Marietta, Ohio (One-Day Tour)
This tour can be combined with Amish Country travel packages

Marietta is a picturesque river town with European ambience.  Located on the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, Marietta was the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, established in 1788.  Its brick streets are lined with lush hardwood trees and opulent Victorian homes.  Marietta is always alive with activity – modern yet delightfully old.  With lots of history, two waterways and a bustling downtown, Marietta is a hidden gem with numerous activities for students.

CAMPUS MARTIUS MUSEUM

The Campus Martius Museum highlights migration in Ohio's history.  The Museum is on the site of the first organized American settlement in the Northwest Territory.  Founded by the Ohio Company of Associates in 1788, Campus Martius was a fort that served as home for some of the pioneers while they established Marietta.  The restored Rufus Putnam house, part of the original fort, is now enclosed within a wing of the museum.  Behind the museum is the Ohio Company's Land Office.  Exhibits pertain to this early settlement and contain many of the original pioneer artifacts.  They explore the prehistoric Indian populations that occupied this area and relations with the historic Indians as the white settlers moved in.  These exhibits also deal with the organization of the Ohio Company of Associates, surveying of the land, early government in the Old Northwest Territory and life in 18th century Marietta.

CASTLE

With its octagonal tower, trefoil attic window and stone capped spires, the Castle is one of the best executed examples of Gothic Revival-style architecture in Ohio.  Interior architectural details include a scagliola fireplace surround, coodge papier-mâché moldings and floor to ceiling shutters on the parlor's bay window.  The house, once the home of Ohio Senator Theodore Davis, is furnished with items of historical significance to the area, as well as those typical of the Victorian Era.  Educational programs, special events and changing exhibits are featured throughout the year.

FENTON ART GLASS COMPANY

Visit the world famous Fenton Art Glass, located in Williamstown, West Virginia just across the Ohio River from Marietta.  Knowledgeable and friendly guides take you right to the action where skilled glassworkers use the techniques of centuries ago to create beautiful art glass right before your eyes.  You'll see glassblowing and pressing operations as well as Fenton's signature skills – basket handling and ‘ringing.’  Visit Fenton's museum and top off your experience in their unique factory outlet and gift shop.  Take the tour students travel hundreds of miles to see.  An exciting new adventure awaits you at Fenton Glass.

OHIO RIVER MUSEUM & W.P. SNYDER JR.

The Iroquois called the river ‘Ohio’ and the name was later translated by the French as the Beautiful-La Belle Riviere.  Not a beautiful river, mind you, but the beautiful, with no fear that it might be confused with any other.  The Ohio River Museum consists of three exhibit buildings, the first of which houses displays depicting the origins and natural history of the Ohio River.  The golden age of the steamboat is featured in the second building, along with a video presentation on river steamboats.  The last building explores the enduring relationship between man and the river.  Outside the museum, on the Muskingum River, students can take a guided tour of the W.P. Snyder Jr. – the last intact steam-powered, stern-wheeled towboat in the United States.  The pilothouse and a full-scale reproduction of a flatboat complete the outside exhibits.

TROLLEY TOUR

This narrated trolley tour provides an overview of the historic architecture and sites of Marietta.  Highlights include Victorian Front Street shops, First Congregational Church, Start Westward Monument, Return Jonathon Meigs Home, Ohio River Museum, W.P. Snyder Jr., the Valley Gem, Campus Martius Museum, Marietta College Boathouse, David Putnam House, Historic Harmar Village, Henry Fearing Museum, Toy & Doll Museum, Indian Mounds, Mound Cemetery, Marietta College, the Castle, Historic Churches, Levee House Café and the Ohio River Levee.

VALLEY GEM STERNWHEELER

The gentle splash of the paddlewheel reminds you of a bygone era, but this modern-day sternwheeler has all the amenities to make your sentimental journey tranquil and relaxing.  The Gem is a clean and comfortable boat, United States Coast Guard approved and handicapped accessible.  The lower deck is fully enclosed with heating or air conditioning, a snack shop and restrooms.  Enjoy a relaxing lunch cruise on the Ohio River and marvel at the spectacular scenery and riverboat hospitality.

WILLOW ISLAND LOCKS & DAM

The Willow Island Locks and Dam are a flood control system built on the Ohio River and run by the Federal Government.  Enjoy a 1 ½ hour tour of this system.  Your guided tour will take you through tunnels inside the dam, then up to the top where you will get a birds-eye view of the historic Ohio River.  If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of one of the many barges that travel up and down the Ohio River.

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