Chillicothe

Chillicothe is a city in Ross County in South Central Ohio and is the county seat of Ross County. In the 1800s, it was designated as the capital of the "eastern section" of the Northwest Territory. Later the State Constitutional Convention was held in Chillicothe, and in 1803, Ohio entered the Union, Chillicothe became the first state capital of Ohio. The name of the city was derived from a Shawnee word meaning "principal town". It is located along the Scioto River and Paint Creek.

Understand

Hopewell Culture National Historic Park

Get in

By car

• Approx 45 miles south of Columbus along US-23 or SR-104
• Approx 80 miles southeast of Dayton along US-35.
• Approx 100 miles east of Cincinnati along US-50
• Approx 44 miles north of Portsmouth along US-23 or SR-104.

By plane

• 1 John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH ^IATA), 4600 International Gateway, Columbus, ☏ +1 614 239-4083. Direct flights to most major American cities.  

See

Downtown Chillicothe

• Pump House Center for the Arts, Yoctangee Park, ☏ +1 740 772-5783. Tu-F 11AM-4PM, Sa Su 1PM-4PM. The Pump House was constructed in 1883 as a municipal pumping station for distribution of water from the deep well field in Yoctangee Park. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Pump House is an example of Victorian Gothic architecture housing an ever changing collection of painting, sculpture and art. 
• Dard Hunter Studios, 8 Highland Ave, ☏ +1 740-774-1236. The Mountain House was built in 1850 by a German family named Meggenhofen who operated a winery here for many years, tending the terraced vineyards below the house. Gift shop is open M-F 9AM to 5PM. Reservations are required for a tour. Call at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment. 

Bird Claw and Bear Tooth in mica - Hopewell

• 1 Adena Mansion and Gardens, Adena Road (outside of Chillicothe), ☏ +1 740-772-1500. Home of Thomas Worthington (1773-1827). He was the sixth Governor of Ohio and one of the first United States senators from Ohio. There is a newer museum and education center. The view from the north lawn to the Logan Range is depicted on the Great Seal of Ohio. Quite a place. $7. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Chillicothe Railroad Museum, Paint and Water Sts, ☏ +1 740-702-7675. M-F 10AM-4PM, Sa Su noon-3PM.  
• James A. Thomas Telephone Museum, 68 E Main St, ☏ +1 740-772-8200. M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM. Free.  
• Dr. John D. Harris Dental Museum (Bainbridge Dental Museum), 209 Main St, ☏ +1 740-634-2228, info@cradleofdentistry.org. Located in Bainbridge, Ohio, Hours vary.  
• Lucy Hayes Heritage Center, 90 W 6th St, ☏ +1 740-775-5829. Hours vary. 
• Majestic Theater, 45 E 2nd St. Longest running, free standing theater in United States. 
• Ross County Heritage Center, 45 W 5th St, +1 740-772-1936. Hours vary.
• Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre - Tecumseh!, 5968 Marietta Rd. Huge outdoor stages. 

Hopewell sites

Five out of the eight components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is in or relatively close to Chillicothe:

• 3 Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, 16062 State Route 104, ☏ +1 740 774-1126. A group of 23 earthen mounds built by the Hopewell culture, 200 BC to AD 500, destroyed by the US Federal Government to build Fort Sherman in 1913 and then partially rebuilt/restored and turned into a National Historic Park. In 2023 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  
• 4 Mound City. (updated Sep 2023)
• 5 High Bank Works. (updated Sep 2023)
• 6 Hopewell Mound Group. (updated Sep 2023)
• 7 Seip Earthworks (southwest of Chillicothe, near Bainbridge). (updated Sep 2023)

Do

• Chillicothe Paints. Single A, Frontier League Baseball - 90 game schedule  
• Paint Valley Jamboree, 125 E Main St, Bainbridge, ☏ +1 740-634-3333. Sa 7PM. Ohio's oldest country music show since 1965; call for reservations. 
• Annual Feast of the Moon Festival, info@feastofthefloweringmoon.org. Last weekend in May. A festival that attempts to preserve Native American culture. (updated Sep 2019)
• Charity Bed Race. 4th of July. (updated Sep 2019)
• Ross County Fair, 344 Fairgrounds Rd, ☏ +1-740-775-5083. First full week in August. (updated Sep 2019)
• Easy Rider Rodeo. every Labor Day Weekend. (updated Sep 2019)
• International Sunflower Festival (Frankfort). Labor Day Weekend. (updated Sep 2019)
• Mountain Heritage Camp out (Tar Hollow State Park). one weekend in mid-Sep. (updated Sep 2019)
• Apple Harvest Festival, Hersch Fruit Farm, 12846 State Route 772. Mid-September. Orchard tours, pick your own apples, apple butter making, corn maze, petting animals, horse drawn wagon rides. (updated Jan 2019)
• Fall Festival of the Leaves Bainbridge. 3 days in mid-Oct

Learn

The Temple of the Winds. Chillicothe has a number of historic buildings.

