Location:  Seip Earthworks, 7078 US Rt 50, Bainbridge, OH 45612

Join us Sunday, September 13th, to help capture and tag monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)! As part of the Monarch Watch program, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is helping a nationwide effort to study the amazing migration monarchs undertake every fall.

Nets and free handouts will be provided about butterflies and other wildlife. Make sure to bring water, sunscreen, and running shoes- these butterflies are planning to migrate thousands of miles, so will take you on a great chase at times. Expect to walk and/or run a lot! All participants will need to complete a volunteer form.

Park staff will demonstrate safe and proper techniques for capturing and handling these delicate winged marvels. Once a monarch is carefully captured, they will receive a tag- which is a specially made sticker placed on their wings. Volunteers and scientists along the migration route throughout the country and Mexico can then easily observe the tag and thereby assist in tracking monarchs to their winter homes and back!  Rangers will be waiting to greet you near the entrance of Seip Earthworks to help guide you to the sampling location.

Site to be determined

Location:  Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

Nature shaped the lives of people during Hopewell times and then people shaped the natural world around them in these beautiful earthworks. Hopewell Culture national Historical Park is still a refuge for wildlife, and BATS and MOTHS have always been some of the most fascinating creatures in the night sky. People of the Hopewell time shared our fascination, even immortalizing the bat in their ceremonial artwork.

Please plan to arrive for this FREE program at Mound City Visitor Center between 6-6:30 p.m. Allow yourself time to stroll among the mounds and near the river before we gather in our Education Pavillion at 6:30 p.m. Discover the true nature of bats; these social creatures are unusual mammals! As one of their main food sources, moths have developed “anti-bat” adaptations to survive in their bat-eat-moth world. As night falls, our rangers will help you observe moths and engage in bat-watching and listening near the mounds.

Because we are observing insects and insectivores (animals that eat insects), please use bug spray as sparingly as possible, applying it before you arrive at the park. We will not need flashlights, but if you do feel you must bring a light source, plan for one adult in your group to direct it only toward feet.

We regret to share that our planned trip on Thursday, September 10, to explore the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks and the Ohio History Connection’s exhibit, Indigenous Wonders of our World—The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, has been cancelled. Although we were looking forward to a full day together, we are unable to move forward as scheduled. If you have already registered, your payment will be returned promptly. Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to offer this experience again in the future.

Location:  Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

Join us for an afternoon of Junior Ranger activities! Rangers will be set up at several stations around the park to guide visitors through fun family activities.  Come explore your National Park and earn Junior Ranger badges! This is a free event with no registration required.

Location: Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

An in-depth look at war, sovereignty, and the future of the Ohio country.

In the years following the British defeat in the American Revolution, growing American encroachment on Native homelands fueled tense and violent struggles throughout the Ohio country. The 1795 Treaty of Greenville ended the fighting on American terms, securing vast land cessions and reshaping the future of the region’s Native Nations.  The 1795 Treaty of Greenville marked a profound rupture in the indigenous relationship with the Ohio landscape that stretched back thousands of years. 

Location: Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

An in-depth look at war, sovereignty, and the future of the Ohio country.

In the years following the British defeat in the American Revolution, growing American encroachment on Native homelands fueled tense and violent struggles throughout the Ohio country. The 1795 Treaty of Greenville ended the fighting on American terms, securing vast land cessions and reshaping the future of the region’s Native Nations.  The 1795 Treaty of Greenville marked a profound rupture in the indigenous relationship with the Ohio landscape that stretched back thousands of years. 

Location:  Hopeton Earthworks, 990 Hopetown Road, Chillicothe, OH

Calling all dog lovers! Gather at Hopeton Earthworks on Bark Ranger Day - Sunday, August 23rd – at 1 PM to discover the ancient beauty of this fantastic local earthwork site. Let your dog enjoy the fresh air and scenic trail alongside you, while you soak in the rich history and natural beauty of the site – interpreted by a friendly National Park Service Ranger. Make this park your next outing for you and your four-legged friend.  Receive a free Bark Ranger patch and sticker, while supplies last, for demonstrating responsible use of the NPS site alongside your canine companion!

Tour will last approximately an hour long over uneven, sloped terrain. Bring sunscreen, bug spray, water and a pair of sturdy hiking shoes or boots. For your dog, bring a leash (expect to keep your dog on that leash), water for your dog, and bags to pick up their waste.  There are no restrooms or drinking water at Hopeton Earthworks.

Location:  Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

What did people eat during the Hopewell period? What plants did they use to make clothing and which did they use to dye the cloth different colors? Plants were important for both everyday activities and for special gatherings at earthworks - whether for food, clothing, medicine, or dye. But how exactly did domestic life intersect with the elaborate gatherings at Hopewell earthworks? Join us to learn about some of the most recent Hopewell research and explore how plant practices were intertwined with identity, community, and participation in the Hopewell world.  Presented by Park Ranger Abby Deewaard (M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in paleoethnobotany) and will discuss the results of her thesis research based on a habitation site near the  Hopeton Earthworks.

Location:  Mound City Group, 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH

What did people eat during the Hopewell period? What plants did they use to make clothing and which did they use to dye the cloth different colors? Plants were important for both everyday activities and for special gatherings at earthworks - whether for food, clothing, medicine, or dye. But how exactly did domestic life intersect with the elaborate gatherings at Hopewell earthworks? Join us to learn about some of the most recent Hopewell research and explore how plant practices were intertwined with identity, community, and participation in the Hopewell world.  Presented by Park Ranger Abby Deewaard (M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in paleoethnobotany) and will discuss the results of her thesis research based on a habitation site near the  Hopeton Earthworks.

