During the era of segregation, the Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah was a safe haven for traveling African Americans not welcome in lodging elsewhere. The hotel became known for hosting musical legends like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Billie Holliday. Walk through the same doors today to gain a better understanding of the struggles traveling African Americans faced, and learn how this welcoming place not only provided guests a bed, but also “a front door dignity” as Hotel Director Betty Dobson describes it.