Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
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  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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State parks & forests117 places, with cabins, campsites and trails117 places Waterfalls34 falls, with trail notes34 falls Mounds & earthworks64 ancient sites, from Serpent Mound to Newark64 ancient sites Caves & caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters12 caves Lake Erie beaches20 public beaches, Conneaut to Toledo20 beaches Historic sites40 places, from the frontier to the Civil War40 places Road trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail33 drives Oddities19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops19 roadside stops The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile loop, all 26 sections1,444 miles

New to the guide?

Six places to start

One from every corner of the state, each with its full story inside.

01Old Man's CaveHocking Hills · SoutheastA gorge of waterfalls and recess caves where a hermit is said to have lived, with the park's visitor center. 02Great Serpent MoundAdams County · SouthwestA gigantic earthen snake on a hilltop over Ohio Brush Creek, built by a people whose name is still argued over. 03Brandywine FallsCuyahoga Valley · NortheastThe tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, reached by an easy boardwalk with an accessible upper overlook. 04Marblehead LighthouseMarblehead · Lake ErieThe oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, lit since 1821, on nine acres of limestone shoreline. 05Zoar VillageTuscarawas County · EasternA well-preserved communal village founded by German separatists in 1817, on the Ohio & Erie Canal. 06Longaberger Basket BuildingNewark · CentralA seven-story office building shaped like a picnic basket, with handles that are heated in winter.

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Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions

Lux Mundi ("Hug Me Jesus")

Monroe · Warren County
Giant statue
Directions →Official source →

A 52-foot fiberglass Christ with open arms beside I-75, built after lightning burned down its 62-foot predecessor, nicknamed Touchdown Jesus, in 2010.

First statue
King of Kings, unveiled in 2004: about 62 feet tall and 16,000 pounds, styrofoam and fiberglass over a steel frame, sculpted by James Lynch to a design by Brad Coriell, at a cost of about $250,000
Nicknames
Touchdown Jesus, for its raised arms, and Big Butter Jesus, for its smooth, waxy look
Fire
Struck by lightning on the night of June 14, 2010; burned to its steel skeleton within minutes, with flames reported around 100 feet high, and also damaged the church's adjacent amphitheater
Damage
About $700,000, with no injuries reported
Replacement
Lux Mundi, meaning Light of the World, by sculptor Tom Tsuchiya: about 52 feet tall, in fire-resistant composite materials with a built-in lightning-suppression system, assembled in September 2012
Nickname
Hug Me Jesus, for its open, welcoming pose

The story

In 2004, Solid Rock Church, a nondenominational congregation along Interstate 75 north of Cincinnati, unveiled a 62-foot statue of the risen Christ, arms raised, towering over its amphitheater and baptismal pool. Sculptor James Lynch built the roughly $250,000 statue, styrofoam and fiberglass over a steel frame, to a design by Brad Coriell, meaning it as a devotional landmark for the church. Passing drivers quickly gave it irreverent nicknames: Touchdown Jesus, for its resemblance to the raised arms of Notre Dame's famous mural, and Big Butter Jesus, mocking its smooth, waxy finish. It became one of Ohio's best-known roadside sights, drawing photographs from the interstate and inspiring novelty songs.

Its run ended on the night of June 14, 2010, when lightning struck the statue during a storm and set its foam-and-fiberglass shell on fire. Despite lightning rods built into the design, it burned rapidly down to its bare steel skeleton, with flames reported around 100 feet high, and the fire also damaged the church's nearby music theater, for about $700,000 in total losses. Rather than rebuild the same design, the church commissioned Cincinnati sculptor Tom Tsuchiya to create a new, fire-resistant statue named Lux Mundi, Latin for Light of the World, assembled in September 2012 with a lightning-suppression system built in from the start. Standing 52 feet tall with open arms, it quickly earned its own nickname, Hug Me Jesus, and still stands on the property today.

The statue standing today is Lux Mundi, not a cross; some sources describe the site loosely as 'Monroe,' though the church's street address is in Lebanon.

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.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets
Tickets or admission info

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.

Visiting

Status
Visible from I-75; church property
Hours
Visible from the interstate at any time; the church grounds are generally open during daylight, but services still take place on site, so visit respectfully.
Cost
Free.
Phone
513-423-7040
Please note
Park in the church lot and walk the path around the small pond in front of the statue, which faces west toward I-75.
Address
903 Union Rd, Lebanon, OH 45036
More information →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

Caesar Creek State Park
About 16 miles · A lake park with camping and a lakeshore trail.
Open
Hueston Woods State Park
About 24 miles · A lodge and lake park near Oxford.
Open

Road trips

Quaker Scenic Byway
A road trip that passes near this stop
Open

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

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.