A Day in the Life of a Site: Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve
Posted November 27, 2023

Ever wonder what it takes to run an Ohio History Connection site? Our amazing site staff members work hard to maintain the physical site, create programming, provide customer service and more! Take a peek behind the scenes at Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve to see what a typical day is like for the staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historic Site Technician Billy Wagner starts the day by making sure the Fort Ancient museum is clean and ready for visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Services Supervisor Sarah Winningham preps the museum for visitors by turning on the site video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site Facility & Maintenance Supervisor Keith Bengtson and Billy Wagner clear a downed tree that was blocking the driveway and turn it into mulch.

 

 

 

 

Site staff members recycle everything they can, including downed trees and limbs to make mulch for garden beds and trails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fort Ancient Museum gift shop carries unique items, many of them handmade by Native artists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Services Associate Connie Bigelow (who has worked at Fort Ancient for 61 years!) answers questions over the phone from people planning a visit or wanting more information about the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands of school kids take field trips to Fort Ancient every year. These are scavenger hunt packets that the site has ready for them.

 

 

 

 

Educational Specialist Pam Hall teaches classes about Fort Ancient in the site’s classroom.

 

 

 

 

Site Manager Bill Kennedy gives museum and site tours to hundreds of groups every year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff members are always ready to help visitors make their time at Fort Ancient as educational, fun and safe as possible. Here Billy Wagner is helping some hikers who got lost on the trails.

 

 

 

 

Admission fees and gift shop sales are important sources of revenue for the site. Here Sarah Winningham is checking daily sales numbers.

Learn more about Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve by visiting yourself!  Click here for up-to-date days and hours of operation, as well as the phone number and address.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free general admission to Fort Ancient, as well as our 50+ other historic sites and museums. Visit ohiohistory.org/get-involved/join-membership to become a member!

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