Take, for example, the infamous dentist, Doc Holliday. While his reputation in Deadwood was as a truculent, abrasive and violent drunk, he nonetheless achieved national celebrity - albeit posthumously: he lived his three short decades in the nefarious shadows of liquor and tuberculosis. Another medical man, far more fortunate and amiable, resided an hour or so south in the handsome hill town of Custer. Dr. Harley Niblick was born in 1894 - about a decade after Holliday's demise - in Denver, where he became a sucessful chiropractor. Financially independent at an early age, he created his second career at age 42: he became a woodcarver and Disney animator.

Over the next 30 years, until his death in 1966, Dr. Niblick devoted some 70,000 hours to the creation of miniature and life-size figures, miniature steam engines, and a wide range of paintings and furniture. This body of work - impressive both in quality and quantity - is the heart and soul of the collections displayed at the National Museum of Woodcarving outside Custer. As evidence of the quality of his work, Dr. Niblick was invited to spend 1954-5 designing and building the animation at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Another tribute to his remarkable talent is that three of his animated scenes have already been exhibited at the Smithsonian.

In keeping with the Disney connection, the museum that houses Dr. Niblick's prodigious body of work is located in an Old West style building that screams "movie set". Located a couple of miles west of Custer in the heart of the Black Hills, the facility offers a genuine wooden nickel theater, over thirty animated scenes - some of which carry their own sound tracks - and a gallery of pieces by nationally renowned carvers.

For woodworkers, the most enticing attraction has to be the carving studio, which attracts guest woodcarvers from every corner of the U.S. Here, visitors can watch professionals "chisel and shape an ordinary block of wood into a work of art right before their eyes". They also can choose to learn the art of woodcarving by scheduling a few hours (or days) with a professional in the carving studio.

The museum's current owners, Dale and Gloria Schaffer, have arranged things so your trip through the studio comes at the end of a very interesting tour.

After hitching your pony out front, a full-size talking caricature named "Sylvester, the Black Hills Prospector" welcomes you to the displays. These range from a shoot-out at the Red Dog Saloon to an entire gallery dedicated to prominent wood carvings by noted woodcarvers and woodcarving groups. Over 70 woodcarvers have crafted thier own unique pieces for display in the National Museum Gallery. This includes a special display of woodcarvings created by over 20 of the top caricature carvers in the U.S., who are members of the Caricature Carvers of America.

The museum offers a wide variety of woodcarving classes. All the instructors are professional woodcarvers who also are experienced teachers with national reputations. For example, the NMW resident woodcarver, Keith Morill, has been with the museum for over 15 years. And he has been a member of the Caricature Carvers of America for almost ten years. A former SDSU professor, he has taught woodcarving classes for many years from coast to coast. He now lives in Custer, and is teaching caricature figure carving this summer, including a Santa figure.

The Museum at a glance...

The Wooden Nickel Theater has over 30 carved scenes (mostly frontier themes) created by an original Disney animator and featuring characters animated with steam engines.

The Carving Plaza and Studio features classes led by professional carvers from all over the U.S.

The Woodcarving Display is a separate room showcasing the work of several nationally recognized carvers.

The National Museum Gallery is where visitors can view the art and humor of over 70 woodcarvers, including works by the Caricature Carvers of America.

The Gift Shop and Snack Bar will satisfy one appetite while you whet the other. The gift shop offers an extensive array of original carvings.