Activated hazelnut shell (HSAC), an organic waste, was utilized for the adsorptive removal of Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous solutions, and a modeling study was conducted using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). For the adsorption study, pH (3-9), initial CR concentration (5-400 mg/L), contact time (2-240 min.), and adsorbent quantity (0.5-10 g/L) parameters were investigated. Conducted in a batch system, the adsorption experiments resulted in a notable removal efficiency of 87% under optimal conditions. The kinetic data for hazelnut shell activated carbon (HSAC) removal of CR were most accurately represented by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, the equilibrium data demonstrated a strong agreement with the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of HSAC for CR was determined to be 34.8 mg/g. Considering the various experimental parameters influencing CR adsorption, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was constructed. The analysis of the ANN model revealed a correlation of 98%, indicating that the output parameter could be reliably predicted. Thus, it was concluded that ANN could be employed for the removal of CR from water using HSAC.