1pm – 4pm Interactive Living History Displays & Activities – Free
1pm – 4pm Immersive “1918” House Tours (Reservations Required)

Travel back to 1918 in Marietta and experience history come to life. Through immersive, ticketed tours of the house, costumed interpreters will portray members of the Davis family, Red Cross volunteers, and local community figures, offering a glimpse into their daily lives during this pivotal time. Outside, the grounds will feature interactive educational displays and hands-on activities highlighting Marietta’s Red Cross and Ohio National Guard company. While the house tours require reservations, the outdoor exhibits are open to all, free of charge, inviting visitors of all ages to engage with the past.

Interactive Living History Displays & Activities -- FREE (donations encouraged)

Admission to the grounds to see the outdoor living history displays and engage with educational activities is free. Activities will be held in The Castle’s Courtyard and Summer Kitchen. Donations to support The Castle’s educational mission are appreciated.

Over Here Living History Day Activities

Pack A Comfort Kit Activity
In this hands-on activity, you will learn what comfort kits were, who made them, and how they aided soldiers in World War I. You will have a chance to pack a kit, and to consider what you would send to a friend in a comfort kit. 

Bandage Rolling Activity
An easy way for groups like the Red Cross to send relief to soldiers and civilians during WWI was to make bandages. In this activity, you’ll get to make a bandage with the help of the Red Cross and add it to our relief supplies.

Military Touch Table
At this station you can touch and even try on various pieces of WWI equipment and uniform items used by soldiers. This is your chance to learn more about the life of a WWI soldier in a hands-on way.

Pack A Pack Activity
Test your organizational and critical thinking skills by choosing what should go into the soldier’s pack. Soldiers in WWI had one of the most complicated packs ever devised, but they still needed to carry things with them on the march such as food, extra clothes, and important equipment. Learn more about these items and see if you can pack a pack for the soldiers.

Immersive 1918 House Tours -- TICKETED RESERVATION REQUIRED

Step into the past with an immersive, specialized tour of The Castle, where living history interpreters bring to life the Davis family, Red Cross volunteers, and local community members. Travel back to April 26, 1918, and explore the impact of World War I on Marietta, the nation, and the world. Through engaging activities, discover how the U.S. and Marietta became involved in the war, the vital role of the local Red Cross, and how grand homes like The Castle supported the war effort.

Guests will also have the unique opportunity to taste and discuss the effects of food rationing, gaining a deeper understanding of life on the home front during this historic time.

Tours will start on the hour at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Reservations must be booked in advance – limited spaces are available. Each tour will last approximately 45 minutes.

*Note: Specialized tours offer different content than do regular tour visits.

You may purchase tickets online or by calling 740-373-4180.

Immersive “1918” House Tours Price:

 $14.50/Non-Member Adults & Kids (Ages 8 & up)
$12.50/Member Adults & Kids (Ages 8 & up) (Use Code "Member" at check out)
Ages 7 & Under: Free

1918 Tours Discussions and Activities

Chronology of a Nation at War
Begin your journey in the Sitting Room with William and Betsey Mills, who are eager to share how America—and Marietta—were drawn into the Great War. In this interactive discussion, Betsey will enlist your help to piece together the key people, places, and events that led up to April 1918.

The Role of the Red Cross
In the Parlor, meet Lucy Nye Davis, the home’s owner, as she shares the critical work of Marietta’s Red Cross chapter. Guests will also take part in a hands-on Red Cross class, learning how to properly bandage wounds—a vital skill on both the battlefield and home front.

Preparing for Dinner
Step into the Dining Room with Ida Wylie, the Davis family’s domestic servant, and discover how something as simple as the dinner table played a role in supporting the war effort. You may even be asked to lend a hand in setting the table for the evening’s guests.

Food for Thought
Enter the kitchen to explore the challenges of wartime meal planning and rationing. Learn how households adapted to ensure soldiers and allies overseas were well supplied. You'll even get a taste of history by sampling the popular “war cake”—a sweet treat made with substituted ingredients.