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Witness ancient brilliance in each of the Hopewell earthworks

Great Circle Earthworks

Great Circle Earthworks Sunrise

Great Circle Earthworks

Octagon Earthworks

Octagon Earth Works

Octagon Earthworks

Mound City

Mound City

Mound City

Hopewell Mound Group

Hopewell Earthworks

Hopewell Mound Group

Hopeton Earthworks

Hopeton Earthworks

Hopeton Earthworks

High Bank Works

High Bank Works

High Bank Works

Seip Earthworks

Seip Earthworks

Seip Earthworks

Fort Ancient

Fort Ancient

Fort Ancient

A memorable and enriching experience

Discover the Awe-Inspiring Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Ohio’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site

Masterpieces of human creative genius, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are gigantic earthen enclosures built by American Indians 2,000 years ago. They were places of ceremony connected to the cosmos by alignments to key risings and settings of the moon and sun. Come and experience these sacred earthworks of the ancient Hopewell culture and gain a new appreciation of the achievements of Ohio’s Indigenous peoples—as well as a deeper connection to the world and our place in it.

Photo by: John Hancock

Photo by: National Park Service/Tom Engberg

Photo by: John Hancock

Photo by: John Hancock

Photo by: NPS

Masterpieces of human creative genius, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are gigantic earthen enclosures built by American Indians 2,000 years ago. They were places of ceremony connected to the cosmos by alignments to key risings and settings of the moon and sun. Come and experience these sacred earthworks of the ancient Hopewell culture and gain a new appreciation of the achievements of Ohio’s Indigenous peoples—as well as a deeper connection to the world and our place in it.

Where Earth Meets Sky

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are complex masterpieces of landscape architecture. The huge squares, circles, and octagons, which are geometrically precise and align perfectly with the cycles of the sun and moon, were built by dispersed communities of American Indians who periodically gathered at these special places to worship and stay connected to one another. The earthworks are incredibly big to accommodate those large numbers of people.

Artifacts found at these sites are made from unusual raw materials such as mica from Appalachia, seashells from the Gulf of Mexico, and obsidian from the Rocky Mountains. This shows that people traveled here from the ends of the Hopewell world bringing with them rare and precious gifts. The immense effort this would have required further solidifies these earthworks as centers of human ingenuity.

Great Circle Earthworks

Great Circle Earthworks Sunrise

Great Circle Earthworks

Octagon Earthworks

Octagon Earth Works

Octagon Earthworks

Mound City

Mound City

Mound City

Hopewell Mound Group

Hopewell Earthworks

Hopewell Mound Group

Hopeton Earthworks

Hopeton Earthworks

Hopeton Earthworks

High Bank Works

High Bank Works

High Bank Works

Seip Earthworks

Seip Earthworks

Seip Earthworks

Fort Ancient

Fort Ancient

Fort Ancient
UNESCO logo

Universally Revered, Globally Recognized

UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Stonehenge, The Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Great Wall of China, must have outstanding universal value to humanity. No matter where they’re located, these sites serve to honor and preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks joined more than 1,100 other important places on this distinguished list. It is the first and only UNESCO site in the state of Ohio.

News and Events

Event – Oregonia, OH

October Maximum Northern Moonrise Viewing

21

Oct

Image of the moon shining in the night sky at Fort Ancient, with a tree silhouette visible.

 

Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve

6 p.m.–7 a.m.

Every 18.6 years, the moon completes its cycle and reaches its northernmost rising point. This year, the cycle reaches its end—come see the Northernmost Rising Point alignment built into the 2,000-year-old earthworks here at Fort Ancient, marking the end of the current lunar cycle.

The Warren County Astronomical Society will be on site with telescopes for public viewing and to answer questions. The Orionid Meteor shower should be peaking, too.

This is a family-friendly event with activities inside and outside for all ages. The museum and gift shop will be open until 11 p.m.

Admission is free.

Event – Newark, OH

Newark Earthworks Open House

20

Oct

crowd at Octagon Earthworks

 

A few times a year, visitors are invited to fully experience all three segments of Newark’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. Inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023, these massive artifacts of creative genius served social, ceremonial and astronomical functions for their builders.

Sunday, October 20

The Great Circle Museum will be open from Noon–4 p.m.

Octagon Tours

  • Noon
  • 2 p.m.
  • 4 p.m. – last tour of the day

Great Circle Tours

  • 1 p.m.
  • 3 p.m.

 

Information and Demonstration Tables

Present from Noon– 4 p.m.

  • Great Circle
    • Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve
      • Nature imprints
      • Pump Drill
      • Flint Give-away
    • The Works
  • The Octagon
    • Heartland Earthworks Conservancy
    • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
    • Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Monday, October 21

The Great Circle Museum will be open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Octagon Tours

  • 10 a.m.
  • Noon
  • 2 p.m.
  • 4 p.m.

Great Circle Tours

  • 11 a.m.
  • 1 p.m.
  • 3 p.m.

 

Information and Demonstration Tables

Present from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

  • Great Circle
    • Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve
      • Nature imprints
      • Pump Drill
      • Flint Give-away
    • The Works
  • The Octagon
    • Heartland Earthworks Conservancy
    • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
    • Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

 

Presentation

5–6 p.m.

Geometry and Astronomy of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks by Sarah Hinkelman

News

Framing Hopewell: A Photo Contest

13

Sep

Framing Hopewell A Photo Contest

  To celebrate our one-year inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we invite you to join our photo contest, “Framing Hopewell”. This contest intends to highlight the abundant wildlife, natural beauty and people connected to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks World Heritage Site. This site holds profound historical and cultural importance, and we encourage you…

Blogs

Blog

Road Trippin’ with Truda: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

01

Jul

Map of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park at the Mound City Visitor Center shows visitor where they are in relation to the 5 other world heritage sites that exist in the park.

Join me as I visit the sites in the Ohio History Connection network! This month’s road trip took me to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks sites in Oregonia, Chillicothe and Newark & Heath. For this month’s road trip, I definitely bit off more than I could chew. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the recent addition…

Feel Ancient Wisdom Written in the Land

You can experience a feeling of wonder, connection, and reverence at each of these amazing earthworks. Find everything you need to plan your visit to one or all of them here.

The People Behind the Earthworks

History & Discovery

Dig deeper into the archaeological discovery of the earthworks, the impact of the arrival of European settlers, and the Indigenous perspectives on their history.

The Hopewell Culture

The ancient American Indian Hopewell culture created these magnificent monuments though cooperation and shared beliefs. The earthworks and the artifacts found there are clues to the way of life of these unique people — a biography written in the land.

Stay Connected

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