BibleWalk (formerly The Living Bible Museum) is a nondenominational[7] Christian wax museum in Madison Township, just outside Mansfield, Ohio, affiliated with the Diamond Hill Cathedral.[6][8] It depicts scenes of religious importance for Christians, primarily from the Bible.
  Location within Ohio | |
Former name | The Living Bible Museum[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Established | August 15, 1987[3] |
| Location | 500 Tingley Ave, Mansfield, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 40°47′09″N 82°29′48″W / 40.785861°N 82.496707°W |
| Type | Wax museum |
| Visitors | 30,000–50,000/year[4][5] |
| Director | Julie Mott-Hardin[6] |
| Nearest parking | On site (no charge) |
| Website | biblewalk |
The museum has received attention for its use of celebrity wax figures in its scenes, acquired from celebrity wax museums that were closing.[4][6][9][10] This was done as a cost-saving measure when new wax figures were deemed too expensive.[6] The museum attempts to make the celebrity figures unrecognizable.[10]
Collections
editThe museum contains five tours,[11] 78 scenes, and over 300 life-size figures made of wax, Fiberglas, and vinyl.[1][5][12] The figures are posed in scenes that may include other figures, taxidermy, and objects in front of painted backgrounds.[13] Additionally, each scene includes music, narration, and special effects.[1][14]
The collection includes a rare wax tableau of The Last Supper created by Marie Tussaud.[13][15][16] The museum also holds collections of rare Bibles, religious woodcarvings, and American votive folk art.[5][7][17][18] In 2020, the Museum of Woodcarving, a collection of 100 life-size carved wood statues by Joseph Barta, was incorporated into BibleWalk's collection, and went on display in 2021.[19]
Promotional materials for the museum have identified it as "holy ground."[5]
History
editThe idea for the museum was conceived by Pastor Richard and Mrs. Alwilda Diamond of the Faith Revivals church in the early 1970s[3] after they saw a religious scene in a wax museum in Atlanta.[6][8]
The first three scenes were constructed at the Diamond Hill Cathedral: The Last Supper was completed in August 1983,[8] followed by Jesus and the Children and The Woman at the Well in December 1983.[8][20] The figures were Fiberglas,[15] acquired from William Warren's Bible Walk in Collier Township, Pennsylvania.[8][6][21] Scenes were displayed at county fairs and the Ohio State Fair.[14]
In September 1985, construction on a standalone museum began in nearby vegetable garden.[8][14] When the museum opened on August 15, 1987,[3] it was known as The Living Bible Museum and had 16 scenes.[1][14] It was renamed to BibleWalk in 2004.[2]
The museum was created almost entirely by church members and donated labor,[3][8] and is maintained and managed by volunteers.[7][14] The museum is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit organization.[22]
Tourism
editEven before it opened, it was anticipated that the museum would draw tour buses of visitors interested in religious attractions.[14] BibleWalk attracts out-of-town guests and boosts the local economy,[2] hosting 40,000 visitors in 2015.[4] Many visitors come from Detroit and Cleveland,[13] with some as far away as Germany, Africa, Asia, and Indonesia.[7]
In 2016, BibleWalk was recognized as having achieved Excellence in Tourism by the Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau.[23] In 2018, BibleWalk's Dinner With Grace events were inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame by Destination Mansfield-Richland County.[24]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Biblical wax museum celebrating 30 years". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. May 13, 2017.
- ^ a b c Bullock, Bryan (October 30, 2011). "Visitors boost local economy". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
- ^ a b c d Johns, Shirley (March 22, 2005). "Mansfield museum offers walk through Bible". Telegraph-Forum. Bucyrus, Ohio.
- ^ a b c Lawler, David (August 13, 2015). "Wax figures of British royals appear at US Biblical museum". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Paine, Crispin (2013). Religious Objects in Museums: Private Lives and Public Duties. Bloomsbury. pp. 95–6. ISBN 978-1-84788-773-3. OCLC 852668991.
- ^ a b c d e f "About Us". BibleWalk. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Palmer, Karen (August 13, 2005). "BibleWalk". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. p. B.1.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Biblewalk Wax Museum". YouTube. July 2, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ Scali, Maria (September 3, 2015). "Mansfield is home of Ohio's only wax museum, Bible Walk". Fox 8. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ a b "Museum puts Charles out to pasture". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland, New Zealand. August 19, 2015. p. A.36.
- ^ "Tours". BibleWalk. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ "Nation & World". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, WV. August 13, 2012. p. A.3.
- ^ a b c Ross, Angel N. (August 10, 2007). "Walking through history". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
- ^ a b c d e f Carr, Julie (March 29, 1987). "Museum breathes life into Bible scenes". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. pp. 4.H, 5.H.
- ^ a b Whitmire, Lou (August 10, 2012). "BibleWalk marks 25 years in Mansfield". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
- ^ Hill, Todd (March 29, 2013). "BibleWalk, TV options add to Easter flavor". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
- ^ "Postcard Ohio American Votive Folk Art Living Bible Museum Mansfield". eBay. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019.
- ^ Kinton, Jami (August 10, 2010). "BibleWalk celebrating 40th anniversary with free tours". Telegraph-Forum. Bucyrus, Ohio.
- ^ Whitmire, Lou (September 3, 2020). "BibleWalk new home to 100 life-sized biblical carvings". Mansfield News Journal.
- ^ "Celebrate Christ's birth at the Biblewalk". Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. November 30, 2008.
- ^ "WARREN ET UX. v. COLLIER TWP. BD. OF COMRS". Leagle. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ "Living Bible Museum Inc; EIN: 34-1752594". Org Council. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ Whitmire, Lou (May 19, 2016). "CVB celebrates tourism at meeting". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
- ^ Whitmire, Lou (May 5, 2018). "Tourism officials tell visitors why they should come". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. p. A.3.