No TVs, 150 Board Games and Peak Fall Color: A Weekend at Ravenwood Castle

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NEW PLYMOUTH, Ohio — There is a castle in the Vinton County woods where the rooms have no televisions, the cell signal fades in and out, and the most popular entertainment on a cool fall weekend is a board game about defending a castle. Ravenwood Castle is heading into its best stretch of the year.

Fall color around the castle usually peaks in mid-to-late October, which means right about now. The property sits tucked into the trees, and event and marketing coordinator Molly Smith says the color surrounds every one of its 21 accommodations, from the castle rooms to the cottages and cabins. Every stay comes with a patio or deck of some kind, so guests can take in the leaves without leaving their room. Even the drive in is part of the show.

No TVs, 150 Board Games and Peak Fall Color: A Weekend at Ravenwood Castle

Unplugged on purpose

Ravenwood leans into the disconnect. There are no televisions in the rooms and cell service is spotty, and Smith says a few guests need a little while to adjust. Then the board games come out, the scavenger hunts start, and people settle into books, the grounds, and each other. Guests tell them all the time how nice it is to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with the people they came with.

The game library has grown past 150 titles. Classics always move, Smith says, but on fall weekends a lot of groups reach for Castle Panic, a cooperative game that is easy to learn and, given the setting, hard to resist.

What’s new since 2012

Jim and Pam Reed bought the castle in 2012, and the changes returning guests notice most are the additions layered onto the original charm. Scavenger hunts have become a signature, including a new seasonal hunt. This year brought Taste of Tuesdays, themed dinners in the Great Hall, and May’s A Twist on Tea Time. Still ahead this year: Christmas at the Castle, the second Whisky Weekend, and a run of Murder Mystery Weekends.

A spooky side trip

October guests looking for something eerie get pointed down the road to the Moonville Tunnel, the brick railroad tunnel in the woods near Lake Hope that has drawn ghost hunters and hikers for decades. Smith could not put an exact number on how many guests brave the trip, but says it is a fun recommendation for anyone who wants a little spooky adventure with their fall getaway.