• 1 Ohio University-Chillicothe, 101 University Dr, ☏ +1 740-774-7200. 2,500 students.  
• Pickaway Ross Career and Technology Center. (Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School), ☏ +1 740-642-1288, +1 740-474-3331. 

Buy

• Chillicothe Farmers Market, 475 Western Ave. May-Oct: Sa 8AM-noon. Anyone interested in selling at the market can register between 7AM and 8AM 
• History Store, 101 N Paint St, ☏ +1 740-775-7400. M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM. 

Eat

• Giovanni's Pizza, 423 Western Ave, ☏ +1 740-773-0022. Locally owned and operated, New York style pizza 
• Crispie Creme, 47 N Bridge St, ☏ +1 740-774-3770. Donuts. 
• Old Canal Smokehouse, 94 E Water St, ☏ +1 740-779-3278. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Su 11AM-10PM. 
• Carl's Townhouse, 95 W 2nd St, ☏ +1 740-773-1660. 6AM-5PM daily. Carl's is a family owned, hometown diner style restaurant. Great food for breakfast and lunch... but don't expect dinner there, because they close at 5PM. 
• County Crust Bakery, 4918 SR 41 South, Bainbridge.
• The Old Home Place, ☏ +1 740-998-4303. 1/4 mile north of U.S. Route 35. Amish Bakery - Troyer Meats - Cheese - Bulk Foods. 

Drink

• Dock at Water, 80 E Water St, ☏ +1 740-779-3625. 

Sleep

• 1 Great Seal State Park, 4908 Marietta Rd, ☏ +1 740-887-4818. 15-site campground, pressurized water, vault latrines, playground, shelterhouse, pet camping, shelterhouse, horse camp, 22 miles of trails, hunting, playground equipment, disc golf course, volleyball, basketball, horseshoe court. (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Best Western Adena Inn, 1250 N Bridge St, ☏ +1 740-775-7000, fax: +1 740 773-1622. 
• Holiday Inn Express, 1003 E Main St, ☏ +1 740-779-2424. 
• 3 Hampton Inn & Suites' Chillicothe, 100 N Plaza Blvd. 
• Comfort Inn Chillicothe, 250 E Business 36. 
• 4 Christopher Inn And Suite, 30 N Plaza Blvd. 
• 2 Scioto Trail State Park (Ross County, south of Chillicothe, east of Route 23 on CR 372.). 55 campsites, 40 with electricity, latrines, water, fire rings, picnic tables are provided. A secluded hike-in camp near Stewart Lake has 18 non-electric sites. Two rustic camper cabins are available. Fishing, hunting, twelve miles of hiking trails, 17 miles of bridle trails, nature center, basketball, horseshoe courts, playground, games and sporting equipment to registered campers, basketball, horseshoe courts and volleyball court. (updated Mar 2022)

Connect

• 3 Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library (CRCPL), 140 S Paint St, ☏ +1 740-702-4145, contact@crcpl.org. (updated Dec 2018)
• 4 Chillicothe Post Office. (updated Sep 2019)

Go next

• Tar Hollow State Park, east part of Ross County, east of Chillicothe, at 16396 Tar Hollow Road, Laurelville, 71 sites with electrical hookups, 11 non-electric sites, 12 walk-in sites, and 5 primitive sites along a backpack trail. Equipped with showers, laundry facilities, pit latrines and a dump station. The beach is close by. Boating with electric motors only, permitted on the 15-acre Pine Lake. Perfect for canoes and rowboats.
• Columbus
• Lancaster
• Portsmouth

Routes through Chillicothe

Columbus ← Circleville ←	N  S	→ Portsmouth → Catlettsburg
Dayton ← Xenia ←	W  E	→ Jackson → Charleston
Cincinnati ← Milford ←	W  E	→ Athens → Parkersburg