Visit Serpent Mound In Ohio! If you love ancient mysterious spiritual places than this place is for you. We were staying in Columbus and had some time, so we took the 1hr and 45m scenic drive to the Serpent Mound. If you are coming from Cincinnati you can expect the trip to take about 1hr and 20 min. Upon arrival, there is a cute little gift shop where you get your tickets and then you go around the corner to a small museum. Inside there are benches where you sit to watch an interesting video about the the Serpent Mound. There are military discounts and it is free to those who are Ohio History members.
The 1,348-foot long snake effigy was amazing to see in real life. There is a tower to get a better view, but it was closed for repairs when we went there. I thought I could instead stand on the mound to get a picture, but there are signs that this is not okay due to it being sacred grounds.
I wondered how they know it is a sacred site since a lot is unknown about the Serpent Mound. Is it that the snake, built by the Lost Tribes of Israel, represents the one found in Genesis in the Bible, proving that, that is the spot of the original Garden of Eden? Although there were historical figures who have said this, it isn’t true.
Serpent Mound was built by ancient Ohio-based American Indian tribes and was constructed so that the head and oval are aligned to the setting sun on the Summer Solstice. Some may point to this as a symbol of spirituality. However, the real reason that it is considered a spiritual site is because modern-day American Indians consider it to be so. Therefore, it is out of respect that we treat it like one might treat a temple, church or cathedral. It would be a nice place to go for a quiet walking meditation.
This is certainly something to add to your Ohio bucketlist, so get out and visit Serpent Mound in Ohio! See days and hours for visiting below.
Seasonal Hours (Apr. 1, 2023 – Nov. 19, 2023)
Mondays: Closed
Tuesdays-Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sundays: Noon-5 p.m.
Parking fee: $8/car; Final parking fees paid by 4:00 p.m. Gift shop closes at 4:30 p.m. Site closes promptly at 5:00 p.m.
CLOSED – LABOR DAY, AUTUMNAL EQUINOX and during WINTER SOLSTICE