River Discovery Center

06/06/2026

Some discoveries are found in nature. Others come in a donut box. 🍩

Our River Explorers celebrated National Donut Day before diving into another day of camp adventures.

06/05/2026

🌊 Paducah’s riverfront is one of the first places visitors see and one of the most important gateways to our downtown.

This Saturday, we’re inviting the community to help make it shine.

As more events, activities and experiences bring people downtown, our riverfront plays a big role in the first impression people have of Paducah. Small efforts like this help create a cleaner, more welcoming place for families, visitors and our community to enjoy.

Join us for the Four Rivers Clean Sweep and spend one morning helping clean up along the downtown riverfront. Bring a friend, bring your family or come on your own. We’ll meet at the River Discovery Center, fuel up with coffee and donuts, then get to work together.

📅 Saturday, June 6
📍 River Discovery Center
🕣 8:30 a.m. check-in
🧤 Cleanup begins at 9 a.m.
🏆 Weirdest item found wins a prize

Register early at riverdiscoverycenter.org/cleansweep or sign up on-site Saturday morning.

Let’s take care of one of Paducah’s most important first impressions.

06/04/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Lindsay Ramsey on graduating from Leadership Paducah Class 39!

We're proud to celebrate Lindsay's accomplishment and the leadership she brings to the River Discovery Center every day. We're also grateful for partners like Alyssa Phares and the Paducah Visitors Bureau, whose efforts help bring visitors to our community and support organizations like ours.

Congratulations to Lindsay, Alyssa, and the entire Class 39! 🌊👏

🎉 Congratulations to Paducah Visitors Bureau's President & CEO Alyssa Phares and our tourism partner Lindsay Ramsey from River Discovery Center on graduating from Leadership Paducah Class 39! We are so proud of these incredible women and the leadership they bring to our community every day 👏🏼 Well done to the entire Class 39!

📸 Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce

06/04/2026

🚣‍♀️🐉🏆🔥 This was the race thousands of people lined Paducah’s riverfront to watch.

Last year’s Paducah Dragon Boat Festival championship came down to James Marine, Independence Bank, and Mercy Health, with Mercy Health paddling their way to the win, the bragging rights, and the massive traveling trophy.

Now we want to know… Who’s coming for them this year?

The 2026 Paducah Dragon Boat Festival returns Saturday, August 29, and we’re looking for companies, organizations, nonprofits, banks, schools, healthcare teams, manufacturers, river industry crews, and community groups ready to claim their spot on the water.

You don’t have to be a professional paddler. You just need a team, some competitive spirit, and a willingness to have a lot of fun for a great cause.

Teams include 16 paddlers, one drummer, and one alternate. Costumes, chants, decorated tents, and big team energy are strongly encouraged.

🏆 Bragging rights
🐉 A massive traveling trophy
🚣 Team-building people will actually talk about
🌊 A front-row role in one of Paducah’s favorite riverfront traditions
💙 Support for the River Discovery Center’s education programs

So, who’s in?

🚩 Claim your team spot at riverdiscoverycenter.org/dragonboatfestival or contact Lindsay Ramsey at [email protected].

06/03/2026

🎨✨ Art has a way of helping us see familiar places in a whole new light.

The River Discovery Center is excited to partner with Landee Bryant at Bricolage Art Collective to showcase local artists in our beautiful Founders Room. Our current exhibit features the work of Russel Bash, whose striking photography captures the beauty of nature and some of Paducah's most recognizable landmarks, transformed through a kaleidoscope-inspired lens.

The result is a collection that feels both familiar and unexpected, inviting visitors to take a second look at the places and landscapes that make our region special.

Even better, every piece in this exhibit is available for purchase. By investing in one of these one-of-a-kind works of art, you're not only supporting a talented local artist, you're also supporting the River Discovery Center and our mission to provide educational experiences that connect people to the history, science, industry, and future of our waterways.

Stop by, explore the exhibit, and perhaps take home a unique piece of Paducah.

📍 River Discovery Center

06/02/2026

📚☀️The River Discovery Center is excited to be part of the McCracken County Public Library’s Summer Reading Kick-Off Party today from 2:00–4:00 PM!

