David Warther Carving Museum

I hate to admit it, but I first thought the David Warther Carving Museum was the same museum I visited in Dover Ohio six years ago.  I thought maybe that the one in Dover had moved to Sugarcreek.

Well, these are actually two separate museums.  The one in Dover is dedicated to Ernest Warther, and it showcases many of his trains that he carved.

The one in Sugarcreek just opened within the last few years, and it is an exhibit of ships carved from ivory by Ernest Warther's grandson, David.

We arrived as the museum opened in the morning, and we were surprised and excited to discover that David Warther himself would be giving us a tour!

David (shown in the top two photos) told us about how he legally obtains his ivory.  He has the third biggest tusk set in the US on display at the museum!

He also talked about several of his favorite ships that he has built.  It was exciting to hear about his efforts to obtain the blue prints.  Many museums and individuals have been very kind and helpful to him, with a couple of small exceptions.  You should ask David about what all he has done to obtain blue prints when you visit!

One particular ship was buried in Egypt and only discovered in the last several decades.  Since it was buried in sand, it was very well preserved, Because of its great condition, model ship builders like David can make accurate replicas now!

David Warther took the time to demonstrate how he sculpts the very thin (string like) rigging used on his ships.  He does spend time carving at the museum, and there is a windowed in area where visitors can watch him doing his craft.

David Warther was very friendly the entire time, and he even gave us some great recommendations for the rest of our trip.  He gave us directions and suggestions for exploring more of the Amish sites in Sugarcreek.  He also strongly recommended we try Rebecca's Bistro in town.  he took his advice and we were very happy with everything he mentioned!

You MUST stop by the David Warther Carvings Museum in Sugarcreek.  Artists like David are becoming more scarce by the moment.  It is a very rare opportunity to get to see one person's amazing work like this in one place AND to also get to meet them.  This museum gets my highest possible recommendation.