Lincoln Funeral Train Comes to the Warther Museum

The Lincoln Funeral Train Car Comes to the Warther Museum

2015 is a major year for the Warther Museum. This past spring marks the 50th Anniversary of one of the greatest carvings created, The Lincoln Funeral Train, by the World’s Master Carver, Mooney Warther. The carving left the museum for the second time since its creation and was featured in the State House in Columbus, Ohio as part of the Lincoln Celebration on April 29th. This year marked the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s Assassination, his death, and the running of the Lincoln Funeral Train. In tribute to the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s death, an exact replica has been created by a small group of engineers based in Chicago, Illinois who extracted the exact design of the Lincoln Funeral Train Car and recreated the car that carried the fallen president. The funeral car is complete with original artifacts, and it is traveling throughout the year to 25 cities in the United States. In late April, the Warther Museum was contacted about hosting the car, and a first date was set. After finding transportation issues for the train car, which must travel on a semi-truck as an over-sized load, the date was pushed back. The Warther Museum is happy to announce the Lincoln Funeral Train Car will be at the museum October 2nd through the 4th, 2015. Both the train car and the Museum will be open to guests from 9am to 5pm all three days.

A program complete with activities and speakers will be released soon. An opening ceremony will take place on October 2nd at 9am and is open to the public. On behalf of the Warther Museum, President Carol Warther Moreland states “Hosting the Lincoln Funeral Train Car is a wonderful opportunity for us. Mooney spent his whole life enamored with Lincoln and who he was as a person and a leader. For us to host the train the year of the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s death and the 50th Anniversary of Mooney’s carving of the Lincoln Funeral Train is something that I feel would make Mooney extremely honored.” The third generation family member believes “This is what our museum is about. Being able to host something that brings history to life and to share and educate people of all ages was not only my grandfather Mooney’s dream, but is a dream we strive to fulfill today.” Not only do these anniversaries mark significant events in Mooney’s life, but October 30th would be Mooney’s 130th birthday, which the museum will be celebrating during the time the Lincoln Funeral Car will be at the Warther Museum. The museum is home to 64 ebony and ivory carvings created throughout Mooney’s lifetime. Warther Museum is open all year from 9am to 5pm. For more information on the Lincoln Funeral Train Car Celebration at the Warther Museum, please visit the website, warthers.com or follow the Warther Museum Facebook Page.