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World Heritage Week 2025

Join us for a week of commemorating the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio's only UNESCO World Heritage Site!

All activities and events are free to attend.

 

Saturday, April 12

Fort Ancient Earthworks

6123 State Route 350, Oregonia, OH 45054

10:30 a.m: Guided tour with Site Manager Bill Kennedy. Tour lasts 90 minutes to 2 hours.

 

Sunday, April 13

Great Circle Earthworks

 455 Hebron Road, Heath, Ohio 43056

Noon: Free guided tour led by Site Manager Sarah Hinkelman. Tour lasts 90 minutes to 2 hours.

2 p.m: Storytime: “Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun” with a fun make-and-take activity designed for children ages 3–10.

 

Monday, April 14*

Hopeton Earthworks

990 Hopetown Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601

10 a.m: Free guided tour led by a Ranger. Architecture includes earthen monuments memorializing ancestral shrines and geometric enclosures aligned to the endless cycles of the Sun and Moon.

 

Tuesday, April 15*

Hopewell Mound Group

4731 Sulphur Lick Rd., Chillicothe, OH 45601

10 a.m: Free guided tour led by a Ranger. At 111 acres, the main enclosure here is the largest single Hopewell earthen-walled area ever found and contained the largest Hopewell burial mound ever built.

 

Wednesday, April 16*

Seip Earthworks

7058 US HWY 50, Bainbridge, OH 45612

10 a.m: Free guided tour led by a Ranger. This massive complex includes burial mounds and a collection of circular structures.

 

Thursday, April 17*

Mound City Group

16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH 45601

10 a.m: Free guided tour led by a Ranger. This site is the only fully recreated Hopewell earthwork complex of the five managed by the National Park Service.

 

*National Park Service Tour Reminders

  • Tours will last approximately 2 hours and will cover 2-3 miles of unpaved, uneven terrain.
  • Tours are recommended for ages 12 and up.
  • There are no restrooms at the Hopeton Earthworks or Seip Earthworks locations.

 

Friday, April 18

Octagon Earthworks

125 N. 33rd St., Newark, OH 43055

11 a.m.– 2 p.m: Food trucks on site.

Noon: Free guided tour. Tour lasts 90 minutes to 2 hours.

3–4 p.m: Create-and-Take Activity for young visitors. We will read Joy Harjo's "Remember,” have a short presentation on the stars and moon and discuss how other cultures might have thought about time. The activity will end with participants creating their own clock or calendar to take home.

3:30–6:30 p.m: Food trucks on site.

4:30–5:30 p.m: TED Talk-Style Panel Discussion: “What it Means to be a World Heritage Site” moderated by Site Manager Sarah Hinkelman, with opening remarks from Ohio History Connection Executive Director and CEO Megan Wood and Q&A session to wrap up.

5:30–6:30 p.m: World Heritage Ambassador Reception.

6:30–7:30 p.m: Free guided Twilight Tour.

Ongoing Activity (11 a.m.–7 p.m.): World Heritage "bake it or make it" contest.

  • Get ready to raid your craft supplies or pantry and try your hand at recreating a Cultural Heritage Site on the UNESCO World Heritage list! Find ideas on the UNESCO World Heritage webpage: UNESCO World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List
  • 2 winners will be selected:
    • One winner will be selected by our Newark Earthworks site staff—judged on accuracy to the World Heritage site being replicated, and originality of materials.
    • One winner will be chosen by popular vote—who's the fan favorite!
  •  Winners of each category (staff and popular vote) will receive an Ohio History Connection Membership, Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks merch and a guided tour of the Newark Earthworks for you and your friends or family. All submissions will receive Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks swag to take home for their valiant efforts.
  • Must be able to fit in a 2-foot by 2-foot space
  • Entries can be dropped off beginning April 14 between Noon and 5 p.m. at the Octagon Earthworks Visitor Center but must arrive by 5 p.m. on April 18—perishable entries cannot be delivered before April 18.
  • Entries must include a printed photo of the World Heritage Site being replicated.
  • Public voting will begin at 5:30 and end at 8:30—winners will be notified on April 19. Prizes can be picked up or mailed.