Great Circle Earthworks and Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Attraction in Heath

Visiting the Ohio Great Circle was a fascinating and immersive experience. As I walked through the site, I could feel the crisp, fresh air and the deep historical significance of this place. The site holds the cultural and spiritual legacy of the indigenous peoples who lived here over 2,000 years ago.

What remains today is a vast circular earthwork, with towering earthen walls reaching about 2 meters (6 feet) high. Standing before these ancient formations, I couldn't help but draw a connection to Cổ Loa Citadel in Vietnam. Just like Cổ Loa, which features multiple concentric walls, the Ohio Great Circle showcases an impressive architectural feat of its time.

At Cổ Loa, the inner sanctum holds sacred sites like the thousand-year-old banyan tree, the shrine of Mỵ Châu, and the temple of King An Dương Vương, along with various local customs still practiced today. Similarly, the Ohio Great Circle carries a spiritual essence, with its open grassy spaces and tree-lined center evoking a sense of reverence for the past.

After spending time at the Great Circle, we continued our journey to the Octagon Earthworks. Walking through the golf course that now occupies part of the site, we reflected on the remarkable precision of the ancient builders. It was awe-inspiring to think about how they carefully measured and tracked the cycles of the Moon over countless years, using these earthworks as a celestial observatory.

This site is more than just an ancient earthwork—it is a testament to the ingenuity and beliefs of early civilizations. Whether you are a history enthusiast or simply looking for a serene and thought-provoking place to visit, the Ohio Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks are definitely...

I happened to stumble across this park today and I had a wonderful time! For history buffs, this small town of Newark is packed with deep rich history especially within these earthworks sites. It’s free to walk around, and the staff at the visitor center are kind, welcoming, and very knowledgeable on the history of the mounds and their partner tribes. Im all about traveling on a budget so when I heard that they offer free tours at noon each day they’re open over at the octagon mound, I was seriously impressed! They also offer educational programs and will have viewings of the lunar alignment in the fall. I came right around 10 am, and there were not many people at all. I maybe passed 2-3 other people/pairs. It was quiet, serene and beautiful. I highly recommend going and walking around. I also recommend asking questions! The staff are so warm and would love to...

Beautiful, sacred historic site. We visited the open house at Octagon Earthworks and drove over to see the Great Circle too, in the hopes that the little museum might be open on open house day, even though it's normally closed on weekends. To our surprise, it was! A very friendly & helpful volunteer gave us more info about both sites and there were two small rooms of informative displays about the site and its history. We also walked around inside the Great Circle for awhile and marveled at the scale of the place. No photos do it justice, the walls are higher than I had pictured. Definitely a must-see. All of the Newark Earthworks...