New wayfinding signs are being installed to point residents and visitors to the Owensboro’s biggest attractions.
A total of 47 bigger signs will be placed near major entryways to the city, while several smaller signs will go downtown to point to specific attractions such as the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Smothers Park, the RiverPark Center, and more.
To Assistant City Manager Lelan Hancock, it’s something Owensboro has needed for a long time.
“You see a lot of these in other cities in Kentucky and across the U.S. I think it’s critically important with all of the work that has gone on to develop and revitalize the city. You have to have some way of getting people directed to the areas that they’re probably going in the first place and that you would like them to see if they’re traveling through,” Hancock said.
Hancock said that a lot of the questions they get from individuals are about how to find a certain location or parking, so the signs aim to make the city easier to navigate.
Public Events Director Tim Ross said that the signs will help add some credibility to the community.
Each sign will include a logo promoting the city’s self-claimed title as the Bluegrass Music Capital of the World. Ross said that will help bring more bluegrass business to the facility.
“I know that for lots of people when they come into town, they want to know where those things are at. But also the branding of it, I think, helps with the synergy when they see that bridge and that banjo imagery regularly throughout the community,” Ross said.
The project had a board made up of different members in the community, including the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, which gladly saw the potential of having the signs.
“That’s one of the complaints that we get from visitors is there is no real wayfinding signage. We’re just so excited that the city is making this investment to showcase everything,” Destination Manager for Visit Owensboro Dave Kirk said. “It’s just another tool in our tool belt to help visitors navigate the city stay longer, and make it a better experience for them.”
