State tourism leader visits Bowling Green to discuss travel trends and highlight new venue

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A key voice in Kentucky’s tourism industry made a stop in Bowling Green on Monday afternoon, bringing fresh insight into the state’s growing travel sector.

Nancy Turner, deputy commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Tourism, visited the city as part of a presentation hosted by the South Central Kentucky Hospitality Association. Turner shared the latest data on travel trends, economic impacts and the state’s strategic initiatives aimed at boosting tourism across Kentucky and beyond.

“It’s very exciting—not just to learn about the events, but to see that synergy and be in a room with people who have a common goal and are working together to promote one another,” Turner said. “I think that’s a beautiful thing.”

The gathering took place at a brand-new establishment in downtown Bowling Green: The Mustang Club.

Located at 200 State St., the space is a wine bar, speakeasy and full-service restaurant offering a unique atmosphere with live music and cocktails.

But the venue is more than just a new hotspot. The building itself carries deep historical significance—it was once home to the gymnasium of State Street School, Bowling Green’s first African-American school. Abandoned in the 1960s, the space was recently transformed by local entrepreneur Derrick Huff, who sought to preserve and repurpose the structure.

“Buildings like this have kind of disappeared. It’s important to save the ones we have left,” Huff said. “Although it wouldn’t make sense to turn it back into a gym today, repurposing it while preserving its original beauty allows us to showcase what the Mustang Club is now—and tell the story of what it once was.”

The Mustang Club is set to officially open its doors to the public on July 25.