I was in the general area(of West Liberty, Ohio)and decided to visit one of my earliest memories. I visited the Mac-O-Chee Castle/WestLiberty, Ohio. Unfortunate for me, winter is not the best visiting time of the year. It's an impressive building to view and was well worth the time to revisit this area, but I was the only one there.
My husband and I were married at Mac-O-Chee castle about a week and a half ago and we cannot say enough good things about the venue. We are from Columbus, OH and were willing to have our wedding an hour away because we were so impressed. I am a photographer and fell in love with the venue at a styled shoot hosted by a photographer local to the area last October- When my husband and I decided we were going to actually have a wedding, I pushed for this beautiful and unique place.
On the first visit where I took my husband, we were very impressed with the attention to detail that the owners had put into the castle, courtyard, and reception hall. Everything has been preserved but has some modern touches for convenience.
They were so communicative throughout the whole process. We had SO many questions along the way and they took the time and care to answer every single question we had, even if we probably asked them more than once lol.
They took the time to discuss all of our day of details and were super flexible as well. They truly wanted us to have the most perfect day and we can say that we did. We got so many compliments on the venue and how beautiful the event was. Thank you Mac-O-Chee!!!
The Mac-o-Chee Castle just hosted their Open House Celebration with Live Music, Hors D’Oeuvres and drinks. A definite 10 out of 10 for the areas most unique venue, attention to detail, and welcoming atmosphere created by the Cole family.
Our daughter and son in law were married at the castle mid July . I cannot say enough great things about this venue, the owners and staff! I would give 10 stars if I could! The communication throughout the process was consistent and helpful. The castle itself is amazing and makes for the perfect backdrop for a wedding as the bride and groom’s suites are period appropriate with modern amenities. The patio and stonework were beautifully and thoughtfully constructed as the perfect outdoor space connecting the castle and the Great Hall. The reception space is state of the art in every way with gorgeous detail. Jami and her staff were helpful, thoughtful and supportive during the process and on the day of the wedding! A perfect venue in every way!
I can't recommend the Mac-O-Chee Castle enough as a wedding venue! Throughout the entire wedding planning process we were blown away by the whole teams effort to review every possible detail needed to consider for our big day. All the staff were very friendly and very helpful for planning, day of set-up, and day of take down/clean up. Rehearsal went flawless as well. Mac-O-Chee Castle made sure to hire and learn from very seasoned wedding industry professionals to make sure everything was on point for planning and running events.
Being able to have our bridal party and immediate family get ready inside a well restored piece of history was an amazing experience on its own!
Getting married outside in front of the beautiful waterfall was immaculate and then enjoying the brand new reception hall was the icing on top of the cake!
Our guests loved the wedding venue as well! Scrolling through social media made us laugh because many guests changed their profile pictures to photos of them standing around Mac-O-Chee Castle venue after they had left our wedding. It's safe to say that there is no bad angle of this wedding venue.
Mac-O-Chee Castle brings elegance to West Liberty, OH for those who wanted an elevated and classy type of wedding/event.
This castle is an amazing part of Ohio History, I visited on memorial day weekend and entered the room with all of the military honors. The room was amazing and has a lot of information on the war history this family has. Very much worth the road trip! A must see!
Update 5/30/24 today I drove past the castle and was shocked to see how much work has been done to it in the past four years. The exterior restoration appears to be largely complete and the building looks stable. Good things happen to castles once Piatt Family sells them. Two thumbs up to the new owners and really hoping that they continue the great work!
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Today I visited Mac-O-Chee on its last day of operation as a tourist destination. I last visited the castles in the late 1980's. I gotta say I was shocked. I thought it was in bad shape in the 1980's, but today this treasure of Logan county was suffering badly. Nothing says neglect quite the way three foot tall trees growing in the plugged gutters does. It looks like the last time somebody gave a damn about the building was decades ago.
What a way to let a treasure rot. I gave it a 3 star rating for the history, the beauty, and the total shock of seeing such a magnificent structure in the middle of nowhere in Ohio.
The family should have sold the house while the old gal still had hope that somebody could bring her back. I hope they find a savior at the auction block. Sadly, the other castle is only a bit less deteriorated. Shame on you Piat Family!
My husband and I went to see the castle before they posted it for sale. The wood work is amazing. Though the building is deteriorating, it is a gem as is. Hopefully, someone can invest in the property and breathe life into this historic gift. The history is around the Piatt family but the area of West Liberty has enjoyed other owners in its history. It did come back into the family but it has to pass hands again to another due to lack of funds for repairs. Wishing well to the current family and whomever invest in the estate. It has such a spectacular history for the area and family. I hope its still standing in the next 100 years. They dont make them like this anymore.
Castle is on the auction block due to lack of ability to obtain funding. With that said, the staff were very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. There is an interactive self-guided tour with hands-on activities for children throughout the castle. Highly recommended.
We went to the Mac-O-Chee Castle because it is going to auction in October, and we wanted to see it one last time. We enjoyed the self-guided tour of the three story massive castle. The upcoming auction saddens me, but it is understandable. I can't imagine the upkeep on such an estate.
Really enjoyed these two castles. Planning on going back with the grandkids. Self guided tours. Spend as much time as you need. Look at every ceiling. Beautiful paintings!
Margaret is very knowledgeable and provided my daughter and I a nice history of the castles. She was kind enough to go over some history before they even opened up for the self guided tours. They were available for any questions we had. Some nice activities for my daughter and I to do as well. Well worth taking this visit, especially if you enjoy history.
We were disappointed we couldn't tour the whole house. Self guided tour. The person at the entrance was very nice & knowledgeable, she answered all our questions.
This place was amazing. Loved seeing all of the old architecture and being able to walk through all of the rooms really takes you back to how people once lived. Sad that it is in need of repair. They said they are selling the castle in the fall so if you haven’t had a chance to see this piece of history hurry!
I went there for a play (Where the Cross is Made) my friend, Rachael was in during the Halloween season.
It is so beautiful, and I would love to go during a tour.
We entered and went upstairs three floors to a small room to watch the play.
It was very spooky, and we all very much loved the play. As it turns out, Rachael is a very good actress.
The evening weather was perfect for the event, and the spooky atmosphere is very easy to achieve in this place.?
Part of the Piatt castles toward central Ohio. Great to take a tour especially if visiting the Ohio Caverns near by! Beautiful castle with gravel parking. Can be rented for special occasions such as weddings!
Interesting history behind the 2 Castles but not worth the $50.00 to go into them.$25.00 each. The 1st one is so rundown paint peeling off the walls not close to being finished. The 2ed one was more like a house not a castle but it was the nicest of the two and was furnish much better. But still was not worth the money in my opinion.
I love this castle! Usually stop by any time I'm in the area. Needs everyone's support so it's around for future generations to see. The wood farther walls and painted ceilings are awesome
Haven't been here in years and it's sad. The place is a mess. There has been water damage because of the roof. Even the gutters look like they haven't been cleaned in years because they had trees growing in them! I think the $25 price tag for both is too steep. You don't even get a guided tour.
If you love visiting history and learning about the way things used to be, this is a great place to go. Laura was very informative and friendly. We had a great conversation about the home as well as the castle. It was worth the stop!
It's to bad they are not keeping the castles maintained like they did 20 years ago. Also, they used to have tour guides that provided history of the Piatt brothers and family. I was very disappointed and saddened with this visit to see how run down the castles are now. Unfortunately, I don't recommend visiting the Piatt castles anymore.
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