Student Series: A Guide to Fall Fun in Murray
As the fall school semester at Murray State University swings into full effect, thousands of new students flood through the town of Murray, Kentucky.
At first glance, many incoming students might be wondering “what is there to do in Murray?” as many students don’t venture far outside of the university’s campus.
The reality is that there is always something going on with the local art scene, cooking classes, a planetarium show, or the local farmers market as well as many other activities!
Located off of Main St, just five minutes away from Murray State University sits Downtown Murray, with a plethora of businesses ready to welcome students back.
5th and Main Coffee is the perfect quiet spot to grab a cup of coffee and a snack while studying. The coffee shop is located in the basement of New Life Christian Bookstore. Make sure to say hi to their friendly poodle, Journey!
On your way out from studying, head over to Mugsy’s Hideout, the perfect lunch and dinner joint. If you love good old fashioned Chicago-style pizzas, traditional pasta dishes, and sandwiches with a weekly special, this is the place for you! Make sure to stop by next-door to Granola Girls to grab a sweet treat for you or your friends and family on your way home. Granola Girls offers a variety of sweets made with healthy, dairy and gluten-free ingredients!
If you happen to have a Saturday morning free, come downtown to the local Farmers Market to peruse all of the veggies, fruits, pies, and handcrafted wares available. This is the perfect place to get your weekly shopping done, and have access to farm fresh produce perfect for your weekly meals! The Murray Farmers Market is open from 7am to Noon every Saturday, May through October. Don’t forget to grab a bite of some good southern cooking from Rudy’s On the Square before or after hitting the market.
Rudy’s offers homestyle southern cooking you can only find in a small town of Murray, KY. They are open from 5am to 8pm during the week, and 6am to 2pm on the weekends. Rudy’s is located on the court square, 104 S 5th St. and has weekly specials that will leave you coming back for more!
Located right off of 4th St. about half-mile from downtown Murray sits the Murray Art Guild. The “MAG” has a plethora of art classes that work with student schedules and don’t break the bank! Classes include: Monthly Journaling, life drawing, Clay: Hand Building & Pit Firing, enameling classes, and so many more.
If you have more of a hankering for cooking than the arts, then Maple Street Market is the perfect place for you! Maple Street Market offers cooking classes throughout the year that can be accessed on their webpage. The most recent, and student friendly class is on September 9th where participants will be making Shrimp and Grits! It is a $35 fee for the class.
For those students who are more interested in the outdoors, you have come to the right place! Murray is located just thirty minutes away from a sanctuary of natural preservation, Land between the Lakes. The Elk and Bison Prairie is one of the most traveled areas in LBL, and is open year-round with a five dollar admission fee upon entry. It consists of a 3.5 mile loop inside of the prairie lands where the Elk, Bison, Deer and other animals live peacefully.
There are also ample opportunities for hiking in LBL with many trails, but these are the five best trails to hike in LBL:
Hematite Lake trail, approximately 2.4miles
Honker Lake trail, approximately 5.4miles
Bear Creek Loop, approximately 6.6miles
Barkley Canal loop, includes biking, 10miles
Central Hardwood Trail, includes biking, 15.8miles
These five trails never fail to disappoint, and are perfect for any individual to have a great time!
The Golden Pond visitor center and Planetarium also located within LBL has a local, historical exhibit and outdoor areas for visitors. Within the visitor center is the Planetarium that has shows year-round from 10am to 4pm.
If you are wanting to learn a little bit more about Land Between the Lakes and its inhabitants, check out the Woodlands Nature Station! They have tons of animals to see and learn about, as well as family-friendly activities. It is a great place to bring your lunch and eat outside at the picnic tables to enjoy the natural scenery. The 1850s Homeplace and Working Farm is located about 30 minutes away from the Nature Station. The Homeplace offers a different perspective on life in the 1800s, with traditional garments, housing, cooking, sheep shearing and so much more. It is a preserved working piece of history where guests can visit, and learn about the traditional ways of life.
There are also ample opportunities for camping in Land between the Lakes. Energy Campground sits next to an inland lake, featuring 13 cabins and 35 other well-defined sites with 33 available electrical hookups. The campground includes a swimming area, playground, kayak and canoe rentals, as well as hiking trails nearby.
Piney Campground is a beautiful site that is open March-November and offers 384 lakefront and wooded camping sites, with electrical hookups. The campground has 57 primitive camping sites and 19 primitive cabins available for nightly rental. Campers have access to all facilities, swimming area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, hiking trails, and so much more!
There is so much to do in Murray, KY and these activities highlight some of the best things that students don’t often think about doing! So come on out to downtown or LBL and try something new!
** Written by CVB Public Relations Intern, Echo Falwell **
