Ashland combines regional history and theater culture with green spaces and views of the Ohio River. Its museums cover a range of subjects, alongside a historic theater, public art, and recreational activities. This gives visitors several ways to explore the city and plan a stay around their interests.
Museums and Theater in Ashland
The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is both a regional history museum and a children’s museum. One exhibit experience takes visitors aboard the real tugboat Little Joe, where they can imagine a journey on the Ohio River. The C.B. Nuckolls Community Center & Black History Museum has a different focus. This nonprofit museum collects, documents, preserves, and studies African American history in Ashland and across America. Visitors choosing between the museums will find two distinct approaches to history: regional history and a children’s museum at one, and African American history in Ashland and nationwide at the other.
The Paramount Theatre also connects a historic legacy with today’s cultural offerings. It opened in 1931 as an Art Deco movie palace and the first movie theater in the Ohio Valley to show sound films. Today, it serves as a regional outreach theater and presents educational concerts and community theater. If you’re planning to attend a particular performance or event, check the current schedule.
Another historic landmark is Ashland’s West Bath Avenue Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation complements the city’s theater history with a recognized historic site.
The Ohio River, Art, and Time Outdoors
At the Port of Ashland on the Ohio River, a collection of mixed-media bronze sculptures described as the world’s largest was unveiled on January 3, 2020. The Ashland Riverfront offers live performances and green spaces with views of the Ohio River. It also provides views of sunsets over the river. Public art and the riverfront landscape offer different ways to enjoy time outdoors; if you have a particular performance in mind, check the current schedule.
Central Park offers opportunities for picnics and has an accessible playground. Before visiting, check whether the accessible playground is currently available. Camp Landing’s Malibu Jacks Indoor Theme Park offers a different kind of recreation, with 14 bowling lanes, a full go-kart track, miniature golf, a laser tag arena, indoor roller coasters, 3D motion rides, and a state-of-the-art arcade. Attractions may change, so check what’s currently available before your visit.
Cityscape and Travel Planning
One of Ashland’s defining road names is the Country Music Highway: U.S. 23 runs through downtown and is known by this name. Rail service is another point to consider when planning your trip: Ashland is on Amtrak’s Cardinal route, part of the national passenger rail system. If you’re planning to travel by train, check the schedule before departure. The road’s name and the rail line offer two different reference points without reducing Ashland’s character to a single theme.
For a culture-focused stay, Ashland offers museums with a variety of historical focuses alongside the Paramount Theatre. The riverfront adds public art, green spaces, and live performances, while Central Park and Camp Landing offer other attractions. Which side of the city you want to shape your stay may help guide your choice of a hotel in Ashland.
Discover more destinations: Catlettsburg.
See the main travel overview: Boyd County.
