Bass Pro Shops announced plans today for a new destination retail location for Paducah, Kentucky, with its convenient location ready to serve the greater Four Rivers region.
Bass Pro Shops' newest Kentucky location will build on the company's reputation of serving passionate sportsmen and women with the widest selection of quality products at the best prices around, while providing the genuine, friendly expert service that the brand is known for.
"We are proud and excited to be able to serve the great outdoor enthusiasts in the Paducah region and the entire Bluegrass State," said Johnny Morris, legendary angler, noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder. "We have a great deal of passion for this entire region and all the outdoor recreation options it offers, and are looking forward to helping families and friends get outside and make happy memories together in the great outdoors."
The new Bass Pro Shops will be a 70,000-square-foot location and adjacent to the Kentucky Oaks Mall, a premier commercial hub situated along I-24, just north of the intersection with Highway 60. It is expected to open late 2026 or early 2027.
"I am thrilled we get to share the news of this exciting addition to Paducah," Mayor George Bray said. "Bass Pro Shops will not only provide services and products that are in high demand for our area, but also a unique shopping experience. I have no doubt our community and surrounding neighbors in the region will be very excited to support Bass Pro Shops in Paducah."
Like all Bass Pro Shops locations, the new store will feature a completely unique custom design. Envisioned as a tribute to the great sporting heritage of the region and a celebration of everything Kentucky, it will build on the signature qualities that define the award-winning Bass Pro Shops shopping experience, combining retail with entertainment, outdoor education and conservation.
In addition to providing customers with the outdoor products they love, a team of talented artists and craftsmen will design the store's localized imagery to emphasize its immersive outdoor theme. The signature creativity and attention to detail are hallmarks of every experience from Johnny Morris, who often is referred to as "The Walt Disney of the Outdoors" for his knack of creating experiences that connect people with nature.
Bass Pro Shops has a long and dedicated history serving the outdoor enthusiasts of the state with the best gear at the best value for all their adventures in the wild. Bass Pro Shops has been serving outdoor enthusiasts in Kentucky since 2013, and the Paducah location will be the fourth in the state.
"We are grateful to the City of Paducah for their vision and partnership in bringing this project to life," said Anthony Cafaro, Jr., Co-President of CAFARO, which oversees Kentucky Oaks Mall. "This development would not have been possible without the City's commitment to maintaining the viability of Kentucky Oaks Mall and the surrounding Hinkleville Rd. commercial corridor, and we are proud Bass Pro Shops will be the catalyst for this new chapter of growth."
Since its founding in 1972, in an 8-square-foot space in his Dad's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops has blazed a new trail in the retail experience for outdoor enthusiasts. As millions of families know, a trip to a Bass Pro Shops is more than a retail experience; it's an adventure, a mini-vacation, a celebration of nature and an educational and enriching outing for the entire family.
People leave a Bass Pro Shops store with more than a bag of outdoor gear. They leave with a smile, a greater appreciation for nature and a dream of spending more time fishing, hunting, camping and hiking.
Proudly standing alongside customers to support conservation
Conservation forms the heart and soul of Bass Pro Shops and is an ethic that dates to the earliest days of the company. Alongside the customers they serve, Bass Pro Shops over the past decade has proudly donated more than 10% of earnings to support conservation efforts in local communities and across North America.
At each of the company's 180 locations throughout North America, customers are invited to "round up" at the register and online through the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund to join the cause and advance programs aimed at conserving habitat and wildlife, advocating for sportsmen's rights and connecting new audiences to the outdoors.
Bass Pro Shops has a longstanding history of conservation support in the state of Kentucky and throughout the region, including supporting the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and its work with wildlife and habitat throughout the state.
10% discount every day to honor those on the front lines
The Bass Pro Shops Legendary Salute Program honors veterans, active military, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and state fish and wildlife agency employees, with a 10% discount on almost everything in all Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's locations in the United States and Canada (with a 5% discount on firearms and ammo).
This program honors those who have or are currently serving on the front lines in Kentucky and throughout the country who defend our freedoms, including our opportunities to hunt, fish and spend time in the great outdoors.
Nationally recognized for excellence
Bass Pro Shops consistently earns recognition from prestigious national media outlets, including:
- In January 2026, Bass Pro Shops was named "America's Most Trusted Outdoor Retailer" for the fifth consecutive year.
- For the fourth consecutive year in 2025, Bass Pro Shops was voted the leading outdoor retailer on Newsweek's "America's Best Retailers" list.
- Newsweek recently recognized Bass Pro Shops as one of "America's Most Admired Workplaces."
- In recent years, Forbes named Bass Pro Shops one of "America's Best Employers" as part of a nationwide survey of 500 large firms.
At the new Paducah location, Bass Pro Shops is expected to employ more than 115 Outfitters eager to serve customers and their pursuits in the great outdoors. Employment information, when available, will be posted at basspro.com/careers.
About Bass Pro Shops:Bass Pro Shops, North America's premier outdoor and conservation company, was founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris started selling tackle out of his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. That was the company's sole location for the first 13 years, and it has since grown to nearly 200 retail locations throughout North America. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela's to create a "best-of-the-best" experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America's Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as "America's Best Outdoor Retailer" for four consecutive years and "America's Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear."