File Photo Children sift through dirt at last year’s Archaeology Camp for Kids at The Castle in Marietta. This year’s program will be July 17-20.

Information about any of the upcoming programs is available by calling 740-373-4180 or by emailing Education Director Kyle Yoho at mariettacastle@gmail.com.

The first camp will be the History Camp program entitled “Change: The 1950s and 1960s” which runs 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 10-14 at The Castle.

Aimed at students from third through sixth grades, the 5-day camp will be filled with historic hands-on activities, along with crafts, games, tours, music, dancing and more. This year’s theme will explore topics such as Space Exploration, Civil Rights, and pop culture like Rock & Roll. Activities include Baking with Betty Crocker, Rocking and Rolling at the Sock Hop, Poodle Skirts and the Latest Fashions and more.

Yoho said the deadline for registration was June 23, but interested people can call and check for openings. The cost was $30 per day or $125 for the while week, with registration fees including all materials, activities and tours.

File Photo Sue Hurst, 70, of Sardin, W.Va., takes off the first layer of sod to explore the ground below at last year’s Archaeology Field School.

The next program will be the Archaeology Camp for Kids, which runs 9-11 a.m. July 17-20.

For sixth through eighth graders, campers will experience a real archaeological dig on the site of one of the oldest pottery manufacturing sites in Ohio, learn how archaeologists sort and sift for objects, and examine and identify artifacts. The camp will be conducted by local professional archaeologist Wes Clarke.

The cost is $50 per individual. Space is limited and pre-registration is required by July 7.

The final history camp program of July will be the Archaeology Field School for high school students and adults. It will be 6-8 p.m. July 31-Aug. 3.

The week-long program will begin with introductory discussions and hands-on activities regarding the goals and methods of modern archaeology. Field work activity will be at a moderate pace that can be geared to the preference of each participant.

Participants will be excavating a real archaeological site, processing the recovered artifacts, and discussing what they tell us about past human activity. This is a great opportunity for adults to participate in an archaeology project lead by Clarke.

The cost is $50 per individual. Space is limited and pre-registration is required by July 21.

Looking ahead, The Castle will also be having an “Art Outside” program this summer with local artists coming to The Castle to do painting of the historic home and grounds and other subjects. In the fall, a “Top Shelf History” program will look at Prohibition and the impact and presence of alcohol in Marietta during that period.

The Castle provides educational programs and tours of the restored home at 418 Fourth St., along with special musical concerts and hands-on activities for children and adults throughout the year.

The Castle is an 1855 Gothic Revival house which was the home of an Ohio state senator among many others over the years. It has housed some of the Marietta area’s most prominent and influential citizens, including potter Nathaniel Clark and attorney Melvin C. Clarke, who helped add onto the home. The Castle was deeded to the Betsey Mills Corp. in 1992. It opened to the public in 1994. Some of the other activities scheduled at The Castle include:

* July 8: The Castle’s Cultural Car Pool

* July 22: Cemetery Tours

* July 29: Art Outside at The Castle

* Aug. 5: Cemetery Tours

* Aug. 17: Third Thursday Talk

* Aug. 19: Cemetery Tours

* Aug. 26: Top Shelf History

* Sept. 18: Food History — A Presidential Proceeding

* Sept. 23: Princess Ivy’s Quest

* Oct. 19: Third Thursday Talk

* Oct. 21: “For Victory” Washington County Responds to World War I

* Oct. 27-28: Ghost Tours

* Nov. 4: Night at the Museum

* Nov. 18: Gingerbread House Workshop

* Dec. 2: Christmas Tour and Tea

* Dec. 21: Solstice Watch.