When folks who have found Paris and Henry County tell their friends about us, one word comes into the conversation-“charmed.” And we couldn’t agree more! Rich in history and Southern culture, our community is just the right size to know your neighbors yet large enough for retired individuals to maintain an active lifestyle. It truly is a charmed existence.
Paris is famous for the World’s Biggest Fish Fry with its week-long hometown celebration and catfish feast.
The April event unites the community with five beauty pageants, buying souvenirs, eating fish dinners, attending the rodeo, entering or watching the Grand Parade or the Small Fry Parade, and going to the carnival!
Know as the “Volunteer County in the Volunteer State,” Henry County has many outlets for the civic-minded individual. Whether it’s being a club member, hospital greeter, or bass tournament helper, volunteering is an excellent opportunity to meet new friends.
The area is also known for its annual Helping Hands Radio Auction that incorporates the whole county and raised funds for various charitable organizations and civic groups.
The Paris Civic Center also has fitness in mind with its indoor Olympic-sized pool, weights & aerobic room, and gym with a full-sized basketball court and elevated walking track. Two on-site certified trainers provide fitness, nutrition, weight, and cardiovascular consultation. Among the popular classes taught at the center are water aerobics and scuba diving.
Providing excellent and cost-efficient health care to our community is paramount. The county-owned and operated Henry-County Medical Center is a progressive, integrated health care organization committed to serving the health care needs of Henry Counting and the adjoining region.
Comprised of a 142-bed hospital, the 174-bed Henry County Healthcare Center, an emergency medical service, an off-site wellness and rehabilitation center, a cardiac rehabilitation center, a sleep disorder center, and a home health and hospice service, the medical center provides a variety of outpatient services as well as inpatient care.
For those craving the outdoors West Tennessee offers a bounty of scenery and activities. Defined seasons with moderate summer temperatures and mild winters make for year-round enjoyment. The beautiful Kentucky Lake area, well know as a hunting and fishing paradise, has miles of premier walking trails and campgrounds.
If wildlife viewing is more your interest, the National Wildlife Refuge provides hundreds of acres of public access. Nothing compares to a day trip to the Land Between the Lakes to experience the colorful autumn foliage.
Kentucky Lake is also the backdrop for the picturesque 18-hole Paris Landing State Park Golf Course. Within a 25-mile radius of Paris, there are six courses to hone your golf skills. Paris Landing State Park is also noted for its lovely inn and dining room with a breathtaking view of the water – a perfect setting for family reunions or weekend getaways.
For those interested in higher educations or just taking a class of interest, many regional institutions – Jackson State Community College, Murray State University, Bethel University, Tennessee College of Applied Technology and the University of Tennessee at Martin – offer a variety of courses and degree options.
Henry County is proud of its deep heritage in the arts. Lee Academy for the Arts has an active schedule for learners of all ages with classes in painting, drawing, photography, voice, and music. The newly restored facilities house studios for artists and musicians and a large classroom used for ballroom dancing, tap, and ballet.
The Paris-Henry County Arts Council has strived to bring the fine arts to our community for forty years. The council sponsors several annual events including the community holiday musical, artist and photo showcases, and stage shows featuring regional to international performers. The city’s 600+ seat Krider Performing Arts Center has the ideal atmosphere for stage productions, such as the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, United States Air Force Band, and symphony orchestra from Nashville and Memphis, TN.
Paris has a wide range of shopping opportunities. From the shops along the court square to the major shopping and dinning area, most buyers find exactly what they need right here in the county. But for the adventurous shopper, Paducah, KY, Jackson and Clarksville, TN are just an hour away.
Affordable housing is also an asset in Henry County. Weather you choose a newly-built patio home, a quaint fixer-upper, or a lakefront home with acreage, you will be sure to find the perfect place to call “home.”
Over 150 Churches in the area invite you to make them your church home. Most major religions have established churches in the area and offer a variety of worship styles and worship hours.
Paris/Henry County, TN has been where we call home for the past thirteen years. The weather is wonderful, the fishing good and best of all, the people are friendly and helpful. The cost of living is also reasonable. One never runs out of things to do, as many of the organizations and the library have many programs that are available to all. Living here has been all that we have expected our retirement to be. We have movies, a live theater, bowling alley, water aerobics and many other senior activities and some of the good old south cooking in our restaurants.
— Al and Carole Walsh
Everything Retirement Should BeI retired to Paris, TN from Philadelphia, PA in 1987 and have been very pleased with my decision. Comparing this city with 12 other communities (6 states) in which I have lived, Paris is the “BEST”. The city and county municipal services, the taxes, utilities, health care, civic clubs, churches and facilities for the arts are more than just acceptable. The community is a giving, caring and friendly center beyond what most would expect. One cannot retire in Paris without becoming involved and loving the place.
— Albert R. Walker
Happy RetireeAfter 40+ years in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I no longer hear airplanes taking off day and night. I can hear the clock strike the hour on the courthouse clock. I know people everywhere I go. The mention of God in the media is not unusual. From our den, we watch the brightest array of birds imaginable. The wail of a siren is unusual enough that the dogs frequently howl with it (never in Texas because it blended in with the background noise). The sky is so blue. I don’t see the horizon as being brown. My shoulder surgery couldn’t have turned out better anywhere else. Gerry (my wife) and I frequently look at each other and remark how glad we are that we are here.
— Randy Scholes
Peace & Quiet