Visit the Newark Area Earthworks
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- Newark Area Earthworks
Built by ancient American Indians between AD 1 to AD 400, the Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks were part cathedral, part astronomical observatory. You can visit these architectural wonders in the charming cities of Newark and Heath, Ohio, stand where these brilliant builders stood, and feel the wisdom they wrote into the land.
Tips for your visit
- Parking lots are a moderate distance away from the earthworks and museum
- Great Circle Earthworks has a Visitor’s Center with Restrooms
- Guided or Self-Guided Tours Available
- Public Path & Signage
- Golf cart tours are available at the Octagon Earthworks for guests with mobility concerns. To help us accommodate your visit, please email newarkearthworks@ohiohistory.org at least two weeks in advance. Please note that availability is not guaranteed and is subject to scheduling and staff resources.
Travel Resources
There’s more to do after visiting the Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks. Newark, a historic town and the seat of Licking County, boasts a wide range of tourism offerings and attractions related to Ohio’s early industry. Located about 35 minutes away from the Columbus metropolitan area, there’s plenty to do, see, and explore.
Find more details to help you plan your visit, additional driving directions, and more about the Newark Area Earthworks.
Learn more about the towns, book a stay at a local campground, or explore one of the area’s beautiful trails.
Great Circle Earthworks
Explore the small museum and visitors center located at the Great Circle, easily accessible from a nearby parking area. Start your journey with a bronze model at the entrance, providing an overview of the Newark Earthworks complex. Inside, you’ll find restrooms, a bookshop, interactive media programs, and engaging exhibits. Trail maps of both Newark sites and the Guide to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are available to enhance your visit. The exhibits at the Newark Great Circle offer a complete understanding of the former Newark Earthwork complex, guiding you to both the Great Circle site and the Octagon Earthworks, just two miles away.
Discover interpretive signage placed around the Great Circle, allowing you to explore at your own pace. Self-guided visits are available year-round at both Newark sites, while guided interpretation is offered seasonally. Tours at the Great Circle include an introduction at the bronze model, a guided tour of the enclosure, and access to interpretive signs throughout the park. Over a thousand school children visit on field trips each year, immersing themselves in Ohio’s fourth-grade curriculum on American Indian history and culture.
Visitor Info
455 Hebron Road
Heath, Ohio 43056
- Park grounds: Open dawn until dusk
- Museum and visitor center: Open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
- Tours: Admission to either the Great Circle or Octagon site is $10 for adults (ages 12+), $7 for seniors (65+), and $5 for students and children ages 5–12; children under 5 are free. Admission to both sites is $15 when booked together, and Ohio History Connection members receive free entry. No registration is required for regularly scheduled tours; visitors should stop at the Visitor Center to purchase tickets before tours begin. Tours take place rain or shine, with no paved walkways into the earthworks, so appropriate attire is recommended. Winter tours (January–February) occur on the second Saturday of each month, with Great Circle tours at 11 a.m. and Octagon tours at 2 p.m. Spring tours (March–May) run Wednesday through Sunday at the same times. Special tours led by Senior World Heritage Archaeologist Brad Lepper are offered March–November on the first Friday at 11 a.m. at the Great Circle and the third Friday at 2 p.m. at the Octagon; these tours are free, with donations encouraged to support education and public programming at the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.
Coordinates:
40.0402671 °N
82.4277555 °W
Octagon Earthworks
At the Octagon Earthworks, park and take in the site’s beauty from the southern perimeter. You can enjoy the view from the elevated platform near the parallel walls of the Avenue or from the path near the Observatory Mound. Sidewalks throughout allow you to take in one of the grandest remnants of the Newark Earthworks. The site is open during daylight hours, though there are no public amenities.
The Visitor Center is open Wednesday-Sunday from from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. with free tours offered at Noon.
Visitor Info
125 North 33rd Street
Newark, Ohio 43055
- Park grounds: The Octagon Earthworks site is open to the public during daylight hours.
- Visitor center: Open from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. from Wednesday–Sunday.
- Tours: Admission to either the Great Circle or Octagon site is $10 for adults (ages 12+), $7 for seniors (65+), and $5 for students and children ages 5–12; children under 5 are free. Admission to both sites is $15 when booked together, and Ohio History Connection members receive free entry. No registration is required for regularly scheduled tours; visitors should stop at the Visitor Center to purchase tickets before tours begin. Tours take place rain or shine, with no paved walkways into the earthworks, so appropriate attire is recommended. Winter tours (January–February) occur on the second Saturday of each month, with Great Circle tours at 11 a.m. and Octagon tours at 2 p.m. Spring tours (March–May) run Wednesday through Sunday at the same times. Special tours led by Senior World Heritage Archaeologist Brad Lepper are offered March–November on the first Friday at 11 a.m. at the Great Circle and the third Friday at 2 p.m. at the Octagon; these tours are free, with donations encouraged to support education and public programming at the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.
Coordinates:
40.0519828 °N
82.4463745 °W