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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

News

World Heritage Week 2025

12

Apr

Image of the Mound City mounds with the sun shining in the early morning.

Join us for a week of commemorating the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site!   Saturday, April 12th Fort Ancient Earthworks Location: 6123 State Route 350, Oregonia, OH 45054 10:30 a.m: Site tour with Ohio History Connection archaeologist Bill Kennedy. Tour lasts about an hour and a half to two hours.   Sunday,…

News

Octagon Earthworks Now Open to the Public

20

Feb

Two people walking between the mounds of the Octagon on a spring day. The words on the image say

Plan your visit to the Octagon Earthworks, which has been open to the public since Jan. 1, 2025! The Octagon grounds are open to the public daily during daylight hours every day of the year. During the winter, guided tours are offered at noon Wednesdays through Sundays. Tours begin at the Octagon Earthworks Visitor Center,…

News

November is Native American Heritage Month

12

Nov

crowd at Octagon Earthworks

What does it mean to our Tribal partners? November is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Native American communities. For our Tribal partners, it is an opportunity to honor their traditions, preserve their stories and highlight their ongoing impact in society. It’s also a moment to reflect on…

Blogs

Blog

Honoring Ancient Indigenous History at Newark’s Octagon Earthworks

30

Dec

Observatory Mound

By Brad Lepper, Senior Archaeologist for the Ohio History Connection’s World Heritage Program On January 1st, 2025, a new era dawns for Newark’s Octagon Earthworks, one of the brightest jewels in the crown of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage site. This 2,000-year-old Indigenous wonder of the world has been shrouded by a golf…

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.

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