Things to Do in Maysville, Kentucky: Murals, Bourbon & More (2026)

The best things to do in Maysville, Kentucky, are walking the Ohio River floodwall murals, tasting at Old Pogue Distillery and seeing the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center. Maysville is a river city of 8,873 people and the seat of Mason County, across the Ohio from Aberdeen, Ohio.

It started as Limestone, a landing where settlers came ashore off the Ohio, and Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone are counted among its founders. With free Ohio just across the water, it was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. Singer Rosemary Clooney grew up here.

Floodwall Murals

Muralist Robert Dafford and his team painted ten panels on the riverfront floodwall between 1998 and 2007. They tell the town’s story in order: buffalo hunters, a pioneer flatboat, the steamboat era, a tobacco barn and a 1920s Market Street. Rosemary Clooney and the Russell Theatre each get their own panel.

★ Good to know They line McDonald Parkway along the river, so it’s a free, easy walk from downtown.

Old Pogue Distillery

H.E. Pogue started a distillery on this hill in 1876. Today the fifth and sixth generations make small-batch bourbon and rye here again. The grounds include the family’s 1845 home, a tasting room and barrel storage, with views over the Ohio valley. It’s part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour.

★ Good to know Visits to the hilltop distillery are by appointment, so email ahead; the downtown Old Pogue Experience at 102 W. Second St. takes walk-ins.

Kentucky Gateway Museum Center

This downtown museum has three parts. The history galleries hold dioramas and more than 4,000 artifacts, and a library covers 300 years of local records. The KSB Miniatures collection shows homes, furniture and people at 1/12 scale.

★ Good to know The galleries are closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan it for later in the week.

Old Washington

Washington was founded in 1786, with Daniel Boone among its first trustees, and Maysville annexed it in 1990. The historic district still has log cabins, including Mefford’s Fort from 1787. The Marshall Key House is now the Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom Museum.

★ Good to know Guided tours start at the Old Washington Visitor’s Center at 2028 Old Main St.

National Underground Railroad Museum

This downtown museum covers the abolition movement and the Underground Railroad in a town that sat right on the line between slavery and freedom. Harriet Beecher Stowe visited the area in 1833 and saw a slave auction that shaped a scene in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

★ Good to know It’s open Thursday through Saturday and by appointment other days.

Russell Theatre

Col. J. Barbour Russell built this atmospheric movie palace in 1929. It hosted the 1953 world premiere of Rosemary Clooney’s film The Stars Are Singing. A nonprofit is restoring it, and it hosts events and rentals in the meantime.

★ Good to know It’s at 9 E. Third St.; check the theatre’s site for events, since it isn’t running regular films.

Also in town

The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge, a 1931 suspension bridge, crosses to Aberdeen, Ohio, and the Brigadier General Charles Young Birthplace Cabin and the Rosenwald school in nearby Mays Lick open for tours by appointment.

When to goSpring through fall is best for walking the murals and Old Washington. The Rosemary Clooney Music Festival is held each year in her hometown.

How long to stayOne full day covers the murals, downtown museums and Old Pogue; add a half day for Old Washington.

Heads upMost museums here open only Tuesday or Thursday through Saturday, and the distillery needs an appointment, so plan a late-week visit.

Getting hereCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the closest airport with scheduled airline service, about 1 hour 30 minutes west by car.

What is Maysville, Kentucky, known for?

Its Ohio River floodwall murals, its bourbon history at Old Pogue, the Underground Railroad and Rosemary Clooney, who grew up here. The Russell Theatre hosted the 1953 premiere of her film The Stars Are Singing.

How many floodwall murals are in Maysville?

There are ten, painted by Robert Dafford and his team between 1998 and 2007. They run along McDonald Parkway by the river.

Can you tour Old Pogue Distillery?

Yes, by appointment at the hilltop distillery on Germantown Road. The Old Pogue Experience downtown is open for tastings without one.

What other river towns are in Kentucky?

Paducah, another Ohio River town, also has floodwall murals. See Paducah and our small towns in Kentucky.

Where to find them

Floodwall Murals McDonald Parkway, Maysville, KY 41056 Website Directions
Old Pogue Distillery 705 Germantown Rd., Maysville, KY 41056 Website Directions
Kentucky Gateway Museum Center 215 Sutton St., Maysville, KY 41056 Website Directions
Old Washington Visitor's Center 2028 Old Main St., Old Washington, KY Directions
National Underground Railroad Museum 38 W. Fourth St., Maysville, KY 41056 Directions
Russell Theatre 9 E. Third St., Maysville, KY 41056 Website Directions