BibleWalk

BibleWalk (formerly The Living Bible Museum) is a nondenominational[7] Christian wax museum in Mansfield, Ohio, affiliated with the Diamond Hill Cathedral.[6][8] It depicts scenes of religious importance for Christians, primarily from the Bible.

BibleWalk
Billboard for BibleWalk, touting it as Ohio's only life-sized wax museum
Location within Ohio
Former name
The Living Bible Museum[1][2]
EstablishedAugust 15, 1987 (1987-08-15)[3]
Location500 Tingley Ave,
Mansfield, Ohio
Coordinates40.785861°N 82.496707°W / 40.785861; -82.496707
TypeWax museum
Visitors30,000–50,000/year[4][5]
DirectorJulie Mott-Hardin[6]
Nearest parkingOn site (no charge)
Websitebiblewalk.us

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

The 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]

Promotional materials for the museum have identified it as "holy ground."[5]

History

The 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][19] The figures were Fiberglas,[15] acquired from William Warren's Bible Walk in Collier Township, Pennsylvania.[8][6][20] 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.[21]

Tourism

Even 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.[22] In 2018, BibleWalk's Dinner With Grace events were inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame by Destination Mansfield-Richland County.[23]

References
  1. "Biblical wax museum celebrating 30 years". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. May 13, 2017.
  2. Bullock, Bryan (October 30, 2011). "Visitors boost local economy". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
  3. Johns, Shirley (March 22, 2005). "Mansfield museum offers walk through Bible". Telegraph-Forum. Bucyrus, Ohio.
  4. Lawler, David (August 13, 2015). "Wax figures of British royals appear at US Biblical museum". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  5. Paine, Crispin (2013). Religious Objects in Museums: Private Lives and Public Duties. Bloomsbury. pp. 95–6. ISBN 978-1-84788-773-3. OCLC 852668991.
  6. "About Us". BibleWalk. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  7. Palmer, Karen (August 13, 2005). "BibleWalk". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. p. B.1.
  8. "Biblewalk Wax Museum". YouTube. July 2, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  9. Scali, Maria (September 3, 2015). "Mansfield is home of Ohio's only wax museum, Bible Walk". Fox 8. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  10. "Museum puts Charles out to pasture". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland, New Zealand. August 19, 2015. p. A.36.
  11. "Tours". BibleWalk. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  12. "Nation & World". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, WV. August 13, 2012. p. A.3.
  13. Ross, Angel N. (August 10, 2007). "Walking through history". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
  14. Carr, Julie (March 29, 1987). "Museum breathes life into Bible scenes". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. pp. 4.H, 5.H.
  15. Whitmire, Lou (August 10, 2012). "BibleWalk marks 25 years in Mansfield". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
  16. Hill, Todd (March 29, 2013). "BibleWalk, TV options add to Easter flavor". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
  17. "Postcard Ohio American Votive Folk Art Living Bible Museum Mansfield". eBay. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019.
  18. Kinton, Jami (August 10, 2010). "BibleWalk celebrating 40th anniversary with free tours". Telegraph-Forum. Bucyrus, Ohio.
  19. "Celebrate Christ's birth at the Biblewalk". Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. November 30, 2008.
  20. "WARREN ET UX. v. COLLIER TWP. BD. OF COMRS". Leagle. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  21. "Living Bible Museum Inc; EIN: 34-1752594". Org Council. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  22. Whitmire, Lou (May 19, 2016). "CVB celebrates tourism at meeting". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio.
  23. Whitmire, Lou (May 5, 2018). "Tourism officials tell visitors why they should come". Mansfield News Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. p. A.3.
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