Visitor Info * Group Tours & School Info * Events * Property Rental * Photos * The Piatts * Getting Here * Mac-A-Cheek Foundation * Restoration Projects * Home
Visitor Info * Group Tours & School Info * Events * Property Rental * Photos * The Piatts * Getting Here * Mac-A-Cheek Foundation * Restoration Projects * Home
Group Tour Information
Special discounts and hours are
extended to parties of 20 or more, year-round with prior reservation.
Call 937-465-2821 for details and booking.
Group Admissions, per castle, for groups of 20 or more with prior reservation. Special or extended programs will be charged an additional fee.
Adult |
Senior (65+) |
Student (5-15) |
|
| One Castle | $8 |
$7 |
$5 |
| Both Castles | $15 |
$14 |
$9 |
Both castles offer ample free bus parking, bus drivers and a tour guide are offered complimentary admissions.
West Liberty and the surrounding Logan and Champaign Counties offer many attractions all less than one hour from the Air Force Museum, the Neil Armstrong Museum, Dayton and Columbus. Ohio Caverns ( 937-465-4017) and The Pioneer House (937-465-0757) share the Mac-A-Cheek valley with Piatt Castles and Marie's Candies (937-465-3061) is just 2 miles down the road. In West Liberty, The Liberty Gathering Place (937-465-3081) can accommodate tours for lunch and there are a couple of pizza places and Subway. There is a large variety of restaurants 6 miles north on US 68 in Bellefontaine and also in Urbana, 8 miles south on US 68.
School Groups:
Regular 45 minute tours of either castle are available for school groups of 20 or more. Please call for current program rates.
In addition, we offer several 90 minute programs designed to meet Ohio's Academic Content Standards. Classes are divided into smaller groups of 8-12 students who are engaged in inquiry methods, hands-on activities or role playing. Please call for further information.
Bus drivers are admitted for free.
School Programs
General Tours
Students enjoy the atmosphere of our Victorian era buildings made of native limestone with decorated interiors of paneled woodwork and frescoed ceilings. The collections captivate their interest as they see furnishings and features no longer part of most American homes. Our staff members use inquiry techniques to engage students as they tour the homes investigating how one Ohio family lived over time.
The general tour lasts 45-60 minutes. Group rates are offered to groups of twenty or more with advanced reservations. The for school groups to tour each Castle is $5.00 per student with one free adult for every ten students. Additional adults will be charged our adult group rate of $8.00 each. Drivers of school busses (not individual vans) receive complimentary admission.
Topical Tours
Piatt Castles specializes in interactive tours that investigate a topic using inquiry and drama based teaching techniques. Topical tours are designed to meet Ohio Academic Content Standards in Social Studies and Language Arts. The follow are the topics currently available.
Ohio History
April – October
Mac-A-Cheek Castle
Students examine geological formations and Native American artifacts as they study early Ohio. They investigate how transportation networks and the economy in Ohio have changed over 200 years by “role playing” individual members of the Piatt family who lived over a period of time.
Specifically, students will:
This program is 90 minutes long and includes thematic handouts for teachers to use in the classroom after the visit. The minimum group size is fifteen students who will each be charged $6.00. One adult will be admitted free for every fifteen students. Additional adults will be charged the adult group rate of $8.00 each. Drivers of school busses (not individual vans) receive complimentary admission.
Historical Holidays
Holiday school programs at Piatt Castles are engaging, participatory, and content based. Students discover the role of literature and the environment in the formation of traditions and the evolution of American holiday customs. Drama and art are integrated into the instruction. Programs can be adapted to any age group and are structured to meet content standards in social studies, history, and language arts. Program lengths are 90 minutes for groups of 15-30 students. We can provide the program to class sizes up to 50 students with an additional 30 minutes added to the length. The program fees are $6.00 per student. One adult will be admitted free for every fifteen students. Additional adults will be charged the adult group rate of $8.00 each. Drivers of school busses (not individual vans) receive complimentary admission.
Ghosts & Goblins: Literature to Scare and Delight
October
Mac-O-Chee Castle
When the Frost is on the Pumpkin it is time to visit Mac-O-Chee Castle for a Halloween program featuring autumn crafts, Victorian games, poems, stories, a treasure hunt, and a spooky walk in the cellar.
