Ohio family builds 50,000-pound Stargate with 'dial-home device' to scan the cosmos

There's an ancient portal to another world in Ohio.

The only catch is the Stargate in Ashland County doesn't exactly work − like the ones on television.

"We built it about 15 years ago," landowner Phil Ventura said.

The concrete circle has become famous on social media, but Ventura stresses visitors are not welcome and the property is not open to the public.

"I don't need the aggravation," Ventura said. "I'm very pleased that people have given recognition to it, but I really didn't want the notoriety."

All he wanted to do was spend time with his sons during their college years.

'We watched the entire 10 seasons'

The project really started 30 years ago in 1994 when the movie "Stargate" featuring James Spader and Kurt Russell was released. In the movie, the duo and their team activated a large ring that had been discovered by archaeologists − the device proved to be a celestial gateway that transported them to a planet on the other side of the universe.

"That's what kicked it off," Ventura said. "My older son watched that one with me."

The movie's success led to the 1997 television series "Stargate SG-1."

"We watched the entire 10 seasons," Ventura said. "The kids bought it for me on VHS and DVD."

Then came other television series, "Stargate Atlantis," which aired 2004-2009, and "Stargate Universe," from 2009-2011. There also was a digital series titled "Stargate Origins" in 2018 and an animated series, "Stargate Infinity," from 2002-2003.

The Ventura family were fans of the entire "Stargate" franchise before it came to an end.

"And then the kids got older, too, and it's like, well, they've got girlfriends now and they're moving out," Ventura said. "I understand the other different interests now and they don't want to spend that much time with their old man."

That's when he decided the magic could last at least one more summer.

'It was extremely expensive'

Much to his wife's frustration, Ventura and his sons committed to building their own Stargate one summer about 15 years ago.

They used a plastic swimming pool to mold the interior portion of the ring.

"It's got steel rebar inside of it," Ventura said.

Once they had a good mold, they ordered a truckload of concrete.

"We used a concrete vibrator," Ventura said. "That makes it a nicer, smoother finish."

They molded star symbols and attached them around the device, then let the concrete cure for about three months.

In the meantime, they poured a concrete base. The entire project took about a dozen yards of concrete.

"It was extremely expensive," Ventura said.

The Stargate also is very, very heavy.

"Probably 50,000 pounds," Ventura said. "It's not something you want to drop on your toe."

Once the concrete had fully cured, they began the task of lifting the Stargate upright onto the base.

"I have an excavator," Ventura said. "Every time I tried to pick it up, I blew a hydraulic line because it was so heavy."

They finally got it into place, then built a "dial-home device" nearby so they could select their destination across the cosmos.

'Cool I did something with my boys'

The family never told anyone about the project, but that didn't keep it from becoming an internet sensation.

"I can't believe they actually found it," Ventura said.

The property is not designed to accept visitors, though, and the family has no interest in becoming insured as a tourist destination.

"I told my wife, I said, you know, people don't mind interesting things," Ventura said. "Unfortunately, some of them are, you know, not nice, they want to damage things. You just can't get around that."

He hopes everyone can enjoy his Stargate through its story and photos.

All these years later, he still takes a moment every now and then to enjoy his creation.

"I have my coffee out there," Ventura said. "Not that I'm that obsessed with it, but yeah."

And most importantly, he's glad he has those memories with his sons.

"That was the best," Ventura said. "How cool I did something with my boys."

ztuggle@gannett.com