Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
›
Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
›
Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
›
Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
›
Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
›
Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
›
Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
›
Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
›

Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

117 parks in 7 regions

Gnadenhutten Historic Site

Gnadenhutten · Tuscarawas County · Eastern Ohio
The site of the 1782 massacre of 96 Christian Lenape
Massacre site and memorialMoravian mission village

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Location confidence
Verified entrance or visitor center
Gnadenhutten Park & Museum, 182 Cherry St
Seasonal access
Hours vary by season; call 740-254-4143 before you go.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

The Moravian mission town where militia killed 96 peaceful Christian Delaware in 1782.

Founded
Late summer 1772, about 10 miles from Schoenbrunn; the first service was on October 17, 1772
Name
Gnadenhutten, German for huts or cabins of grace
Massacre
March 8, 1782: Pennsylvania militia killed 96 unarmed Christian Lenape, 62 adults and 34 children
Site
A memorial and museum operated locally

The story

Gnadenhutten, 'huts of grace,' was the second Moravian mission village on the Tuscarawas, founded in the late summer of 1772 about ten miles from Schoenbrunn. Christian Lenape families lived and farmed there beside the missionaries, and Zeisberger conducted the first religious service on October 17, 1772. In 1781 the villagers were forced west by British-allied forces, and in the winter of 1782 a group of them returned to gather the crops they had left behind.

On March 8, 1782, Pennsylvania militiamen who were searching for raiders came upon them. They took the villagers prisoner, and after a night of debate they killed them, 96 men, women and children, 62 adults and 34 children. The Gnadenhutten site preserves the place with a museum and memorial, run by the local community.

Related sites

Ninety-Six

The Christian Lenape of Gnadenhutten had done everything the settlers asked. They had abandoned their old ways, prayed as Christians and stayed out of the war. In March 1782 a party of militia found them gathering corn and decided they were guilty anyway.

They killed 96 people in a single day. It is remembered as one of the worst atrocities of the frontier.

Behind the legend

The date, March 8, 1782, the count of 96 and the breakdown into 62 adults and 34 children are consistent across Wikipedia and the local historical society pages. The reasons the militia gave, that the villagers had aided raiders, were not supported by evidence. This entry was written from a short set of sources, so consult the site itself for the full history.

If you go

Visit with Schoenbrunn Village for the fuller story, and read the memorial texts carefully.

Visiting

Status
Check before visiting
Managed by
Historic Gnadenhutten, a local nonprofit
Hours
Hours vary by season; call 740-254-4143 before you go.
Admission
See the site.
Phone
740-254-4143
Please note
This is a memorial to a massacre. Please treat it respectfully.
Address
352 S Cherry St, Gnadenhutten, OH 44629
DirectionsFind trails nearby on AllTrails →

Hours and prices change. Confirm with the site before you go.

Parks nearby

Tappan Lake Park
About 13 miles · A big lake park with camping and cabins.
Open
Clendening Lake Marina & Campground
About 16 miles · A quiet lake with 40 miles of undeveloped shoreline.
Open

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.