Adena Mansion & Gardens

Directions Website Contact the organization

Adena Mansion & Gardens Adena was the hilltop home of Thomas Worthington, father of Ohio statehood, and Ohio’s sixth governor.

Did you know? You're welcome to drive up to the Adena Mansion & Gardens hilltop to take pictures whenever we are open. T...
10/14/2026

Did you know? You're welcome to drive up to the Adena Mansion & Gardens hilltop to take pictures whenever we are open. There are just a few things you should know before you go:

-There's no charge to take photos here, unless you are doing a professional photo shoot. If you are or would like to bring a paid/professional photographer, contact us for details.

-You'll want to come during our open hours, which are Wednesday to Saturday, 9:30 to 5, and noon to 5 on Sundays. We close down the property by 5 p.m.

-Please park where directed by signs and staff. Start with any available parking in a parking lot, primarily at the Visitors' Center. If all the actual parking spaces are full, the staff or posted signs should show you where else to park so we can keep everyone safe and take care of the property. Please only park on the grass where and when directed.

-You can park in certain spaces down the side road closer to the mansion and gardens if your disability license plate or placard allows you to do so.

-Generally, expect to do a little walking from where you parked to find a spot for photos.

-Please respect any tours or other visitors during your photography session.

That's what you need to know. We're glad families in our community come and visit this beautiful place, including as a backdrop for your photos celebrating your special moments!

On this day in 1802, Thomas Worthington wrote in his diary."Staid at my mill last week. Mr. Smith absent and the miller ...
10/12/2026

On this day in 1802, Thomas Worthington wrote in his diary.

"Staid at my mill last week. Mr. Smith absent and the miller unwell. Find my mill grinds for 2/3 of the people in Fairfield and Ross Counties. Weather very fine, this day particularly so. The election for members of the convention and assembly took place and with much order."

By the 1810s, Worthington owned 10 mills of different types in Ross, Hocking, and Logan Counties, including the gristmill mentioned above, where grain was ground into flour.

The convention mentioned was Ohio's Constitutional Convention, which would occur in Chillicothe from November 1st to 29th, 1802, to make important decisions about the future state of Ohio. Worthington was a leader at the convention, with Nathaniel Massie (founder of Chillicothe) and 33 other delegates. In December, Thomas Worthington brought the resulting constitution to Congress in Washington, D.C. himself.

Explore our museum located in the Visitors Center for more information about the birth of Ohio's constitution and other key players who helped form our state!

We have an update on our caterpillars! All of them have eaten a lot of milkweed and entered their pupa (chrysalis) stage...
10/10/2026

We have an update on our caterpillars! All of them have eaten a lot of milkweed and entered their pupa (chrysalis) stage. Several butterflies have emerged already and departed our Visitors' Center to go live in nature again. If you stop by soon, you might witness a butterfly emerge from one of our last chrysalises. We have enjoyed witnessing this metamorphosis with our guests!

Here's a picture of one of the butterflies just outside our front door, taking a break on our potted plant while getting ready to fly away.

It's pumpkin season, and we're growing some big ones! If you know gardening like Adena Mansion & Gardens Horticulturalis...
10/07/2026

It's pumpkin season, and we're growing some big ones!

If you know gardening like Adena Mansion & Gardens Horticulturalist Tom Ortman does, you know that pumpkins need a lot of attention and care. He's made sure to tend to their vines and not to let their temperatures get too low or allow any critters to get to them. As a result, we have some pumpkins that are over 200 pounds, and growing. He says they're not his largest ever, but we think they're pretty impressive!

Stop by the kitchen garden terrace outside the mansion soon to see these great pumpkins for yourself.

Our monarch caterpillars are happy with their environment here in Adena's visitors center. Stop by to see their progress...
09/17/2026

Our monarch caterpillars are happy with their environment here in Adena's visitors center.

Stop by to see their progress! We currently have 4 caterpillars still feasting, with 7 of their friends secretly working inside of their chrysalises to become the iconic orange and black butterfly we love!

Keep an eye on our page to see when the first butterfly is ready for flight!

Come by the Adena Mansion and Gardens to observe the monarch caterpillar as it grows and transforms throughout the seaso...
09/09/2026

Come by the Adena Mansion and Gardens to observe the monarch caterpillar as it grows and transforms throughout the season! Our staff has lots of experience with these cute little creatures and would love to share with you!

We currently have about 10 caterpillars. These photos were taken during last years cycle, where 197 caterpillars made the transformation and continued their journey south to beat the frost.

We will be posting updates as our friends continue through their life cycle!

Sarah Worthington King Peter, the second child of Thomas and Eleanor Worthington of Adena, was on a trip through Europe ...
09/08/2026

Sarah Worthington King Peter, the second child of Thomas and Eleanor Worthington of Adena, was on a trip through Europe at this time in 1851. She'd lost her first husband, remarried, and left on her travels after her son also died, with her widowed daughter-in-law and three grandsons. Sarah wrote a letter on this day in 1851.

"For the last time since we left home we had really good beds, and I slept soundly enough to do them justice. We had arranged to begin early to-day with our sight-seeing, and we went at six to attend the early service of the Beguin nuns... Ghent deserves at least a week, but alas we could not spare it. At ten we left for Antwerp, where we saw in the Cathedral of Notre Dame that greatest work of Rubens—The Descent from the Cross. It is worth a voyage across the Atlantic."

That is the painting in this picture. The trip included England, Scotland, France, Italy, Belgium, "Prussia," Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and Greece, and she described the family's sights in many letters. Sarah returned to Ohio in 1853, where her home in Cincinnati became a hub for art and music.

It's Labor Day! This holiday was founded in the late 19th century to celebrate the many contributions and achievements o...
09/07/2026

It's Labor Day! This holiday was founded in the late 19th century to celebrate the many contributions and achievements of workers in America. Today, we remember a few of the workers and indentured servants of Adena Mansion & Gardens.

Thomas Worthington hired Prince Williams and his family from Washington, D.C. to cook for his family and guests.

Margaret Pfaff and Kitturah McQuality worked in the house when they were young, helping care for the Worthington children and the Williams family in the kitchen.

F***y Deamit and her husband, Mann, were formerly enslaved people from Virginia who traveled to Ohio with the Worthington's and worked at Adena.

Three men from Germany were indentured with paid passage to work on the gardens at Adena in 1817.

The Morris brothers were stonemasons who helped construct the mansion and also worked on Mr. McArthur's Fruit Hill mansion and Mr. Renick's home nearby.

George McCormick supervised Adena mansion's construction and made beautiful pieces of furniture that are in the mansion today.

When you visit the museum and mansion, you'll learn a little about many people who lived here, including those who worked here. We wish our guests and neighbors a safe and happy Labor Day!

Address

847 Adena Road
Chillicothe, OH
45601

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Adena Mansion & Gardens posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Adena Mansion & Gardens:

Shortcuts

Share

Category