Moundbuilders State Memorial and Indian Art Museum Long before recorded history, Licking County was the center of an ancient civilization. The Moundbuilders earthworks, still visible today, have been intensely studied by historians and scientists. Moundbuilders State Memorial exhibits objects in many media, representing the artistic achievements of all the known prehistoric cultures in the Ohio area from 10,000 B.C. to 1600 A.D. The mound encloses 26 acres of the 66 acre park. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9:30 a.m - 5:00 p.m., Sunday, noon - 5:00 p.m., and weekends Labor Day through October. Moundbuilders is located 9 miles north of 1-70 on State Route 79. An additional earthwork, the Octagon Mound, is located on Parkview Road, Newark. (740)344-1920.

Statehouse With construction complete at the Ohio Capitol Square Complex, the Statehouse has been restored to its original grandeur and beauty.

National Trail Raceway, one of the nation's finest drag race facilities, features all classes of competition each weekend from late April through October. Spectators thrill to the excitement of finely tuned machines as they roar down the quarter mile asphalt strip at record-breaking speeds. The NHRA Oldsmobile Springnationals are held every year in June. Take 1-70 to Route 37 north to Route 40. Call (740)587-1005 or raceday number (740)928-5706.

This scenic railroad travels through the heart of local Ohio farmland. The hour-long 10 mile train ride follows the exact route of the historic 1854 Shawnee line which served as a vital transportation link for the settlement of western America.

The railroad operates Memorial Day Weekend through October on Saturdays, Sundays and major holidays. Departure times are 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. The railroad is located 1 1/2 miles west of Jacksoiitown and 3 miles east of Hebron on Route 40. (740) 366-2029.

Blackhand Gorge A visit to historic Blackhand Gorge provides the nature lover with the beauty of 970 wooded acres and an awe inspiring gorge.

The Dawes Arboretum Venturing out on the maple trail, browsing through the Nature Center or Daweswood House Museum, enjoying lunch at a picnic area, or overlooking the world's largest hedge lettering are but a few of the activities available to visitors of Dawes Arboretum. The arboretum, situated on 315 acres, plays host to more than 2,000 species of trees and shrubs. The Visitors Center features a gift shop, bonsai house, nature displays and various other exhibits. A short distance away is the Cypress Swamp. The Japanese Garden has been judged one of the 10 best in the United States. The grounds are open every day from daylight to dusk, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Tours and classes are available. The Arboretum is located 5 miles south of Newark on State Route 13. (740) 323-2355.

The Columbus Zoo The Columbus Zoo is open 365 days a year, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and during the remainder of the year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children ages two through eleven, $5 for senior citizens, children under two are admitted free, and parking is $2.

The Beulah Park Jockey Club is Ohio's original home of thoroughbred racing. Since 1923, millions of fans have experienced all of the trills and pageantry found at a day at the races.

Enjoy competitive racing and an excellent clubhouse restaurant. The racing season runs from fall through spring.

740-871-9600
3664 Grant Avenue, Grove City, Ohio

Licking County Bike Trails Licking County bike trails are among the most beautiful in the country. Popular for walking, roller-skating and biking as well, the paved surfaces are free of difficult inclines.

Granville, a quiet New England-style village in central Ohio, was founded in 1805 by Yankee pioneers from Massachusetts and Connecticut. From its earliest days, the village has been noted for the industry of its people and its educational institutions. The village is also well known for the hospitality of its local inns and the architecture of its buildings. Virtually a museum of days gone by, Granville welcomes the traveler with the same warmth that was common in a gentler age.

Nestled among tall, sheltering maples, the Inn with its native sandstone exterior and terraced grounds recalls a more gracious time in the tradition of an English country house. Enjoy a comfortable night's sleep in one of the newly decorated rooms featuring plump comforters and its own distinctive theme. Sample wonderful cuisine, for lunch or dinner. The inn is located at 314 East Broadway, call (740) 587-3333 for reservations.

A 32 mile shoreline encompasses 3800 surface acres of water at Buckeye Lake, offering the visitor convenient beaches and camping facilities, as well as boating, fishing and hunting opportunities.

An added attraction is Cranberry Marsh, an ancient bog left behind when Ohio's last glacier receded some 17,000 years ago. The national landmark is an ideal sanctuary for migrating ducks, birds and geese. Buckeye Lake is located 2 miles south of 1-70. Take Route 79 south to Buckeye Lake.

Flint Ridge gives the visitor a splendid look into the lives of Paleo-Indians 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The flint was used by prehistoric Indians to kill and skin game, light fires, and stay enemies. The 5 square mile park is open from May through October. The museum is open the same hours as Moundbuilders State Memorial, and is located on County Road 668, 2 miles north of I-70. (740)787-2476.

