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All the United States Ohio Mansfield BibleWalk Wax Museum

BibleWalk Wax Museum

This recycled wax museum may be the only one that features John Travolta in a Bible scene.

Mansfield, Ohio

Added By
Bryan Woerner
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Bible Walk   bryanwoerner / Atlas Obscura User
Bible Walk   bryanwoerner / Atlas Obscura User
Sermon on the Mount.   bryanwoerner / Atlas Obscura User
The Last Supper.   bryanwoerner / Atlas Obscura User
Corn and other new world foods.   bryanwoerner / Atlas Obscura User
Martyr, 2nd tableau.   lopezaliciamarie / Atlas Obscura User
Martyr, 1st tableau.   lopezaliciamarie / Atlas Obscura User
Martyr, 3rd tableau.   lopezaliciamarie / Atlas Obscura User
American religious folk art, “The Ascension.”   lopezaliciamarie / Atlas Obscura User
American religious folk art, “Romulus and Remus/Lions of Nero.”   lopezaliciamarie / Atlas Obscura User
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About

BibleWalk, Ohio's "largest and only wax museum," has been delighting believers and non-believers alike since 1983. 

Pastor Richard Diamond started the museum in 1983, after being inspired by a visit to another wax museum several years earlier. Realizing that making new wax figures was expensive, Diamond began searching for used figures from museums around the country. Many of his early figures were re-purposed from a defunct Bible wax museum in Pennsylvania.

Over the course of 30 years, the museum has grown from just a few figures and biblical scenes to over 300 figures and five distinct tours: The Life of Christ, Miracles of the Old Testament, Museum of Christian Martyrs, Heart of the Reformation, and Amazing Grace: The Journeys of Paul. All of these scenes were built by the congregants of the Diamond Hill Cathedral, who also run the museum.

The museum has continued its re-purposing of old wax figures, which leads to some bizarre scenes. A visitor may spy a discarded John Travolta as King Solomon or Tom Cruise making an appearance as Jesus. The Last Supper was made by craftsmen who work for Madame Tussauds. The figures were rescued from another museum in Arkansas, and the narration provides a background on each apostle and his significance in the Bible.

In addition to the wax figures, the museum houses a collection of rare Bibles, Christian folk art, and paintings, wood carvings, and a 39-panel Walk of the Parables by Mark Pedro, which was rescued from a museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The museum also has a replica Crown of Thorns. The church itself is known for its parade floats and has a sizable collection of awards and trophies. And for the truly curious, they also have a dinner theater that operates April through June with shows put on by members of the Diamond Hill Cathedral.

Related Tags

Wax Museum Biblical Religious Parks Religion Sacred Spaces

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Just up the road from the Ohio State Reformatory.

Community Contributors

Added By

bryanwoerner

Edited By

quicklysemicolon, lopezaliciamarie

  • quicklysemicolon
  • lopezaliciamarie

Published

July 20, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/08/ohios-biblewalk-museum-is-made-up-of.html
  • http://weekinweird.com/2015/05/15/we-visited-mansfield-ohios-haunted-bible-walk-the-largest-and-scariest-wax-museum-in-the-state/
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2187
BibleWalk Wax Museum
500 Tingley Avenue
Mansfield, Ohio, 44905
United States
40.785991, -82.495776
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Nearby Places

The Shawshank Trail

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Ohio State Reformatory

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Mansfield Memorial Museum

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mansfield

Mansfield

Ohio

Places 4

Nearby Places

The Shawshank Trail

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Ohio State Reformatory

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Mansfield Memorial Museum

Mansfield, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mansfield

Mansfield

Ohio

Places 4

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