Things to Do in Ashland, United States: Walking Guide

Looking for things to do in Ashland? This city in Kentucky brings together historic churches, a former movie palace, a heritage and science museum, and landmarks connected with the area’s religious and civic history. Its central sights make it particularly well suited to exploring on foot.

Neywo offers a free audio guide for Ashland with 8 narrated places, so you can discover the city while listening to its stories at each stop.

What to see in Ashland

The most important places to visit in Ashland are concentrated in a walkable group of historic landmarks. Together, they reveal different parts of the city’s architectural, cultural and community history.

Mayo Mansion

Also known as Fetter Mansion, Mayo Mansion is a historic landmark in downtown Ashland. The building is one of the city’s notable historic residences and provides a glimpse of Ashland’s architectural heritage.

Congregation Agudath Achim

Congregation Agudath Achim was the first Jewish congregation in Ashland. Established in 1896, its name comes from Hebrew and translates as “Society of Brothers.” The synagogue served the local community for 90 years before closing in 1986.

The site adds an important dimension to Ashland’s religious history, alongside the city’s Christian churches and other historic institutions.

First Christian Church

The First Christian Church on 17th Street was constructed in 1890. It served as the home of the congregation for more than two decades, until the church moved to a new location in 1913.

The building later became known as the Old Church of Christ Scientist of Ashland. In 1990, exactly a century after its construction, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church has stood on Winchester Avenue since before the Civil War. The present red-brick building was completed in 1858 and was the third home of a congregation that first gathered in a log cabin in 1819.

Its bell tower rises above the façade, while stained-glass windows bring coloured light into the sanctuary. The church has also been known at times as Bethesda Church. For many years, it was recognised as the oldest structure in Boyd County still actively used as a church.

Highlands Museum and Discovery Center

The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center combines a heritage centre with a science centre. Its exhibits explore the region’s past, while specialised science displays are designed especially for children.

The museum also runs educational outreach programmes in the community, making it a place where local history and hands-on learning share the same space.

Paramount Arts Center

The Paramount Arts Center began as a movie palace and now operates as a performing arts centre. The historic theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under its original name, the Paramount Theatre.

Today, the non-profit organisation presents a broad programme of live performances, including symphonies, Broadway plays, ballets and concerts. Its preserved interior and continuing cultural role make it one of Ashland’s defining landmarks.

St. James AME Church

St. James AME Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal congregation that has been part of the community for more than a century. Its brick building was completed in 1912 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The church has a gable-front design, with brick laid in a common-bond pattern. It was the congregation’s second home: the first was a wood-frame church moved onto the property in 1905. That earlier building stood beside the brick church for a time before it was lost.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church serves the Ashland community as a congregation affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. It forms part of the city’s collection of religious landmarks and is included among the stops on Neywo’s downtown walking route.

Explore Ashland with a self-guided walking tour

Neywo’s Ashland self-guided walking tour, “Ashland’s Downtown Landmarks: Churches, a Movie Palace and a Discovery Center”, covers 1.25 km in approximately 48 minutes and includes 6 narrated stops. The route visits First Christian Church, Highlands Museum and Discovery Center, First Presbyterian Church, Paramount Arts Center, St. James AME Church and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, making it easy to explore Ashland independently while keeping the city’s history with you along the way.

Ashland is part of Oregon, but this audio guide follows the historic landmarks of Ashland, Kentucky described above. If you are comparing destinations elsewhere in the country, you can also explore the wider United States, or discover nearby Oregon pages such as Lincoln City, Portland, Oregon and Salem, Oregon.

Download Neywo and explore Ashland

Download Neywo to discover Ashland with a free audio guide covering 8 narrated places. The city has 1 walking tour: a 1.25 km route lasting 48 minutes, with 6 stops.

Start when you like, walk at your own pace and listen as each story plays when you reach the next landmark. There is no group and no schedule—just an independent way to explore Ashland through its churches, theatre and local history.