Ranger led Tour of Hopeton Earthworks 10:00am – 12:00pm

Seip Earthworks Highlights – 10:00am – 1:00pm, Rangers will be stationed throughout the site at key locations.  Visitors will walk self-guided to view what they want and take deeper dives into conversations with rangers under tents.

This compact, richly illustrated travel guide introduces visitors to the Indigenous earthwork wonders of southern Ohio—including the newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage sites—through a traveler’s lens, blending vivid architectural experiences with clear site descriptions, curated routes, and coordinated maps, photos, interviews, and orientation videos. Drawing on decades of archaeological, historical, and Indigenous collaboration, it offers deeply informed context while leading readers to the region’s cultural, scenic, and natural highlights. Professor Hancock will also share the 30‑year journey behind the project and how this curated regional approach reveals the surprising depth of southern Ohio’s American Indian heritage for both armchair and on‑site explorers.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Ohio University Chillicothe.

Ranger-led Tour of Seip Earthworks 10:00am – 12:00pm

Cancelled -Hopewell Mound Group Highlights
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: Hopewell Mound Group, 4731 Sulphur Lick Rd
Duration: Self-paced

Due to the threat of thunderstorms all morning and throughout the day, the June 22 Hopewell Mound Group Highlights event is canceled.  Stay tuned for future events and opportunities at www.nps.gov/hocu

CANCELLED. The Genealogy Class: Two Engaging Sessions, sponsored by the Nathaniel Massie Chapter DAR, Friends of Hopewell Culture NHP, the Ross County Genealogical Society, and Ohio University Chillicothe, has been postponed until September. Stay tuned for new details.

Ranger-led Tour of Hopewell Mound Group. 10:00am – 12:00pm

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks - Landscape Monuments of the Ancient Ohio Valley
Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks presents Ohio’s eight UNESCO-inscribed earthworks in a public-voiced, lavishly illustrated volume from Smithsonian Books. A re-edited expansion of the sites’ World Heritage nomination dossier—completed in collaboration with the Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service—it features illustrated descriptions and histories of these Indigenous masterpieces, with summaries of their archaeological research, architectural experience, and insights from American Indian scholars and leaders. Other chapters cover the World Heritage criteria and process, the earthwork builder’s design and construction skills, the Hopewell culture’s artistry and other major monuments, and modern tribal involvements with these places.

Location: Ohio University Chillicothe, Stevenson Center

Books will be available to purchase at the event. Reception hosted by Friends of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park.

Free and Open to the public but registration is required and limited to 100. Register at https://forms.gle/VJsBMbyWtsYUCoM86.

Bill Kennedy will take us through the remarkable landscape of Fort Ancient, built high on a bluff overlooking the Little Miami River. He highlights the site’s miles of trails, its massive earthen embankments—some rising 23 feet—and the sophisticated astronomical alignments built into the earthworks. With more than 67 gateways, the design encourages movement, gathering, and community, reflecting the intentions of the people who shaped this place one basket of soil at a time.

Bill also explores Morehead Circle near the museum, where evidence of a woodhenge—a ring of wooden posts—suggests that ceremonies and sacred gatherings once took place. Through his presentation, we gain a deeper understanding of Fort Ancient as both a natural sanctuary and a ceremonial landscape.

Experience a rare opportunity to visit High Bank Works, open to the public only for special events.  Park staff will share the site's remarkable lunar and solar alignments, which connect High Bank Works to the Octagon Earthworks, over 60 miles distant!

This event is free but does require pre-registration.  To register, call Hopewell Culture National Historical Park at 740-774-1126 and sign-up.  Parking is very limited.  There are no restrooms.  Walking will take place on gravel roads, and in farm fields with uneven terrain.  Ages 12 and up are best suited for this event.

For more information about Hopewell Culture National Historical Park's events, please visit the park's online calendar at https://go.nps.gov/hocu_calendar or call the park at 740-774-1126.

Mound City Group is a uniquely sacred space, even among Hopewell earthworks. Walking among these burial mounds can give the sense of what it must have been like to attend a ceremonial gathering here nearly two thousand years ago.

Join Dr. Timothy Everhart for a presentation, April 16, 6 p.m. at Ohio University Chillicothe, Bennett Hall, Room 110.
Warren King Moorehead is among the most noteworthy and notorious figures in the early history of American Archaeology. Over the course of his career, he led excavations at many of the best-known Indigenous heritage places in North America, including Cahokia, Fort Ancient, Pueblo Bonito, and Hopewell Mound Group, to name just a few. During his life and in the time since, his career has attracted an amount of assessment that stands in disproportion to the biographical attention it has received. Detailed historiographical attention is critical for several reasons. Foremost is the need by archaeologists, museum professionals, and Tribal heritage practitioners to establish the specific contexts of Moorehead’s work and assess its impacts on Indigenous heritage. Additionally, Moorehead’s career is perhaps the most illuminating case study for understanding the discipline’s period of professionalization. This presentation will discuss Moorehead’s early career, with particular attention to his 1891-1892 work at the Hopewell Mound Group.

Free and Open to the Public 

Explore one of the largest and most impressive three-part Hopewell earthwork complexes with a ranger-guided tour. Tour will last 2 hours.  Plan for a walk on uneven grass and dress prepared for the weather.

March 28—Flint Knapper Ed Moreland, Hopewell Mound Group, 1:00 p.m.
Ed Moreland, will demonstrate flint knapping for the public. A discussion of the history of flint knapping and the knapping process will be followed by a live demonstration. Learn about this ancient technology.