Worth the Drive: East Kentucky museum preserves the legacy of country music legends

Country music is a way of life for many in Kentucky, and one Eastern Kentucky museum embodies the spirit of the music and Bluegrass State musicians like none other.

In Paintsville, the county seat of Johnson County in far-east Kentucky, the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum highlights the lives and careers of dozens of Kentucky-born stars whose contributions to the country music genre landed them a spot on the Country Music Highway — a stretch of U.S. 23 that winds through Kentucky and is designated as a national scenic byway.

Paintsville is located at the “heart” of the Country Music Highway, making it an apt location for the museum, said Jeremiah Parsons, executive director for Paintsville Tourism, which operates the museum.

“The museum was opened in April of 2005 as a way to encapsulate and forever enshrine those country music artists from the Country Music Highway,” Parsons said. “It’s a way to show the legacy and to continue on their music.”

How the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum honors musicians

The U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum has no shortage of artists from the areas surrounding the highway to honor.

“We have more country music artists per capita than anywhere else in the world from this section of highway,” Parsons said.

The museum includes items from the careers of star musicians like Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more. All items on display are donated by the artists or their families to ensure authenticity, Parsons said.

A few standout items include Stapleton’s boots, Lynn’s guitars, Tom T. Hall’s upright bass and Ricky Skaggs’ family photos.

While not every artist recognized along the Country Music Highway is represented in the museum, Parsons hopes to change that. The museum has reached its space capacity but is hoping to expand in the coming years to allow space for artists without exhibits, Parsons said.

“The Country Music Highway is very dynamic. We always have rising stars,” he said. “We want to give them their proper space, as well.”

What else to know about the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum

Throughout the year on Thursdays, the museum hosts “Front Porch Pickin’” events where musicians can play for a live crowd.

Admission to the museum is $5, which includes the weekly jam sessions for those who come on Thursday evenings.

For Parsons, commemorating country music in Eastern Kentucky bigger than saluting individuals — it’s about paying homage to the Appalachian region and its people.

“It’s an awesome responsibility because you’ve got a lot that you have to manage,” Parsons said. “It’s also a burden, because you’re making sure that you continue to tell the story of the mountains, of the people and of the legacy of these artists.”

Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.