U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum, Local music museum in Paintsville, Kentucky
The U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum is a local museum in Paintsville, Kentucky, dedicated to country musicians who grew up in the eastern part of the state. The rooms hold stage costumes, personal photographs, instruments, and memorabilia that bring the stories of these artists to life.
The museum opened in 2005 with the goal of documenting the musical legacy of artists who grew up along U.S. Route 23 in eastern Kentucky. That highway had long served as the road many musicians took north toward recording studios and bigger stages.
The displays feature items from musicians who grew up along U.S. Route 23, including Loretta Lynn, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the Judds. For many local visitors, walking through the rooms feels like reconnecting with people they know from the radio or family stories.
The museum sits in downtown Paintsville and is easy to reach on foot from the main parking area nearby. A gift shop selling regional music items is available inside, and there is space for group visits.
Alongside the well-known names, the collection also features items from newer artists like Tyler Childers and Sundy Best, showing the region is still producing country musicians today. This means the museum keeps growing as new artists emerge from the same hills and hollows.
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