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

World's Largest Gavel

Columbus · Franklin County
Giant object

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
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address

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.

A 12-by-30-by-15-foot steel gavel in a reflecting pool between two judicial buildings.

Size
12 by 30 by 15 feet
Setting
A reflecting pool between two judiciary buildings of the Ohio Judicial Center
Material
Steel

The story

Between two of the buildings of the Ohio Judicial Center, the home of the Supreme Court of Ohio, a giant steel gavel stands in a reflecting pool, billed as the world's largest. It is a joke that doubles as a symbol, the kind of thing you can see in a couple of minutes on a walk through downtown Columbus.

The map location is approximate.

Visiting

Status
Outdoor; downtown Columbus
Hours
Open to view from the sidewalk.
Cost
Free.
Phone
None
Please note
It is a courthouse complex; follow posted rules.
Address
Ohio Judicial Center, 65 S Front St, Columbus, OH 43215
DirectionsShow on the map

The pin on the map is approximate; use the address for directions.

Hours, prices and even the attractions themselves can change. Confirm before a long drive.

Parks nearby

Alum Creek State Park
About 15 miles · A big lake park near Columbus.
Open
Delaware State Park
About 25 miles · A lake and fort-history park.
Open

Road trips

Historic National Road (US 40)
A road trip that passes near this stop
Open

Related

Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery
A Union prison camp's cemetery, with more than 2,200 Confederate graves
Open

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