2026 Eastern States Rock Art Conference

October 8 – 11, 2026
Southern Ohio

You can download/print this info by clicking here (8 pages).

LODGING

Our main Conference hotel is the Courtyard by Marriott Newark Granville, 500 Highland Blvd., Newark, OH, 43055.

For reservations, call the Courtyard by Marriott Newark Granville, (740) 344-1800.  Expect to deal with an AI.  Let them know you are with the Eastern States Rock Art Research Association for the conference rate of $114 per night.  The hotel is smoke-free and pet friendly.

Make your reservations by September 1 to receive the conference rate.  After this date, the block will be opened up to the general public. There are limited rooms, so make your reservations asap.

Other Accommodations in the Area

MEALS

ESRARA will provide:

1.  Refreshments at the opening reception Thursday
2. Snacks on the bus Friday
3. Coffee and pastries on Saturday during the conference
4. Banquet Saturday night – there is a charge of $30 for the banquet

NOTE: Breakfast is available at the Courtyard by Marriott.  Continental breakfast from $4.95; hot breakfast from $7.95.

Recommended Restaurants

Coffee

ACTIVITY SCHEDULE:

CONFERENCE ITINERARY

• Thursday
  • Evening Reception at the Courtyard by Marriott Newark Granville, 7 p.m.  Our host, John Soderberg, will offer a brief presentation about the Leo Petroglyph site we are visiting on Friday.
• Friday
  • Bus Tour of three sites:  The Newark Earthworks site, the Leo Petroglyph site, and the Great Serpent Mound.  Departs at 9AM. Please dress for an outdoor hike with appropriate outdoor shoes and outerwear. All sites have paved trails, but the Leo site is a mile from the parking area. There is no charge for taking the tour.  If members prefer to drive, they are welcome.
• Saturday
  • Conference and Paper presentations:  Denison Museum, Burke Hall, 240 W. Broadway, #101, Granville, OH 43023.  Papers begin at 9:00 AM.
  • Evening Banquet at the Welsh Hills Room in Burton Morgan Hall at Denison University.  Cash bar and reception begin at 6:00 p.m., Dinner at 6:30 p.m., Annual Auction begins about 7:30 p.m. (don’t forget to bring items for the live Auction!), and Guest Lecture by Dr. Brad Lepper, The Preservation of the Newark Earthworks.

OTHER ROCK ART SITES IN AREA

While you are here, you may want to take a day before or after the conference to check out these other rock art sites.  Unfortunately, they are not close enough to fit into the itinerary for Friday.  These rock art sites include:

Barnesville Petroglyph Site, 60902 Track Rock Road, Barnesville, OH 43713 

East Liverpool Petroglyph Site, Wellsville Petroglyph Site and the Smith’s Ferry Petroglyph Site: contact the East Liverpool Historical Society to see if these three sites are accessible.  Charlie Thayer, cdthayer@gmail.com, is the contact for permission.  See http://www.eastliverpoolhistoricalsociety.org/indianrocks.htm for background information.  See also James Swauger’s Rock Art of the Upper Ohio Valley, illustrated by Clifford Morrow.  Graz, Austria:  Adademische Druck-u. Verlagsanstalt., 1974.  

Fort Ancient Earthworks and Nature Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 6123 OH-350, Oregonia, OH 45054

Ohio History Connection, Columbus (40 minutes via OH-161 W)

The Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, is a statewide history organization with the mission to spark discovery of Ohio’s stories. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization chartered in 1885, the Ohio History Connection carries out history services for Ohio and its citizens focused on preserving and sharing the state’s history. This includes housing the State Historic Preservation Office, the official state archives and the Community Engagement Department and managing more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio. For more information, go to ohiohistory.org.