COLUMBUS – The Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service will celebrate the second anniversary of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks’ inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List with special events on Friday, September 19, at sites in Licking, Ross, and Warren counties.
The earthworks, constructed by Native Americans between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago, include eight monumental sites of landscape architecture in central and southern Ohio. Five are managed by the National Park Service, while three fall under the care of the Ohio History Connection.
On September 19, 2023, during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the World Heritage Committee inscribed the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The recognition placed Ohio’s earthworks among roughly 1,200 protected cultural and natural sites worldwide, making them the 25th World Heritage listing in the United States and the only one located in Ohio.
To honor the milestone, several public programs are planned:
- Octagon Earthworks (Newark) – Free guided tours at 12:30 and 3 p.m.
- Great Circle Earthworks (Newark) – Ticketed tour at 2 p.m.
- Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve (Warren County) – Ticketed tours at 1 and 3 p.m.
- Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (Chillicothe) – Free self-guided tours of all sites. The Mound City Group Visitor Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with opportunities to meet park rangers, view a 20-minute interpretive film, and take part in the World Heritage Junior Ranger program for kids.
Megan Wood, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection, said the anniversary underscores the importance of these sites.
“The second anniversary of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a reminder of these monumental sites and history we have right here in Ohio,” Wood said. “These sites have been – and remain – vital pieces of Ohio’s history for nearly 2,000 years, and this is just the beginning of their recognition on the global stage.”
More information about the anniversary events is available at hopewellearthworks.org/inscriptionanniversary
