HISTORY - HOW THE MUSEUM BEGAN
The William Clark Market House Museum is open to the public, both locals and visitors alike, starting on the first Saturday in the month of March until the middle of December. The museum has small window of hours of operations as compared to most museums, being open from noon until four in the afternoon, from Monday through Saturday. Guests can explore the museum, however, in the mornings by setting up an appointment. Tours for groups are also available at the William Clark Market House Museum.
Guests visiting the William Clark Market House Museum have a chance to take a look at the past days of Paducah. Articles and objects from throughout the history of Paducah are on display within the historic Market House from the year 1905. Such items include a life-like statue of the famous Henry Clay, as well as the interiors of the List Drug Store that are approximately a century old.
Paducah’s Market House Theater and the Yeiser Art Center are housed inside the same historic building that houses the William Clark Market House as well. This building is more than one hundred years old, and was formerly the public market of Paducah, Kentucky, which is why the museum is named as it is. The Market House Museum is located in the building’s tallest central section. Yellow signs guide visitors to the various displays within the museum.
The Interactive Timeline at the William Clark Market House Museum provides visitors with a chronological look at the history of Paducah, from the time of settlers who constructed the first framed buildings up through the first show of the American Quilter’s Association. The Historical Archives Photo Gallery immerses guests within the most recent digital scans of photographs from the museum’s archives of historical photographs, offering a unique glimpse into the past of the town of Paducah. The museum’s Historical Articles provide information about the lives and accomplishments of several of the town’s most famous residents.