XENIA, Ohio — Ohio’s newest state park held its grand opening Friday, and the ceremony was attended by various special guests including the governor and first lady, department of natural resources director and Shawnee leaders.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio’s newest state park held its grand opening Friday

  • The Great Council State Park, located near Xenia, becomes the state’s 76th state park

  • The ODNR had purchased the property in 2021

  • When designing the park, the ODNR consulted with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and The Shawnee Tribe

The Great Council State Park, located near Xenia on U.S. Route 68, becomes the state’s 76th state park. According to a press release from the state, the park sits on the what was a 16th century Shawnee village called Old Chillicothe.

“We always thought that with such a rich and storied history, Ohio needed to do something big to bring attention to this area," Gov. Mike DeWine said in the release. "Great Council State Park, at its heart, is the preservation of Ohio’s history and a tribute to the Shawnee people and the pioneers. These are the stories that need to be told.”

The ODNR had purchased the property in 2021 and began working on the park, and it is now officially open.

Visitors to the park can tour through a 12,000 square-foot interpretive center where they’ll see various interactive exhibits, a gallery and even a historical film. That’s in addition to the rest of the 15-acre park where you’ll still be able to walk on a trail and catch views of the nearby river.

“I want people to be curious about the history of Great Council State Park and yearn to learn more about what was here in the past,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said in the release. “We want visitors to ask questions about the Shawnee and their connection to nature in the 1700s. We want visitors to feel that strong link between our natural world back then and today.”

The release states that, when designing the park, the ODNR consulted with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and The Shawnee Tribe.

"Out of all our 76 state parks, this is the first time we’ve told Ohio’s story from the perspective of the Native Americans, and we’re especially pleased to be able to do so at Great Council," First Lady Fran DeWine said in the release. "Whether you’re walking the outdoor trail, exploring the interpretive center exhibits, or viewing the Little Miami River, you can feel the history that happened on this land."