Paradise

Kentucky's ghost towns are coal camps in the eastern mountains and river towns the railroads passed by.

Paradise is a ghost town in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, United States. It was located 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east-northeast of Greenville. Paradise was originally founded as Stom's Landing (sometimes incorrectly spelled Stum), in reference to its then-status as a trading post along the Green River, a tributary of the Ohio River. The town and its surrounding area were subject to heavy strip mining throughout the twentieth century and it later became the site of the Paradise Fossil Plant.

Paradise has been demolished or cleared — the structures are gone, though the story remains. Visit for the marker, the cemetery, or the view across an empty field, and pair it with a nearby town that still stands.

Access here is restricted, so confirm the current rules with the managing agency or landowner before you go. Showing up unannounced is the fastest way to get turned away.

Contact the managing agency or landowner first to learn the current access rules for Paradise. The mapped point for Paradise is roughly 37.2681, -86.9836 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Paradise, Kentucky" covers Paradise in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Paradise gets better.