StyleBlueprint Did you know the world’s entire Post-It supply is manufactured in Cynthiana Here's what to do when exploring this charming Southern town Create your free profile or log in to save this article is the hometown of The Walking Dead creators and the inspiration behind the post-apocalyptic-themed comic books and TV show Cynthiana is also home to the oldest continuously running theater in Kentucky and boasts multiple sites tied to both Revolutionary and Civil War battles and the city also produces 80 billion Post-It notes and about 100 million rolls of packing tape every year Though the 3M facility isn’t open for tours there’s much more to see and do in Cynthiana Here are 10 things to do in this one-of-a-kind Harrison County city Established in 1894, Biancke’s (pronounced by-yank-ees) is a charming old-school diner that displays pieces of the city’s history Framed class photos dating back 100-plus years line the walls with a few black-and-white pics of the restaurant sprinkled throughout While there are lots of home-style cooking food options — from burgers and sandwiches to pasta dishes and seafood entrées — the pies are not to be missed the concoctions are available in various flavors and sold whole or by the slice with an optional scoop of ice cream on the side The only bookstore in town, Next Chapter Bookstore, boasts a carefully curated collection of new books for children and adults in a cozy Husband-and-wife owners Andrew and Betsy Owen strive to help readers in Cynthiana and beyond find their next great read by offering online ordering and nationwide shipping and providing help in tracking down special requests The oldest continuously running theater in Kentucky, Rohs Opera House is also known as one of the most haunted buildings in the Commonwealth Guests can book paranormal adventures like ghost walks and overnight visits but the theater is best known for offering movies It also has direct ties to The Walking Dead as creator and Cynthiana native Robert Kirkman donated more than $100,000 to upgrade the theatre’s equipment when movies moved from film to digital format What began as Carla Fortner’s handmade soap-peddling venture at farmers’ markets is now Appalachian Root Works a holistic and metaphysical shop offering energy work-based services Carla co-owns and operates the space with Karlie Knoch who runs the Rooted in Runes side of the business which boasts unique retail items as well as classes like “The Art & Magick of Candles.” Customers can still expect to find Carla’s fragrant soaps in the store as well as supplies for creating their own herbal tinctures One of just a handful of tattoo shops in Cynthiana, Pike Street Tattoo isn’t just for those looking to get some new ink The East Pike Street spot is also home to a tattoo museum with framed works and other carefully displayed pieces of the past Tattoo history buffs will appreciate setting their eyes on items once used by Charlie Wagner If guests are interested in putting something permanent on their bodies Boasting a huge space with lots of comfy seating, The Sweet Boutique serves a little something for everyone the eatery also offers a sweet and savory breakfast A newer addition to Cynthiana’s downtown scene, Fibonacci Antiques opened its doors in late 2024 The store features a curated collection of international finds including period pieces from antiquities through the 20th Century Owner Jason Lewis’s collection is still growing and he’s working to add placards to more items to provide customers with additional info about each piece “I wanted it to be [an] interesting and international place where people … can come to appreciate and learn about different things,” he says Subscribe to our daily emails for more travel tips Lennie is a Southern-based freelance writer she is a yoga-loving foodie who travels as often as she can (LEX 18) — A Harrison County city is warning its residents about the possibility of lead in their water and LEX 18 was in Cynthiana to learn more about the levels and what the city is doing to reduce them Before you go to take a sip of water or boil it for cooking the Cynthiana Water Treatment plant is encouraging community members to test it first said 780 letters were sent out to residents who have lead service lines or galvanized lines that are downstream of lead Homes with unknown service lines were also sent notices "This is a lead service line and unfortunately It's a very durable line and this line is 80-90 years old," said Blanton We don't want them drinking poor quality water and lead in water is very Blanton said lead levels at 0.01 parts per billion are toxic The city sits at 0.004 parts per billion and has never tested positive for lead old lead lines still need to be replaced no matter the numbers "The plumbing restrictions doesn't allow us to go on private property and hook up their service line It takes a certified plumber or the home owner to do that so we're not allowed to get on the customer side," explained Blanton The city is looking at several ways to upgrade the water lines such as Brita filters "We're upgrading this year with a UV treatment The next upgrade will be an activated carbon treatment for the upcoming contaminants It's very very upgrade-able," Blanton added Some ways you can reduce lead exposure is by: If you'd like to get your water line replaced Blanton said it takes a week to test your water right from your own faucet Contact the Cynthiana Water Plant to receive your free test Report a typo we came across a booth with a gigantic skeleton He was promoting the historic town of Cynthiana KY which immediately got my wheels turning Cynthiana is the proud home of Robert Kirkman the man who created the graphic novel The Walking Dead went on to be a huge television series and cultural phenomenon.  