Winner (#1)

Warther Museum

Visit the Warther Carving Museum, in Dover, Ohio, and you’ll experience the story of the Warther family and how the Warthers combined love of family and a love of hobbies to create an amazing legacy.

Ernest "Mooney" Warther turned his joy of carving wood and ivory into creations that the Smithsonian has called “priceless works of art”. Mooney lived in a time when steam locomotives were king, so many of his carvings are steam locomotives made of walnut wood, ebony, and ivory. He combined history and artistry with motion by making the locomotives run authentically. His precision and sense of detail on the wood and ivory carvings reflect Mooney’s amazing skills and passion for steam technology. In fact, the perfection and mechanizing of his steam locomotives earned him the title of World’s Master Carver, in the 1920’s.

Mooney’s amazing carvings were not limited to steam trains. He also carved: canes for Presidents and dignitaries, a working replica of a steel mill where he once worked and the famous Pliers Tree of 511 interconnected working pliers. The carvings combined with the story of the Warther family makes Warther’s a special museum to visit.

The home of Ernest and Freida Warther has grown over the years. Today, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Warther’s operate the carving museum, knife making shop, button collection, arrowheads, gardens and the gift shop.