Welcome to Winchester – Always Original!
Winchester, Kentucky is the home of original experiences! From Ale-8 to beer cheese to hands on history… Winchester is the place for local, original experiences — that ALL started here.
Located just minutes from Lexington — the Horse Capital of the World — lies a town unlike any other in Kentucky. Truly, Winchester offers unique and original experiences that no other Kentucky town can boast.
Ale-8-One, “Kentucky’s Official Soft Drink,” was founded here. Beer Cheese – a tangy and creamy concoction – got its start here. In fact, today Winchester hosts the nation’s first and only Beer Cheese Trail and annual Beer Cheese Festival.
Hundreds of years ago, the country looked to Winchester as a leader in commercial hemp production, and today Winchester once again leads an innovative re-emergence of that legacy crop.
And Winchester has unique bragging rights related to the role it played in the Civil War. Certainly don’t overlook the exciting and historic anecdotes about the Commonwealth’s original and favorite pioneer, Daniel Boone.
And to top it all off, Winchester is located just a short drive from the beautiful Red River Gorge where hiking, camping, rock climbing, rappelling, and other amazing outdoor adventures abound.
Stop by and see us at our Visitor Center at 61 S. Main Street. It is our pleasure to help plan your visit and share the welcoming spirit of Winchester. We want to make your visit an enjoyable one!
Maps & Directions
Winchester is located about 18 miles east of Lexington and 15 miles west of Mt. Sterling. Interstate 64 passes through the northern part of the city, with access from Exits 94 and 96. The Mountain Parkway turns off I-64 just northeast of Winchester and leads 75 miles east to Salyersville. Red River Gorge is only a beautiful 36-minute drive away.