I wonder if growing up in a town with such a spooky history had anything to do with his fascination with scary stories For eighteen years now, Cynthiana has embraced the paranormal by hosting walking tours that begin and end at one of Kentucky's most haunted buildings, The Rohs Opera House. This 90-minute journey will take you through downtown to visit the old jail and a bed & breakfast that goes bump in the night All while your ghost-hunter guide tells tales of unexplained apparitions Like the Lady in White who has even been captured on camera with her long white veil gliding through the opera house. Shadow people lurking along hallways and even the sounds and sights of "children" playing. There are even audio and video recordings taken there that...well...you decide for yourself The Rohs Opera House was built in 1871 and remains as the oldest continuously running theatre in Kentucky there are bound to be some spirits lingering You can book a tour to learn all about it at rohsoperahouse.com/events You can find them every Friday and Saturday in October and tickets are only $15 Explore Cynthiana, Kentucky, a town with a haunted past and ghostly sightings, inviting thrill-seekers to experience spooky tours at the historic Rohs Opera House.\nRead More For eighteen years now, Cynthiana has embraced the paranormal by hosting walking tours that begin and end at one of Kentucky's most haunted buildings, The Rohs Opera House. This 90-minute journey will take you through downtown to visit the old jail Like the Lady in White who has even been captured on camera with her long white veil gliding through the opera house. Shadow people lurking along hallways and even the sounds and sights of "children" playing. There are even audio and video recordings taken there that...well...you decide for yourself The stretch of Archer Avenue between Resurrection Cemetery and St James-Sag Church southwest of Chicago twists its way through woodlands is as well known as the story of Resurrection Mary is one of the most well-known \"vanishing hitchhikers\" in history Resurrection Cemetery is one of the most haunted roads to avoid during Halloween Mary is the ghost of a teen girl who opted to go home late one night so they buried her in Resurrection Cemetery wearing the same dress she wore the night of the ball People leaving the Willowbrook Ballroom have reported sighting a white-dressed woman standing on the side of the road since 1939 The peaceful girl says nothing during the entire ride when a passing motorist picks her up until the car passes the Resurrection Cemetery The myth of the vanishing hitchhiker has many variations but they all finish the same way: Mary vanishes into thin air If you're searching for a creepy Halloween activity Resurrection Mary is one of the most well-known American ghost stories of all time so it doesn't get much more bizarre than that Legend has it that Mary is still looking for her killer (LEX 18) — Two people from Cynthiana have been arrested and charged with torture of a dog or cat according to the Harrison County Flora Shropshire Animal Shelter According to a social media post from the animal shelter James Maggard and Madisyn Smith have been arrested and charged in connection with a case in which a "stray dog" was brought into the shelter on March 5 a female "small framed shepard-heeler mix" was initially brought to the shelter The shelter thanked the Cynthiana Police Department for bringing the charges in the post A post from the shelter from March 5 says that the dog was found "barely alive" in a roadside ditch and rushed to the shelter After it was determined that the dog was in "excruciating pain" the decision to have Whisper euthanized was made (LEX 18) — A dog that was found in Cynthiana is recovering after he was paralyzed in his back legs from being shot in the spine was shot within the last two weeks and he has a wound entry point but no exit wound The injury to his vertebrae is reportedly the area that controls the bladder and bowels Dan does not have a bladder infection and he "is not in pain." The post added that the rescue is giving him the "best shot at life that they can." Dan received a wheelchair that will aid in his mobility and the rescue asked the community for help with diapers and wipes They added that an Amazon list will soon be posted giving the community an opportunity to donate supplies toward Lt "If there was ever a point he was in pain or other issues came from the paralysis we would make the decision to euthanize but for now he’s a happy boy and we’re gonna show him what love truly is," the post concluded (LEX 18) — A Cynthiana man plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he strangled and killed the mother of his kids in 2023 according to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Joshua Thompson Watkins killed Alexandra De Fina in their Cynthiana home on Wornall Lane Watkins called 911 and reportedly claimed that woke up that morning and found De Fina dead in bed with him authorities found that cell phone records did not show outgoing calls or messages from De Fina's cell phone after the early morning hours of May 28 Officials added that an autopsy was conducted and determined that De Fina's cause of death was "asphyxia via strangulation." During an interview with detectives at the Harrison County Sheriff's Office Watkins was indicted by a Harrison County Grand Jury with a recommended sentence of 30 years in prison Watkins was sentenced to 30 years in prison he will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 20 years of his sentence “We were able to successfully prosecute this case because of the thorough investigation of Lieutenant Joseph Daniel I also want to thank Detective Mark Burden and Detective Paul Olin for their assistance and Victim Advocate Sheila Wiley for supporting Alexandra’s family throughout this difficult process I express my deepest sympathy to Alexandra’s family and I sincerely hope that the resolution of the criminal case helps bring them some closure,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Laws stated (LEX 18) — The people of Cynthiana go all out when it comes to Spooky Season a skeleton in every store and front yard you see there's one spot on Pike Street where the skeletons are sitting patiently we open our skeleton adoption agency," Cynthiana Tourism Coalition executive director Tomi Clifford said “It's funny to us because there's a pile of skeletons in our office where we have to bring them down to be adopted.” A simple mission to get skeletons into their forever family The initiative was born during the pandemic trying to lift people up during a difficult while also trying to advance Cynthiana as a tourist attraction “We decided we wanted to be the number one fall destination in Kentucky To do that you have to have decorations and you have to have festivals so it kind of snowballed from there," Clifford said “I think the first year we purchased 100 or 125 and had them for adoption We decided it was probably better to say come and adopt a skeleton for your family instead of come purchase a skeleton but it was geared toward our community members originally to get them to come in and decorate.” the agency has grown into much more than just a community pick me up People from all over the state and the country have come to Cynthiana specifically to adopt a skeleton It is just so astounding that they want to come here from states and states away just to adopt a skeleton and see what our town is all about.” Tourism leaders have even taken calls from Italy asking to send skeletons internationally It's proof Clifford's original plan worked The simplicity of the Skeleton Adoption Agency has allowed the Cynthiana community to lean into the spirit of Halloween while attracting the rest of the nation (and really the world) to be in on the fun I think Cynthiana is 60-100 people in the city To see people start decorating in the city in September and start talking about their plans about how their going to decorate their skeletons in their yard as early as July If you want to learn more about the Skeleton Adoption Agency, click here. highly curated editorial content brings attention to hidden gems Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications Share LinkYou Can Visit The Small Town In Kentucky That Inspired The Walking DeadCynthiana inspired the creators of "The Walking Dead" and features murals celebrating its connection to the show Cynthiana is a small town that's known for a few distinct things: Post It notes (which are made here) and ‘The Walking Dead.’ The creator and artist of the comic books and show hail from Cynthiana the small town in Kentucky that inspired them to include it in the storyline Facebook/Make Cynthiana ShineRobert Kirkman decided to use Cynthiana as the hometown for the Grimes family and Shane in the comic book series While the TV show is based in a different town Cynthiana is a lively little city with a historic downtown as you can see in the photo of Pike Street below so perhaps you can imagine a zombie or two strolling through the town Facebook/Make Cynthiana ShineCynthiana has embraced its Hollywood ties and did so in a big way in 2016 with an official "The Walking Dead Day." It was during this event that the eye-catching mural below was revealed Since then, Cynthiana has added and restored several murals throughout the city, so It remains as evidence and a tribute to its former residents who used their hometown as an inspiration for the comic-book-turned sci-fi-TV-series While not a ghost town per se, we think Cynthiana, Kentucky, has unofficial "ghost town in Kentucky" status given its connecting with "The Walking Dead!" What do you think? The Walking Dead Mural Address: South Walnut Street, Cynthiana, KY, 41031. 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