Stop by our booth and try your hand at our “Dig Up a River Story” excavation activity, where young explorers can uncover fossils, shells, bones, and other hidden treasures. Every child who participates will receive a FREE guest pass to visit the River Discovery Center this summer!🪏🦕🦴🦪

This FREE community event is open to all McCracken County residents and will feature:
🐐 Petting Zoo
🎵 Music
🍔 Food
🎨 Activities & Vendors
🔍 Hands-On Discovery

📍 Located in the plaza directly in front of the McCracken County Public Library
⏰ 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Bring the whole family and kick off an exciting summer of reading, learning, and adventure. We can’t wait to see you there!

Event Details: https://facebook.com/events/s/summer-reading-kick-off-party/981760644301212

06/01/2026

🌊☀️ Looking for a summer experience your child will remember long after summer break ends?

The River Discovery Center still has limited openings in three exciting camps this month. Led by outstanding local educators, these camps give kids the chance to explore, create, test, build, and discover through hands-on learning and outdoor adventure.

🧪 River Science Lab (Rising 3rd–5th Grades) Get your hands wet and your mind working as you test water quality, study aquatic insects, investigate erosion and pollution, and discover how rivers really work.

⚙️ Junior River Engineers (Rising 4th & 5th Grades) Design, build, and test solutions to real river challenges while learning how engineers think, solve problems, and improve the world around us.

🐢 River Explorers (Rising 1st & 2nd Grades) Explore river habitats, discover river animals, and learn how plants, animals, and water work together to keep our rivers healthy.

These aren't sit-and-listen camps. They're hands-on experiences where kids can investigate, experiment, build, explore, and make new friends along the way.

📅 Camps begin this month.
🚨 These are the only RDC camps with seats still available.
🎟️ Register today: riverdiscoverycenter.org/camps

05/30/2026

🌊 Paducah’s riverfront needs volunteers!

On Saturday, June 6, we’re inviting the community to help clean up litter along the downtown riverfront during the Four Rivers Clean Sweep!

This is a simple, hands-on way to take pride in our river city and care for the waterways that shape Paducah’s history, economy and everyday life.

Meet at the River Discovery Center, grab coffee and donuts, then head out with other volunteers to help make a visible difference along the riverfront.

☕ Coffee + donuts
🧤 Downtown riverfront cleanup
🏆 Prize for the weirdest item found
💙 A meaningful morning for our community

📅 Saturday, June 6
📍 Meet at River Discovery Center, 117 S. Water St.
🕣 Check-in: 8:30 - 9 AM
🌊 Cleanup: 9 AM - 12 PM

Hosted in partnership with Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Tennessee RiverLine, One Mississippi, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), and Ohio River Basin Alliance.

05/29/2026

🚢 While the Inland Marine Expo is wrapping up, the work is just beginning.

This week, River Discovery Center Executive Director Lindsey Launius joined marine industry leaders from across the country in Nashville to learn about emerging trends, workforce needs, technology, safety, and the future of our nation's waterways.

💡 Now it's time to bring those ideas home. Every conference attended, partnership formed, and conversation helps us create stronger exhibits, better educational experiences, and deeper connections between our visitors and the river industry that shapes our region.

🤝 We're grateful for the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and look forward to putting that knowledge to work here in Paducah.

05/27/2026

🌊 Paducah’s riverfront needs volunteers!

On Saturday, June 6, we’re inviting the community to help clean up litter along the downtown riverfront during the Four Rivers Clean Sweep!

This is a simple, hands-on way to take pride in our river city and care for the waterways that shape Paducah’s history, economy and everyday life.

Meet at the River Discovery Center, grab coffee and donuts, then head out with other volunteers to help make a visible difference along the riverfront.

☕ Coffee + donuts
🧤 Downtown riverfront cleanup
🏆 Prize for the weirdest item found
💙 A meaningful morning for our community

📅 Saturday, June 6
📍 Meet at River Discovery Center, 117 S. Water St.
🕣 Check-in: 8:30 - 9 AM
🌊 Cleanup: 9 AM - 12 PM

Hosted in partnership with Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Tennessee RiverLine, One Mississippi, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), and Ohio River Basin Alliance.