Calloway County, Kentucky
From Murray’s restaurants, coffee shops, and performing arts to Kentucky Lake’s world-class natural, outdoor sport, and historic attractions, there is plenty to keep you and your fellow travelers busy (or relaxed!) in and around the “Friendliest Small Town in America,” according to U.S. News and World Report and Rand McNally.
Visit Murray!
Outdoor Adventures
Calloway County’s eastern border is formed by Kentucky Lake, meaning it is a great place to stay during a trip to “The Great Lake of the South.”
A sizable inlet of Kentucky Lake pushes through Calloway County, and it is surrounded by resorts, campsites, boat storage facilities, and even Kentucky Lake Glamping if you prefer a more curated spot to spend the night. The inlet has tons of biodiverse backwaters, which serve as hotspots for fishing and wildlife-observation enthusiasts.
Just across the lake from Calloway County is the massive, 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. LBL – as locals call it – is home to many attractions that visitors love, including the 1850s Homeplace Working Farm, the Elk & Bison Prairie, and Fort Henry Walking Trails.
Calloway County experienced a great deal of activity during the Civil War, from divided loyalties, to unusual hanging incidents, to key strategic processions and battles at nearby forts.
Shortly after the war broke out, Confederate engineers and surveyors determined Fort Henry was inadequate for controlling the Tennessee River on the state border, and constructed Fort Heiman in Calloway County despite Kentucky officially being neutral territory. After getting word of an incoming Union attack ordered by Ulysses S. Grant, Confederates fled Fort Heiman overnight and left it for the taking. Federal forces captured Fort Henry in an explosive battle the next day, awarding the North control over the Tennessee River. The forts are memorialized where they stood on both sides of Kentucky Lake, though some sections of the actual battlefields are submerged in the water.
Fishing on Kentucky Lake is the signature attraction of the region, as anglers come from around the world to try and reel in large and smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill, and much more. National and professional tournaments are hosted regularly on Kentucky Lake, and stories of legendary days on the water are not uncommon.
Of course, all of the wildlife and open space make hunting another major attraction to Calloway County. Deer, ducks, turkeys, and other small game are popular wildlife to target around Kentucky Lake, and there are plenty of public and private grounds where you can fill your bag.
Meandering through Murray
Murray State University is the cultural and educational center of Calloway County, which means the city of Murray has tons of opportunities if you're looking for food, fun, and fine arts.
Diverse Dining
Visitors of Murray have no need to worry about finding a good meal, as there are a wide variety of cuisines available in town. In fact, it offers more restaurants than any other town in the Kentucky Lake region. Several Mexican and Italian restaurants dot the landscape, and Thai food, as well as a Japanese steakhouse, ensure plenty of cultural variety can be found on the local dining scene. If your mind is open and you want to try some unique options you can check out Willow Bistro, a classy-but-humble local favorite that offers a surprising mix of ethnic foods from Japanese to Italian dishes, as well as simple American fare and salads.
You don’t have to search hard if you’re in the mood for homestyle country cooking, of course, and some of Murray’s signature spots include seafood restaurants and steakhouses. Sirloin Stockade is a respected place for fulfilling steak cravings, and its hot, cold, soup, and dessert bars are this restaurant’s claim to Calloway County fame. The Keg is another local favorite, a casual American spot with meat-and-threes from turkey, to catfish, to burnt ends, and beyond. Martha’s Restaurant is another hometown staple that offers American home-cooking three meals a day.
Pizza is easy to find around Murray, whether it’s Chicago-style from Muggsy’s Hideout or other local joints like Matt B’s, Mr. B’s, and Gofor Pizza. Muggsy’s Hideout isn’t the only place to get a Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich in Murray, however, as Chi-Town Dogs is another great spot for between-the-bun favorites from the largest city in the Midwest.
Plenty of bars offer great food and cold drinks around Murray, and its signature microbrewery is Hop Hound Brewhouse, known for using local ingredients in its signature beers. Los Portales offers authentic Mexican food made with family recipes, and also boasts a full bar. Tom’s Grille offers some slightly-upscaled pasta, pizza and steaks, which pair great with its in-depth drink menu.
For dessert, you may want to check out some of the beautiful cakes at Dumplin’s or donuts at Sammons’ Bakery.
Arts, Acting, Entertainment
The talented students and faculty at Murray State University ensure a steady stream of art comes through Calloway County, including both performing and visual arts.
Robert E. Johnson Theatre on campus hosts a plethora of University events, from musicals that get kids dancing out of their seats to more solemn offerings such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Tickets typically range from $3-15.
If visual art is more your thing, Murray State has multiple free, public galleries across its campus, with each showcasing unique exhibits, historic or contemporary.
