Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky: The Town Named After an Insult (and the Only Place Where Tourists Weed-Whack for Selfies)

If you've ever scrolled past a map of Kentucky and done a double-take, congratulations: you've discovered Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky, the unincorporated community that sounds like a fantasy novel, a bad cocktail, or a medical complaint. It's real, it's in Ballard County, and it has the best name in the Bluegrass State by a country mile. Pack your sense of humor. You will not need much else.

Where Even Is Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky?

Monkey's Eyebrow is a rural unincorporated community in Ballard County, generally the northwesternmost community in the Jackson Purchase area of western Kentucky. It's technically part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a very fancy way of saying "close enough to Paducah that we can claim it."

Speaking of Paducah, the locals have a running gag about giving directions. The classic line is that Paducah is "halfway between Monkey's Eyebrow and Possum Trot." Think about that. Your town is so legendary that it's used as a landmark for a real city. Your town is also so tiny that it needs another tiny town to complete the sentence. It's the geographic equivalent of being the "plus one" at a wedding.

The community is about 20 miles west of Paducah, sitting on Sand Ridge about two miles from the Ohio River. For years it was also name-dropped in the sign-off message of Paducah's WPSD-TV. That's right: the tallest thing around is a TV mast, and it got more airtime than the town ever did.

The Name Game: Who Called Your Neighbors Monkeys?

Here's where it gets good. There are several competing origin stories, and none of them are flattering.

Theory one: When viewed from the air or on a map of Ballard County, the area resembles a monkey's head, and Monkey's Eyebrow sits right where the eyebrow would be. NPR once interviewed an author of odd town-name books about this one, and he raised the only question that matters: "does anybody know what a monkey's eyebrow looks like?"

Theory two (our favorite): The grudge theory. Before 1900, a man in the community didn't like his neighbors and traveled to nearby Needmore for supplies instead. He thought the local store was "only fit for a bunch of monkeys," and that the owners looked like monkeys too. He even said their eyebrows resembled a monkey's, and some versions add that the brush on Beeler Hill above the store looked like monkey eyebrows.

So the name of this town is, historically speaking, a shopping-related burn. Somebody took their grocery budget to Needmore out of spite, and the insult outlived everyone involved. That is petty on a level most of us can only aspire to.

Old Monkey, New Monkey, and the Great Store Shortage

Creativity was not a strong suit here. There were originally two Monkey's Eyebrows, commonly known as Old Monkey and New Monkey, one at the top of a small hill and the other at the bottom, with stores at both locations. Original? No. Efficient? Absolutely.

The glory days were brief. Population probably peaked in the early twentieth century, when there were several stores, though the community was never incorporated and never had a post office. Today, there are no stores.

What about the souvenir economy? Roadside America reports there used to be a store, then a souvenir stand selling t-shirts and trinkets, and eventually little more than a sign for the Monkey's Eyebrow Taxidermy Service. The town's retail history is basically a downward staircase that ends at a stuffed deer.

What to Actually Do in Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky

Let's be honest: you're here for one thing. There's a Monkey's Eyebrow welcome sign to photograph on Monkey's Eyebrow Road. It's on the north side of KY-473, and it sits on a sleepy country road where you can park. One local-flavored blog notes that the sign is a popular photo op, but unlike a historical marker, it doesn't explain where the name came from. Bring your own legend.

Beyond the sign, you've got options:

• Goose hunting. The state-controlled Ballard County Wildlife Management Area is nearby, and goose hunting is a winter activity.
• Shelby Lake. A 100-acre natural lake in Ballard County.

As for nightlife, the roasters over at RoastMyTown were unkind about the demographics, and honestly, the lack of stores means the after-dark scene is you, the crickets, and whatever's on the radio. But that's the charm. It's a place so quiet that its biggest celebrity is a piece of signage.

The Verdict

Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky is proof that you don't need a stoplight, a post office, or even a single open store to become famous. All you need is a name so absurd that strangers will drive down a country road just to stand next to a sign. Is it a destination? Not exactly. Is it a story you'll tell at every dinner party for a decade? Without question.

Think we were too nice? See the full roast on RoastMyTown.com.