Celebrate World Heritage Day at Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

The Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service will celebrate World Heritage Day, April 18, 2026 at the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. This is Ohio’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park; The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

World Heritage Day Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Celebrate World Heritage Day on April 18 at two of Ohio’s most remarkable cultural landmarks—the Great Circle Earthworks (455 Hebron Road in Heath) and the Octagon Earthworks (125 N. 33rd St. in Newark).

What to expect

Both sites will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Enjoy hands-on activities taking place from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at each location. Details here. 

• Free guided tours at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM at both the Great Circle and the Octagon
• Interactive experiences, learn about the incredible history of the earthworks, and connect with local organizations.
• Complete the Newark Earthworks Quest Book by visiting both sites to earn a Newark Earthworks Explorer pin—a fun way to discover and celebrate this World Heritage Site.
• Check outcommunity partners, including the Licking County Library, Licking Soil and Water Conservation District, and Denison University, with even more to explore throughout the day
• Food trucks will be available on site including Bite Back.\

Celebrate, learn, and experience a place that is important not just to Ohio, but to the entire world! 

Great Circle Earthworks; The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks Sites

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks was inscribed as Ohio’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 19, 2023.

World Heritage inscription brings recognition to places of exceptional interest and value. These sites serve to honor and preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

There are only about 1,000 World Heritage Sites around the globe, and the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are just the 25th World Heritage Listing in the U.S.

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is the collective name for eight works of monumental landscape architecture built by Native Americans between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago in central and southern Ohio.

Five of the earthworks sites are managed by the National Park Service, and three are managed by the Ohio History Connection.

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park; The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve
6123 State Route 350 in Oregonia

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
16062 State Route 104 in Chillicothe

The Newark Earthworks: Great Circle Earthworks and Octagon Earthworks
Great Circle Earthworks, 455 Hebron Road in Heath. Octagon Earthworks, 125 N. 33rd St. in Newark

Great Circle Earthworks; The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

About Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is the collective name for eight monumental sites built by Native Americans between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago. They are located in what is now the state of Ohio.

Five of the earthworks sites are managed by the National Park Service; three are managed by the Ohio History Connection.

The Earthworks were nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List in January 2022 by the U.S. Department of the Interior and were inscribed by the 21 countries on the World Heritage Committee on Sept. 19 during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For more information, go to hopewellearthworks.org.