CYNTHIANA, KY. — Day Two of the Kentucky media tour took visitors from Lawrenceburg to Cynthiana, a Harrison County town of approximately 30,000 that continues the historic charm, haunted lore, and the bourbon tradition the state has been offering.
The day began with breakfast and a pottery workshop at Elements Clay Studio, where owner Susan Burge guided guests in shaping their own pottery whiskey cups, each to be cured and shipped later. From there, participants joined Robbie Morgan, director of the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission, for a morning Rails to Trails walk, to highlight the region’s efforts to turn former industrial corridors into community greenspace.
Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice
By late morning, the group arrived in Cynthiana for lunch at Biancke’s Restaurant, a Main Street institution founded in 1894. The stop offered hearty comfort food and a glimpse into the restaurant’s long-standing role as a community hotspot.
The afternoon featured a private tour of Rohs Opera House, Kentucky’s oldest continuously operating theater. Opened in 1871 and expanded in 1941, the theater has long been considered one of the state’s most haunted sites. Co-owner John Smith noted the opera house has played a central role in downtown revitalization, calling it “the anchor store” that drew breweries, retail, and new energy back to Cynthiana. The theater also serves as the starting point for the town’s annual Ghost Walk, now in its 19th year.
Later in the afternoon, The Atlanta Voice visited Barrel House Distilling Co., where Brand Ambassador James Gerard spoke on how Cynthiana is becoming a new chapter in Kentucky’s bourbon story. Barrel House, which was founded in 2006 and formally launched into distilling by 2008, has grown to become one of Kentucky’s pioneering craft distillers, which is only sold in its home state, making it a tourist’s delight, as well as enduring captivating local support. Gerard noted that despite being a smaller outfit, Barrel House has earned recognition and awards; its Barrel House Select bourbon, for instance, won a Double Gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Visitors later explored downtown Cynthiana, including unique stops such as the Skeleton Adoption Agency and the Walking Dead mural, a nod to local native Robert Kirkman, co-creator of the comic and television series, who also invested in the local town by providing new equipment to the Rohs Opera House, as cited by co-owner James Smith.
As the evening went on, Smith would don his best Victorian-era garb as he led the Cynthiana Ghost Walk, where guides led participants through stories of haunted hotels, courthouse tragedies, and Civil War battles. Among the tales was that of Harry Bailey, a lawyer gunned down in a payment dispute, and David Sheeley, remembered for chilling words to his wife before appearing to the townsfolk: “There is nobody here but you and I tonight.”
Dinner and an overnight stay at Ashford Acres Inn, a restored antebellum mansion, closed the evening. The visit to Cynthiana showed how deeply bourbon and storytelling are woven into the town’s identity. At Barrel House Distilling Co., James Gerard reflected on how his family-owned operation has resisted the pull of corporate buyouts and mass production, choosing instead to stay rooted in Kentucky’s traditions. “We believe in making everything by hand, in small batches, staying true to the art of bourbon,” Gerard said. “It’s about honoring where we came from and making sure people taste that history in every pour.”