Free & Cheap Things to Do in Chillicothe

History & Culture

One of the most important archaeological sites in North America, this NPS park preserves massive geometric earthworks built by the Hopewell people between 100 BCE and 500 CE. The Mound City Group alone contains 23 burial mounds inside a 13-acre square enclosure — a spiritual and ceremonial site of extraordinary scale and precision.

Address: 16062 State Route 104, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Start at the visitor center for context before walking the earthworks — the scale makes more sense once you understand the construction methods. The Mound City site is the most accessible and impressive. Squire's Castle and Octagon Earthworks are nearby sister sites worth combining into a full day. Free parking on site.

Parks & Nature

Chillicothe's beloved central park sits along Paint Creek with a free public lake for fishing and paddle boating (rental fee for boats), a historic Victorian bandstand, rose garden, playgrounds, and walking paths. The park's weekly summer concert series brings the whole community out for free live music.

Address: 495 N. Bridge St, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: The free summer concert series at the bandstand is a genuine local institution — check the city website for the schedule. The lake is stocked for fishing and a basic fishing license is all you need. The rose garden peaks in June. Parking is free throughout the park. A great spot to relax between visits to the earthworks sites.

Arts & Culture

Housed inside a restored 1891 waterworks building on the banks of the Scioto River, this free community arts center hosts rotating exhibitions of regional and national artists, a permanent collection, and an active studio program. The building itself — a handsome Romanesque Revival structure — is as impressive as the art inside.

Address: 1 Enderlin Cir, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Closed on Mondays and most major holidays — check the website before visiting. The riverside setting makes it a pleasant walk from downtown. The gift shop has affordable original art and locally made crafts. Free parking on site. Combine with Yoctangee Park next door for a full afternoon.

History & Culture

The 1807 stone mansion of Ohio's sixth governor Thomas Worthington, set on a bluff overlooking the Scioto Valley three miles north of Chillicothe. The mansion is one of the finest surviving examples of Federal-era stone architecture in the Midwest, and the view east toward Mount Logan reportedly inspired the Great Seal of Ohio. Costumed docents lead guided tours through period-furnished rooms.

Address: 847 Adena Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Seasonal — open April 1 through October 25, Wednesday–Saturday 9:30am–5pm and Sunday noon–5pm; closed July 4. Free on-site parking. The grounds and gardens are free to walk outside official hours. The view east from the lawn is the same one that inspired Ohio's Great Seal — best at dawn.

History & Culture

The 1831 four-room Federal-style brick home where Lucy Webb (later Lucy Hayes, wife of 19th US President Rutherford B. Hayes) was born and spent her early childhood. Operated by the Ross County Historical Society, the modest house has been preserved with period furnishings, family artifacts, and exhibits on Lucy's White House years championing temperance and women's education.

Address: 90 W 6th St, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Seasonal — open April through September, Fridays and Saturdays 1–4pm only. Walk-in welcome but the volunteer-run schedule is limited; call (740) 775-5829 to confirm. The home doesn't post a published fee — donation supports operating costs. Easy walking distance from downtown Chillicothe restaurants.

Parks & Nature

A 1,862-acre state park five miles north of Chillicothe on the Mount Logan ridge — the actual hills depicted in the Great Seal of Ohio. Twenty-three miles of multi-use trails (hiking, mountain biking, horseback) wind through rugged Appalachian foothills with vistas back over the Scioto Valley, plus the 9-mile Spring Creek Trail loop and a primitive campground.

Address: 4908 Marietta Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Open 6am–11pm daily, free entry year-round. Mountain bike trails are the marquee experience — bring tubed tires for the rocky downhills. The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail has the best view of Mount Logan. Restrooms at the main lot. Trails are largely unmarked beyond the main loops — bring a map.

Free Walking Tours

A free self-guided walking tour through downtown Chillicothe past 25 large-scale outdoor murals on building walls and alleys — most painted by local artist Kelly Poling and depicting Hopewell ceremonial scenes, Tecumseh and Shawnee leaders, Camp Sherman WWI soldiers, Civil War history, and contemporary community life. One of the densest free public-art collections in any small city in the Midwest.

Address: Downtown Chillicothe (start at Main Street Chillicothe office, 21 W 4th St), Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Available year-round, dawn to dusk for best photography. Free downloadable mural map from the Main Street Chillicothe website. Allow 90 minutes for the full 25-mural walk through the historic downtown grid. Best on weekend mornings when downtown is quiet. Combine with the Pump House Center for the Arts in adjacent Yoctangee Park.

Parks & Nature

A 248-acre state park nine miles south of Chillicothe along the Scioto Trail State Forest, with the small Caldwell Lake at its center for fishing, paddling, and shore swimming. Three named hiking trails (Church Hollow, 3-C Trail, Friendship Trail) total over 8 miles through hardwood forest, plus mountain-biking trails into the surrounding 9,000-acre state forest. Quieter than Great Seal.

Address: 144 Lake Rd, Chillicothe, OH 45601

Tip: Open 6am–11pm daily, free year-round. Caldwell Lake has a small beach area (no lifeguard) and a $5 boat launch fee for motorized craft only. The Friendship Trail is the easiest family hike. The state forest trails connect outward for longer rides — bring a paper map; cell service is spotty.