Park is located near the winding river, and its three miles of scenic trails are popular with walkers, hikers, and cyclists. The historic downtown has plenty of unique shops, galleries, and eateries, like Acre, which serves farm-to-table cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails with pretty names like “Missouri Wildfire” and “The Purple Pollinator,” or the upscale Café des Amis. From August 23 to 25, 2024, the town celebrates Parkville Days with live music along the Missouri River.
The 115-acre Parkville Nature Sanctuary is a wildlife preserve and educational site with three miles of hiking trails near the campus of Park College, a private, nonprofit liberal arts college established in 1875. The progressive college, which today has about 10,000 students, included four women in its first graduating class of 1870, establishing itself as a leader in providing higher education opportunities to both men and women.
There’s no time like 2024 to experience the allure of the Mid-South of the United States. Explore artistic streets, natural wonders, and historic landmarks while enjoying unique events and local festivals. Whether you're discovering that one-of-a-kind souvenir, sipping on world-class bourbon, or simply taking a deep breath in scenic surroundings, these towns offer ideal escapes and memorable adventures throughout the year.
