Tour the Museum

"Worth the Trip to Amish Country Alone"

David Warther Carvings is a leading Ohio attraction located in the center of Ohio's Amish community. The exhibit features over 90 carvings made by David Warther, a 5th generation carver of Swiss heritage who works daily in his on-site workshop where he regularly demonstrates carving techniques and tools including his hand filing and sanding method of making the ivory rigging lines. The carvings created by Warther depict the "History of the Ship" from 1st Dynasty Egypt to the present day. Our carver works with old legal estate elephant tusks that are donated to the museum from estate collections in the United States. Created in miniature from these legal estate elephant tusks and ebony wood the details include intricate scrimshaw engraving and finely carved ivory rigging lines that measure just twice the thickness of a human hair. 

The exhibit consists of 5 spacious rooms dedicated to different eras of shipbuilding. Each room is quite spacious with ample seating for ease and comfort. The Medieval room with its Viking ships is a favorite among visitors as is the Ancient room where ancient Egyptian, Roman, Phoenician and Greek ships convey the story, in David's beautiful art form, of how ships appeared in these early times. Amish and Mennonite guides conduct lively tours of this interesting and highly educational exhibit.

David Warther Carvings is an enjoyable place to visit for every member of the family, any season of the year. The hilltop portico and clock tower pavilion with its' observation deck provide exceptional views and photo options of the neighboring Amish farms in Walnut Valley. The DWC is also home to the DWC Gift Shop that has become an attraction in itself and can be visited separately.