Fairfield Heritage Association

Granville's Greek Revival Style museum (1842) has several period rooms furnished with a variety of antiques, furniture, paintings, pianos, oriental rugs, clocks and many other examples of decorative arts from the mid-1800's.

The Robbins-Hunter Museum is open June through December 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday or by appointment. Walking tours of Granville's historic district are available. The museum is located at 221 East Broadway. (740)587-0430.

Built in 1812 as a tavern with overnight rooms at the crossroads of the old north/south, east/west stagecoach roads serving central Ohio, The Buxton is Ohio's oldest operating inn still using its original building. Famous for antique furnished rooms, romantic courtyards, superb cuisine and pioneer hospitality for more than 175 years, the Buxton Inn is a living American tradition. The inn is located at 313 East Broadway, call (740) 587-0001 for reservations.

The museum, housed in the 1831 King House along with a beautiful new expansion, features Heisey glass which was produced in Newark from 1895 to 1957. Hundreds of patterns are on display including pieces in all experimental colors and production techniques.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., or by appointment, and is located in Veterans Park at 6th and Church Streets. (740)345-2932.

The 1870-1871 Victorian house remains as it was when Hubert and Oese Robinson lived in it. Furnishings, possessions, and memorabilia all belong to the heritage of Hubert Robinson, dating back to Granville's beginnings in 1805. The exhibits of family possessions are changed to reflect the appropriate season. The museum is open to the public every Sunday from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., mid-April through mid-October or by appointment for tour groups. The garden is open to visitors anytime the gate is open. The Victorian Undergarment program and Victorian Flirts program are charming additions to your group tour. The museum is located at 121 South Main Street. (740)587-0373.

Enjoy an afternoon in the country sampling the fine wines of Willow Hill Vineyards. A family-owned and operated winery, visitors are welcome to tour the underground winery and the vineyards. Have the pleasure of an enjoyable wine-tasting experience by relaxing in the log-home tasting room or on the outdoor deck overlooking a quiet four-acre lake frequented by native waterfowl and surrounded by the vineyards and the rolling hills of Licking County. Willow Hill wines, by the glass, bottle or case and a selection of wine-related gifts are available.

The winery is located at 5460 Loudon Street between Raccoon Valley Road and Sportsman Club Road, six miles northwest of Granville. Call for times. (740)587-4622.

The Welsh Hills Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra centered at Denison University in Granville. The orchestra hosts local and national guest artists. For a listing of performances, write: The Licking County Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 461, Granville, Ohio 43023.

The Webb House, built in 1907 by Frank Camden Webb for his bride, Shirley Pitser, was the home of the Webbs until 1976 when it was bequethed to the Licking County Historical Society. The house is an excellent example of early Twentieth Century architecture.

The house is filled with period furniture and family heirlooms. Many items date through the 1920's, the period of its most active use. Included in the collection are the works of 12 professional female artists from the 1900's.

The Webb House is open March through December on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., and by appointment. The museum is located at 303 Granville Street, Newark. (740)345-8540 or (740)345-4898.

Friday-night fiesta? Didgeridoo and Gamelan too? Country music's singer of the year? Where in the World of Music is Carmen Sandiego? Where else ... but Lancaster, Ohio for this summer's Lancaster Festival!

A unique and exciting cast of artists, dancers and musicians are yours to behold for 12 glorious days.

Jazz trumpet Doc Severinsen-and songstress Kathy Mattea on tap for two splendid Saturday night programs at Ohio University with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra.

Then there are Festival favorites: the Artwalk, Rising Park Day, Farm Fare Day, Cafe Concerts, Mornings at the Library and Matinees at the Mall. The Community Sing at the Lancaster Camp Ground also returns.

Outstanding musical soloists join the Festival Orchestra this summer. Bamboo flutist Leslie Burrs is composer in residence. The Bowling Green String Quartet make its debut. A the Wilkes Orchestral Fellow is Svetlana Popova from Orenburg, Russia, who is with us thanks to the remarkable tour of the Lancaster High School Percussion Ensemble to Russia last year.

To the many volunteers, supportera and businesses who help make the Festival happen we say an enormous thank you, They and I extend a hearty invitation to you to partake and enjoy the wonderful celebration of the arts and our local heritage that is the Lancaster Festival.

The Sherwood Davidson House (1815) is an elegant Federal Period home filled with furniture, paintings and artifacts spanning the earliest history of Licking County through the end of the nineteenth century.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 - 4-00 p.m. or by appointment. Closed January and February. The house is located in Veterans Park at 6th and Church Streets beside Heisey Glass Museum. (740)345-4898.