BibleWalk

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] 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]

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][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]

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.[23] In 2018, BibleWalk's Dinner With Grace events were inducted into the Tourism Hall of Fame by Destination Mansfield-Richland County.[24]

• Official website