Octagon State Memorial Open House | April 16th and April 17th, 2023.

The Octagon State Memorial, Newark Earthworks Map.
Image courtesy of the Ancient Ohio Trail.

The Octagon State Memorial is one of the most spectacular surviving remnants of the Newark Earthworks. The Octagon is connected to a perfectly circular enclosure 1,054 feet in diameter. The architecture of the Octagon Earthworks encodes a sophisticated understanding of geometry and astronomy. It is a National Historical Landmark and is on track to become a World Heritage site! Portions of the Octagon Earthworks is open to the public during daylight hours 365 days a year, but much of the site is used as a private golf course for most of the year, so access is restricted. Four times each year, however, golfing is suspended and the entire site is made available to the general public.

The site will be open daylight to dusk, with staff on site to answer questions from Noon–4 p.m. There is no registration or reservations needed for tours.

The Newark Earthworks served social, ceremonial and astronomical functions for their builders, people of the Hopewell Culture. The site is a National Historic Landmark and Ohio’s official prehistoric monument.

Activities will be held at the Great Circle and Octagon. See below for times.

Information Tables • Noon–4 p.m.

Whether you’re waiting for or resting from your Octagon Earthworks guided tour, there is still a lot to learn about. Visit one of the information tables hosted by the Ohio History Connection and others.

Guided Octagon Earthworks Tour • 12:30, 2:00 & 3:00 p.m.

On Sunday, Newark Earthworks Center Director Dr. John Low will be giving a tour at 2:30 p.m. at the Octagon State Memorial, and at the Great Circle at 4 p.m.

Join Ohio History Connection archaeologists and World Heritage staff Brad Lepper or Jennifer Aultman as they walk with guests through the circle and octagon earthen walls that make up the impressive Octagon Earthworks. Stops along the way will point out specific features including Observatory Mound and the many openings in the earthworks that are key to the 18.6-year lunar alignment encoded into the landscape.

Participating sites

• Great Circle – 455 Hebron Rd., Heath, OH
• Octagon Earthworks–125 N. 33rd St., Newark, OH
• Wright Earthworks – North of Grant St. on James, parallel to State Route 79 in Newark

For more information, visit the Ohio History Connection.

Octagon State Memorial

125 N. 33rd Street

Newark, OH 43055

Dr. Low (left in bright green) giving a tour
to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Elder's Council, 2014.
Image courtesy of Timothy E. Black.

On Sunday at the Octagon State Memorial at 2:30 p.m. Director of the Newark Earthworks Center Dr. John Low will be giving a guided tour. He will be giving another tour on Sunday at the Great Circle at 4 p.m.

Take your tour with you through:

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For more information, visit: the Ohio History Connection.