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The Octagon Earthworks are part of the Newark Earthworks complex of prehistoric Indian earthworks, originally one of the most extensive earthworks of its kind in the country.
Enclosing 50 acres, the Octagon Earthworks are joined by parallel walls to a circular embankment enclosing 20 acres. Within the octagon, opposite the openings are small mounds. The Octagon Earthworks were built by the Hopewell Indians (100 BC-AD 500) and were probably used for ceremonial, social, and religious purposes. Wright Earthworks and The Great Circle Earthworks (formerly known as Moundbuilders State Memorial) are both additional local sites that preserve other features of this majestic remnant of prehistoric Ohio.
At present the Octagon Earthworks is also the site of the Moundbuilders Country Club golf course. Use care in viewing them. Guidelines are posted at the site. There is a viewing platform near the parking lot. For more information, or to arrange tours, contact the Newark Earthworks State Memorial at (800) 600-7178.
About Special Events and Group Visits to the Octagon Earthworks
Frequently organizations and school groups request special access and services at the Octagon Earthworks. As part of the access agreement put into practice in 2001, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) has established a procedure to accommodate these requests.
Subject to the availability of OHS staff and reasonable accommodation of the needs of the Moundbuilders Country Club (MCC), groups may schedule visits to the Octagon Earthworks. Groups seeking to visit must make prior arrangements with OHS staff assigned to the Newark Earthworks well in advance. OHS will coordinate these requests with MCC. For safety reasons, groups must be led by OHS staff. Please contact the Newark Earthworks site manager at 800-600-7178 (toll free) to request a group visit.
A limited number of days and times are set aside for special events developed by OHS staff involving interpretation of the Octagon Earthworks. These events may not necessarily require access to the whole site or for an entire day. Special events are scheduled well in advance in cooperation with MCC.
2012
Octagon Earthworks Open House
Newark Earthworks, NEWARK
Daylight hours
The golf course on the site has suspended play four days each year. Visitors have the opportunity to walk
throughout the earthworks during these "golf-free days" and discover this amazing structure that was built over
2,000 years ago. For more information, call 800.589.8224. Admission: FREE.
2012 Open House dates:
Sunday and Monday, April 15 & 16, daylight hours
Activities and Tours: Sunday and Monday, noon to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 29, daylight hours
Activities and Tours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, October 14, daylight hours
Activities and Tours: noon to 4 p.m.
LEARN MORE: Learn more about the Newark Earthworks by visiting the Great Circle Museum. Visitors are invited to watch an interactive video explaining the significance of the site and tour a 1,000-square-foot exhibit that includes a timeline of Ohio's ancient cultures and an explanation of why American Indians regard the Newark Earthworks as a sacred site. The exhibit also details how the earthworks align with the rising and setting of the moon. Following the museum tour, visitors can take self-guided tours of the grounds during daylight hours. The Great Circle Earthworks are part of the Newark Earthworks consisting of the nearby Octagon Earthworks and Wright Earthworks. The Great Circle Museum is also the new home of the Licking County Convention and Visitors Bureau (LCCVB). The LCCVB offers travel-related products and services to assist visitors in Licking County. For more information, call 800.589.8224 or visit www.lccvb.com
Hours:
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Open All Year |
Daylight Hours |
Admission
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Park Admission for all visitors is: |
FREE |
Location
View Larger Map
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The Octagon Earthworks are at North 33rd Street and Parkview Road on the west side of Newark, in Licking County. They are on the grounds of the Moundbuilders Country Club, 125 North 33rd Street.
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General Information
Octagon Earthworks
c/o Ohio Historical Society
800 E. 17th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211
Phone:
614.297.2653
800.840.6127 (toll free)
Site Manager:
E. Bartlett
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