Cynthiana

230 years ago, Robert Harrison and his two daughters, Cynthia and Ana arrived on the banks of the Licking River. Taken in by its beauty and charm, Harrison established a city, named after his two daughters, and left a legacy that we still treasure today.

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Harrison chose to leave the big city life of the east coast for a place of solitude and escape, to a place where he could raise his family along the hills and river of Kentucky.

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Since that founding, Cynthiana has grown. But even with the coming of the railroad, whiskey and industry, we have maintained the best aspects of small town life over the years.

We value where we’ve come from and are excited to see where we are headed. When you visit, step back in time with self-guided tours or a visit to our museum to truly appreciate our heritage and place in the world.

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• Historical Churches - Cynthiana is home to many beautiful, historic churches. Pick up a copy of our Historic Churches brochure and take a self-guided tour

• Civil War Battle Sites - Cynthiana is full of Civil War history. Both Civil and Revolutionary War battles were fought in Harrison County.

• Historical Jail - Built in 1886, Cynthiana’s historic jail is located right downtown, next to the Sheriff’s Department.

• Cynthiana-Harrison County Museum - Soak in Cynthiana’s rich history at our local museum. Learn all about all the things listed above, and so much more.

• Battle Grove Cemetery - stroll through this beautiful and historic cemetery on a self-guided history walk to see grave sites of individuals who have been instrumental in the history of Cynthiana, or individuals who gained fame in other areas of the country and selected Battle Grove Cemetery as their final resting place.