Great Council State Park Honored In Midwest Living Magazine
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(Xenia) – Great Council State Park, has been honored by Midwest Living as part of the 2025 “Best of the Midwest Travel Awards.” The awards are selected by the publication’s editors and recognizes 25 of the most significant openings and revitalizations of the past year. Great Council State Park is being recognized in the outdoors category of the list.
“Great Council State Park tells an important part of Ohio’s story honoring the first Ohioans who lived here,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Fran and I grew up nearby in Yellow Springs learning about the Shawnee and hearing about their stories, which makes this park very special to us. I am thrilled so many visitors have already experienced the park, and I hope future generations will continue to learn about the significance of this land and the people who first called it home.”
Great Council State Park is named in Midwest Living’s “2025 Best of the Midwest Travel Awards”
Great Council State Park opened June 7, 2024. The park, located along U.S. Route 68 near Xenia, is a cherished community site that honors Ohio’s Shawnee history and pioneer past. Since Great Council State Park opened, more than 24,100 visitors have toured the interpretative center. Those visitors have come from places all around the world, including states such as Arizona and Oklahoma and countries like Australia and Hungary.
People from around the world have visited Ohio to see the new Great Council State Park and its 12,000 square foot interpretive center that is modeled after historic, Shawnee longhouses.
“This park is special because it allows people of all ages to feel the spark of curiosity and learn more about how nature and wildlife contributed to the Shawnee people and pioneers during that time in America’s history,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “It has been exciting to see this land transform into an interpretative center and see visitors tour the space. It tells a story that could have been lost to time.”
The 12,000 square foot interpretative center offers a glimpse into what life looked like back in the 1700s. The building is modeled after historic, Shawnee longhouses and features interactive exhibits, a living stream, and gallery space. The exhibits highlight the stories of historical figures such as Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Blackfish, frontiersmen Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton, and so many more. The park also boasts a native plant prairie with a trail that loops through the prairie and connects to another trail that ends with a view of the Little Miami River, which was vital food and transportation resource for the Shawnee.
Great Council State Park includes a prairie trail loop which connects to another trail
that leads to the Little Miami State Scenic River.
“Great Council State Park is an incredible addition to Ohio’s state parks,” said ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft Chief Glen Cobb. “This recognition from Midwest Living is a testament to the meaningful experience the park offers visitors. Whether exploring the exhibits inside or walking the trails outside, people are connecting with Ohio’s past in a powerful way.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and ODNR Director Mary Mertz join leaders from the three federally recognized Shawnee tribes to open Great Council State Park in June 2024.
ODNR worked with the three federally recognized Shawnees tribes, Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, and The Shawnee Tribe, throughout the entire building process of the park. Work began on Great Council State Park when ODNR purchased the property which included the Tecumseh Motel in 2021.
Midwest Living’s “2025 Best of the Midwest Travel Awards” will be featured in the Spring 2025 issue. A full list of the results can be found at midwestliving.com.