Exploring Holiday Traditions
The week after Thanksgiving until Christmas vacation
Mac-A-Cheek Castle
This seasonal tour explores mid-winter holidays including the Solstice, Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Activities include storytelling, creative dramatics, hands-on activities, and a tour of the holiday decorations at Mac-A-Cheek Castle.
Spring Frolic
Mid-March through April
Mac-A-Cheek Castle
Drawing from popular Victorian era children’s books, students engage in crafts, games and storytelling exploring the secular side of Easter traditions.
Integrated Arts
These program lengths are 90 minutes and are ideal for class sizes in the range of 15-25 students. We can provide the program to class sizes up to 45 students with an additional 30 minutes added to the length. The program fees are $6.00 per student. One adult will be admitted free for every fifteen students. Additional adults will be charged the adult group rate of $8.00 each. Drivers of school busses (not individual vans) receive complimentary admission.
Art and Architecture
April – September
Mac-O-Chee Castle
This program is suited for small groups who are interested in integrating math, design, and history. Students engage in a hands-on examination and analysis of decorative features including the frescoed ceilings, parquet floors and architectural style of Mac-O-Chee Castle. They discuss components of form and function as they consider how the construction and design of the building met the needs of the occupants.
Geometry & Literature
The Shape of the Kingdom
April – September
Either Castle Students are engaged in an interactive creative drama based on the book, Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, A Math Adventure written by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehan. Using costume pieces and props and following prompts from the program leader who narrates the book, students explore geometric shapes as they role play characters from the story. The drama is followed by hands-on activities and an investigation of the Castle during which students explore how castles were built in medieval and more modern times. They discover the significance of a castle’s shape (architecture) to the shape of the kingdom (society and culture.)
A 45-60 minute in-school version of this program can be booked at the rate of $150 for one classroom group, $200 for two classes, and $250 for three classes with a limit of 32 students per class. An additional mileage fee may be charged for schools outside of a 30 mile radius from West Liberty, Ohio.
The Keys to the Castle
April – September
Mac-O-Chee Castle
This on-site investigation of medieval and modern castles features a living history demonstration of limestone chiseling and an interactive math adventure in which students “role play” characters who seek the keys that make the castle both strong and beautiful. The program includes hands-on activities with blocks, stencils, and calligraphy. Each student receives an activity booklet.
Special Opportunities
The Art and Science of Nature
These new programs can be scheduled for groups of 15-40 students, sixth grade through college. Program lengths are 2 ½ hours and cost $16.00 per student with one free adult for every eight students. Additional adults will be charged $16.00 each.
Program can be scheduled at the availability of our content experts. Each program emphases:
Have it your way!
Do you have a special topic that you would like your students to explore at Piatt Castles? We will work with you to create a unique experience that meets your curriculum goals. Our strongest areas of content are Family History, U.S. History, Literature and Journalism. Partner with us to incorporate our primary sources into your units of study. (Fes to be determined)
Programs for Teachers
Educators Information Sessions:
Piatt Castles can hold teacher and administrators’ information sessions for any school district. This includes an overview of programs, admission to the Castles and light refreshment. Group sizes may range from 8-40 participants at the cost of $12.00 per person.
In-Service Workshop
Between the Lines: Readers Theatre + Geometry
Readers theatre fosters creativity and imagination as it builds communication skills and reinforces content through repetition. In this three hour integrated arts workshop for teachers, participants will discover how any text could be adapted into a readers theatre script as they learn staging and scripting techniques. The workshop leader is Margaret Piatt who developed it in 2006 through The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Seminars, Artists as Educators: Creating and Presenting Effective Workshops for Teachers. For nine years, Margaret led teacher workshops in language arts and social studies at Old Sturbridge Village. She is currently the theatre director at Urbana University and works for both Piatt Castles and The Mad River Theater Works. The workshop fee is $350 for up to 30 teachers. An additional mileage fee may be charged An additional mileage fee may be charged for schools outside of a 6 mile radius from West Liberty, Ohio.
All programs require advance reservations. Please contact us at (937) 465-2821 or macochee@logan.net at least two weeks before your program date.
*Admissions based on groups of 20 or more with prior reservation. Call 937-465-2821.