Great Council State Park

09/11/2026

Right now, monarch butterflies are flying through Ohio on a journey that will take some of them over 2,000 miles to a single forest in central Mexico, a place most of them have never been, guided by nothing but instinct and the sun.
Saturday, September 26th, 10am–12pm, we're tagging monarchs at Great Council State Park, and you can be part of it. Hold a monarch in your hand, place a tiny numbered tag on its wing, and send it on its way, knowing that if it's ever spotted again, your tag could help scientists track its migration.
No experience needed. Just curiosity and a love for these incredible little travelers.
📍 Great Council State Park
🕙 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
🦋 Free and family-friendly
Come be part of the migration story.

08/30/2026

08/29/2026

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Terrific Resources for Environmental Education (TREE) here at Great Council State Park! TREE is run by the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District and focuses on fostering relationships with other organizations to advance Environmental Education initiatives. We look forward to partnering with them further in the future!

08/28/2026

As the weather changes into fall, come join us for a variety of programming at Great Council State Park! All programming is completely free and open to the public.

08/08/2026

🦋 It's monarch season and we need your help! Join us on Saturday, September 26th, from 10 AM to Noon for a morning all about monarch butterflies. We'll start with a short talk on their incredible migration to Mexico, then head outside for hands-on tagging and a kids’ craft. You'll help us track real monarchs for scientific research.
All ages are welcome, no experience is needed, and nets will be provided. Just bring your curiosity (and maybe a hat for the sun)! See you there. 🦋

08/07/2026

Today marks 246 years since the Shawnee village of Old Chillicothe came to an end along the Little Miami River. On August 6, 1780, George Rogers Clark’s men marched toward the town, only to find it already burning and abandoned. A Shawnee warning from Thomas Clairy, who left Clark’s party ahead of the attack, allowed the community to prepare and ultimately make the difficult decision to leave their homes. Two days later, on August 8, Clark’s forces moved on to the Shawnee village of Pekwa near present‑day Springfield.

07/30/2026

Our rotating gallery space is officially welcoming a new exhibit! Curated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources with reproductions made by Lakota artist Steve Tamayo, our new exhibit explores traditional games played by tribal communities both historically and today. We look forward to seeing you!

07/25/2026

What’s that fur? I don’t recognize these from Ohio...

That’s because the fur trade in the 18th century Ohio Country included a number of animals that no longer live here! Animals such as panthers, bison, elk, and wolves have all disappeared from Ohio in the last 250 years. This is called “extirpation” or “local extinction”, as all these animals can still be found in other parts of the world. The loss of these animals has greatly changed Ohio’s ecology to what it is today. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to ask on your next visit to Great Council!

07/24/2026

🚨Construction Notice!🚨

Great Council State Park is remaining open as we undergo some improvements! Be careful when entering, as one of our entrances may be blocked as we are getting closer to completion on some of our projects.

07/12/2026

Now that the Fourth of July has passed, our Three Sisters garden is showing off the power of teamwork: corn standing tall for the beans to climb, beans enriching the soil, and squash shading out the weeds. Knee high and growing beautifully. 🌟