Bowling Green, KY

Bowling Green is Kentucky's fourth-largest city. Situated in Warren County, it has a population of around 54,000. Bowling Green is located 110 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky, and 65 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.

Three large colleges give the city a youthful vibe. The median age of Bowling Green residents is only 28.6 years.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Historic Downtown Bowling Green offers many local restaurants, unique shops, historical tours, and memorial sites. The area is also home to the charming Fountain Square Park and Circus Square, an outdoor amphitheater.
• Upper East Main Street, located next to downtown, was one of the city's first residential developments. Its buildings offer examples of such architectural styles as Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Craftsman, and Georgian revival.
• Near Western Kentucky University, the College Hill area features Victorian houses and bungalow residences dating back to the 19th century.
• Unique architecture can also be seen in the bungalow-style homes around Magnolia Street.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Bowling Green's economy is dominated by the education, technology, accommodation and food services, medical, and commercial industries. Major businesses with operations in Bowling Green include the following:

• General Motors, which has its Corvette and XLR assembly plant in Bowling Green
• Eaton Corporation
• International Paper
• Fruit of the Loom
• Camping World
• Holley Performance Products

Bowling Green is home to four major medical centers:

• The Medical Center
• Greenview Regional Hospital
• Rivendell Behavioral Health Services
• Mediplex Rehab-Bowling Green

FOR VISITORS

Bowling Green residents enjoy a mild, humid climate. Highs in January are around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and highs in July average about 90. Mornings tend to be particularly humid from May to October. Residents can enjoy the nice weather at one of several local attractions:

• Beech Bend: The 368-acre park, on the edge of the Barren River, contains an amusement park (Beech Bend Park), a racecar track, a lagoon, and a campground.
• Lost River Cave and Valley: This unique underground boat tour takes visitors into the historic caves beneath the city. There is a butterfly habitat and a wild bird sanctuary; visitors can also take a peek at the underground Nite Club and hike the Blue Hole Trails. Hours vary based on the season; the park is open year-round.
• National Corvette Museum: In addition to tours of the Corvette assembly plant, the National Corvette Museum offers exhibits celebrating the history of America's sports car. The largest nonprofit museum ever dedicated to a single automobile, the 68,000-square-foot building exhibits dozens of models of Corvettes.
• Riverview: A storage place for Confederate munitions during the Civil War, this historic mansion took more than 15 years to complete. Visitors can tour the Italianate house and its grounds.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Bowling Green is home to the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, the Bowling Green Western Symphony Orchestra, and the Southern Kentucky Blues Society.
• Fountain Square Players is a community theater group that not only welcomes audiences to their productions but also invites Bowling Green residents and visitors to assist with painting theatrical sets and to help out backstage.
• Public Theatre of Kentucky presents productions of classic and original plays.

EDUCATION

• Bowling Green Technical College: Part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, the technical school offers adult education and distance learning, in addition to traditional technical degrees.
• Western Kentucky University: Founded in 1906, WKU offers many undergraduate and graduate degrees and focuses on teaching rather than research. Its 200-acre campus overlooks the Barren River Valley.
• Draughons Junior College: The two-year institution has campuses in Tennessee as well as in Kentucky. The Bowling Green campus serves more than 400 students and offers courses in such areas as business, health care, and technology certification.

SPORTS TEAMS

• The Bowling Green Hot Rods, a minor league baseball team, plays at the BG Hot Rods Stadium.
• Western Kentucky University features the E.A. Diddle Arena, the venue for basketball and volleyball games as well as traveling circuses and rodeos. The Hilltoppers, Western Kentucky University's football team, play here.

BEST BETS

• Fountain Square Park, in downtown, is one of Bowling Green's major landmarks. It was the site of the city's courthouse in 1797, and it became Fountain Park in 1872, when its two-tiered limestone fountain was turned on for the first time.
• Kentucky Library and Museum is a library and museum located on Western Kentucky University's campus. It contains exhibits about Kentucky's history and offers musical events, educational programs, lectures, and tours.
• Mariah Moore House was built in 1818 and is Bowling Green's oldest standing brick structure.