piatt castles

The history of these homes "castles" is wonderful. The antique furniture and memorabilia take you back in time. I wouldn't have thought my two young Grand kids would have enjoyed it but they did and wanted to go back again this year, go figure!?

We visited both Mac o Cheek and Mac o Chee today. Mac o Cheek is the older of the two "castles" but is definitely in much better condition. You can tour the first two floors of Mac o Cheek. There is a 3rd floor that is closed to the public. And frankly, a lot of the rooms seemed to be closed off. It cost $20 per person to visit both castles, which I thought was a little steep for an essentially self guided tour. A young docent popped up occasionally to ask if we had any questions. The one time we asked her something, she didn't know.The woodwork at Mac o Cheek was quite interesting. In some rooms, there were very dramatic pointed wood accents. However, most of the house had wood panels that looked like cathedral windows. Originally, there was a conservatory/garden with glass cathedral windows surrounding it. Unfortunately, it was taken down early in the 20th century. We visited Mac o Chee next. The outside of the "castle" is beautiful and we had great expectations for it. Unfortunately, the home is in very poor condition. The home left the Piatt family for many years and was tragically neglected. The original cottage home is apparently in such poor condition it is not safe to access. Many of the rooms in Mac o Chee either could not be accessed or were fairly empty. There is major structural damage to the plaster, ceilings, etc. Many of the murals are damaged and walls peeling. I cannot imagine the amount of money it would take to successfully restore this property. Sadly, I don't think it will be done by the Piatt family.

Mac o chee was at one time in its life a very beautiful place. However it's falling apart. As was stated in previous reviews part of the castle is closed off and the roof is getting worse.The ceiling art/frescos are beautiful but there are cracks everywhere and water leaks abound. The amount of money that would be needed for repairs this severe is astronomical. A sad end to a beautiful structure. I am sure it's well past the family's means. Would be nice if some affluent benefactor would jump in and save this place.

We missed the first castle but Mac o Chee was hard to miss. Of the two castles Mac O Cheek was in better condition. We toured the house and grounds at our leisure and learned some Ohio history. Both of the docents were very helpful and knowledgeable. I'd love to see them renovated..

Mac-O-Chee was the first one we visited. Things are so bad at this location that the entire rear portion of the building is closed-off due to disrepair (needs a $150,000 roof). There is much peeling of what were probably gorgeous frescoes, and I even at one moment believed I was going to fall through the floor. Things were significantly better at Mac-A-Cheek, though still disappointing. The grounds are much more interesting at Mac-A-Cheek, and I believe the current owner(s) are utterly clueless as to how to go about restoring these gems to their former glory. The only fully positive element of our visit was a young man named Boston who shared information in a humorous way.

The Piatt "Castles" are gorgeous! They are a wonderful glimpse into history, making it fun to imagine what it would be like to have live in the very stately homes 100 years ago. The antiques & painted ceilings are spectacular. The grounds are beautiful. I did leave curious as to the definition of a castle & now I wonder how these manors/mansions got their name. Maybe it said somewhere & I didn't read the sign :) However, I am glad we toured both homes. It was worth the time & money!

Stopped at Mac-O-Cheek castle first. This castle is more modern and has a lot more period furnishings. It is self guided, however the interpreter does a brief session before hand and knew a lot about the history of the family etc. (the interpreter, Cody, was awesome!) 2nd stop was more extravagant on the outside but the inside wasn't as well put together. There is an amazing history behind the Piatt Brothers... Each castle has a lot of hands on puzzles for kids... nearly one in each room. We did the tour in July and the weather was very hot; there is no air conditioning in either building. There are themed souvenirs available at each building as well.

We had gone to Ohio Caverns and decided to do the Piatt Castles which are in the same area. Both castles were at one time, I'm sure, very stately and beautiful homes. However, because family funds have run out, they are in dire need of renovation and remodeling. It's sad to see that these homes are just falling down. Beautiful woodworking and furniture throughout.

Beautiful historic homes/museums and grounds. Wonderful view into the past; lots of period furnishings. Both homes are in the process of restoration, but most portions open to public view. Well worth the trip, will definitely visit again!

I thought there could have been more interaction between staff and visitors. Seemed more like a self guided tour.

Food was fine and love seeing the old beautiful sights. It's a good place to take the family for an outing.

The castles are an example of beautiful architecture and although they have declined through the years, they are still lovely. I wish there were recording in each room to tell you about the construction features, which were not mentioned. (like the trough down the sides of the stairs to allow the sweeping out of the stair corners. and the skylight created by funneling sunlight through 2 stratigically placed windows. The alcove in the one room that was an enclosed bed reserved for special quests. They are lovely and well worth seeing