Drive Along Spray Paint Road, A Work Of Art In The Middle Of A Cornfield In Kentucky
By Andrea Limke|Published January 23, 2020
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Every small town in Kentucky has something like this. Perhaps it’s an abandoned building or an old school diner where everyone just hangs out, but there is always a spot that any local could share a story or two about the memories made there. In the lovely little town of Franklin, Kentucky, that place is Spray Paint Road. Call it a work of art, graffiti, or a combination of both, but this colorful road in the middle of a cornfield is definitely unexpected. Drive along Spray Paint Road and experience one of the most unusual places in Kentucky.
Franklin, Kentucky is a charming small town located near the Tennessee border, south of Bowling Green.
You may know it for its small town charm and you may have seen its name on a sign along I-65. Next time you're in the area, hop off the highway and venture to the legendary Spray Paint Road.
Spray Paint Road is located, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere, between cornfields and other farmland.
While you won't find "Spray Paint Road" on the map on your phone, you will find Kummer Road, which is its official name. A large portion of this rather unremarkable stretch of road has been made remarkable over the years with layers and layers of tagging and graffiti.
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Some say the tradition and hobby of painting the road began back in the 70s, but it was definitely in full force by the 1980s.
At one point, the road was paved over, but that didn't stop locals from continuing their artistic expression, likely before the asphalt was even completely set.
Keep in mind that police do patrol the area, but it has been a local pastime for years. It appears that this vibrant street isn't going anywhere any time soon.
You'll find all sorts of images, sayings, dedications, dates, initials, and just about everything else in spray paint on the road.
Of course some do not agree with this practice, but you do have to admit that these works of art do add charm and whimsy to a fairly bland scenery.
Spray Paint Road once gained the attention of producers when in the 90s, Chevrolet came out to record a commerical for one of its trucks along the road.
The commercial never aired, but we think it would have sold quite a few trucks. And it comes at no surprise that someone would find one of the unusual places in Kentucky worthy of more attention.
Check out this incredible aerial footage of Spray Paint Road by Harris Visual Media LLC:
Spray Paint Road is legendary in this area of Kentucky and is known well by locals. As one of the many unusual places in Kentucky, it also makes for a great roadside (or really just road) attraction in the Bluegrass State. Have you heard of Spray Paint Road? Have you seen it in person? We’d love to hear about your experiences and memories in the comments.
Special thanks to James Wade of Lunabird Photography for allowing us to include many of his images above, as well as for information about the area. See more of his incredible work on his Instagram page.