Murray’s other venues include the 16,800-seat Roy Stewart Stadium for football, 8,600-seat NCAA basketball icon CFSB Center, and the historic 1,700-seat Lovett Auditorium, which has hosted legends such as David Letterman, Conway Twitty, and Dave Matthews.
Sports are popular entertainment for students and locals, as Murray State is an NCAA competitor in various games from football, to soccer, softball, and much more. The basketball program is the Racers’ most recognized sport, and it has produced its share of NBA talent through the years, including Popeye Jones, Cameron Payne, and superstar Ja Morant.
Calloway County History
Calloway County historical records are scant since its first courthouse burned down in 1906, but plenty of evidence remains to help piece its memory together. The earliest records of settlement come from David Jones and James Stewart arriving in 1818 from Caldwell County. They named the original settlement “Willistown,” and it went through several name changes before being called “Murray” in honor of Congressman John L. Murray.
Land speculators flocked to the area to claim fertile parcels of farmland in this tobacco-friendly climate, and county seat Wadesboro flourished until the well of deeds dried up and left the town largely vacant thanks to a lack of new cash flow.
Gold Leaf Tobacco became the signature crop of the region, and harvests were so strong that at one time it took 15 factories to process the county’s output.
There are conflicting accounts of activity levels in the county throughout The Civil War, but records indicate that 500-800 residents joined Confederate forces, while 200 joined the war effort for the Union.
Kentucky was neutral early in the war, but forts surrounded the Tennessee River and state borders. Fort Heiman–the grounds of which sit on the edge of Kentucky Lake in Calloway County–was built and occupied by Confederate forces early in the Civil War in case the need arose for defenses on the Tennessee River and Fort Henry proved insufficient. Its occupation of either fort didn’t last long; Ulysses S. Grant ordered Union forces to overtake Forts Henry and Heiman very early in 1862. Confederates abandoned Fort Heiman overnight anticipating Union arrival and lost Fort Henry the next day, effectively ceding the Tennessee/Kentucky border to the North. Murray was taken and its local government was overthrown by Federal soldiers early in 1863, and fires, raids and plenty of controversy followed.
Kentucky’s prime location as a crossroads between the North and South made life tumultuous and difficult for locals. Significant figures frequently passed through Calloway County, and soldiers on both sides had a nasty reputation for their brutality and lawless behavior. Farmers hid their livestock in hollows, boarded up their barns and windows, and wives of soldiers off to war took measures to protect their homes and themselves from raiders who frequented the area.
Most residents have enjoyed a quaint lifestyle since, which has been uniquely visualized by the Calloway County Quilt Trail. It’s difficult to find the proper “origin story” for this tradition, but it has grown into a popular attraction through the county and more than 60 homes, barns, and businesses display quilts with a personal story within a few miles of Murray. Brochures and the website www.MurrayQuiltTrail.com are available to help textile-appreciating travelers find their way from quilt to quilt and learn the story behind each one. Quilts along the trail have personal and historical meanings behind them, offering a heartwarming way for locals to leave their mark.
The 20th Century would see a focus on education take hold in Calloway County, culminating in the formation of Murray State University in 1922.
Murray State University
Murray State University is a widely recognized educational institution with a strong reputation, having made U.S. News and World Report’s “best colleges” list for 33 years in a row, and being named a top-ten public school in the South in 2018.
The school is well known for its value to students, as tuition is relatively affordable and it proudly offers millions of dollars in athletic and academic scholarships each year. Thanks in part to its origin as a normal school and a teachers’ college, Murray State has a strong reputation for its education program, and its fine arts programs such as music and theater are also well-regarded. The College of Business is the largest at the school; it enrolls about a quarter of the student body.
Many would say the Murray State Racers, a Division I NCAA athletic program, punches above its weight in sports recognition – largely thanks to its successful men’s basketball team. Producing NBA talent including league veteran Cameron Payne and superstar Ja Morant, the Racers are known for consistent success and March Madness theatrics.
The Murray State Rifle team has won three national championships and six of its competitors have been U.S. Olympic team members, with Pat Spurgin winning gold in 1984. Pat Spurgin Rifle Range at Roy Stewart Stadium is known as one of the best venues in the sport.
Murray State is known not only for its friendliness, but also its aesthetic beauty and simplicity. Its central quad is a popular gathering space, anchored by the Wrather West Kentucky Museum in 1982. The museum was the school’s first administration building and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, a few years before it was transformed to celebrate the history of the region and the Jackson Purchase.
Calloway County, KY offers plenty of everything that makes the Tennessee RiverLine special. Its proximity to the spectacular Kentucky Lake and all the outdoor fun that comes along with it, as well as Murray State University and the charming city it calls home, make Calloway County a fun, engaging place to stop on your RiverLine journey.