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All the United States Delaware Tiki Murph
AO Edited

Tiki Murph

Live chainsaw carvings of tiki statues aim to keep a tradition with ancient roots alive in this small Delaware town.

Milford, Delaware

Added By
bakedinthehole
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  bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
  bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
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  bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
A tiki lawn   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Probably the only manatee in Delaware   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Tiki army!   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
A tiki idol made from a dead tree   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
A collection of statues   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Live carving   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
A marbled look achieved from burning the wood methodically   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
A seasonal display showing off the Halloween decor   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Idol carving in progress   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  FerdXcursions / Atlas Obscura User
Tiki idol at Tiki Murph   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  FerdXcursions / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In New Zealand, the Māori people have upheld a long tradition of creating wooden or stone carvings of deities, ancestors, or sacred animals. These carvings are known as tiki, which is also the name of the first man in Māori mythology. These carvings were often placed in and around sacred areas that corresponded to what the characters represented. The tradition of tiki would spread throughout the Pacific region over time, and has since become a somewhat wrongly-attributed staple of Hawaiian culture in Western civilization.

All this to say—a tiki-carving grass hut might seem pretty out of place in Delaware.

But while driving towards Rehoboth Beach, visitors might be surprised to see swaying palm trees and grass canopies alongside brightly-colored tiki idols and statues. This is Tiki Murph, a gallery and workshop run by local artisans who carve, paint, and stain the statues on-site! If you ask what a tiki-making crew is doing in Delaware of all places, you'll get a pretty simple response: "Florida is too hot!"

Visitors are encouraged to walk around the site and look at the statues in various forms of completion. At all times, you'll be able to watch a sculptor carving a large stump of white pine into a character, but you can also find artists painting their creations. If you're lucky, you may even have the chance to see a craftsman using a blowtorch to scorch the soft wood to give the figure a distinctively marbled look.

Visitors can also shop the wide selection of tiki idols and even commission custom statues if they feel so inclined. The staff is always working on traditional tiki art, but also has seasonal items such as carved Christmas trees and autumn pumpkins. It might be jarring at first to see such a tropical abode on the side of Bay Road, but Tiki Murph's offers passerby a unique experience to watch fine craftspeople carve beautiful statues, something not a lot of other places in Delaware can say they offer. Just don't tell them it's about 10,000 miles to the closest Polynesian Island.

Related Tags

Tiki Maori Statues Sculptures Roadside Attractions

Know Before You Go

There is no fee for walking around and watching the idol carving. The artists are more than happy to discuss their process with curious visitors!

Community Contributors

Added By

bakedinthehole

Edited By

blimpcaptain, FerdXcursions

  • blimpcaptain
  • FerdXcursions

Published

October 13, 2021

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  • https://thegocup.com/2012/07/13/tiki-or-not-tiki-thats-the-question/
Tiki Murph
2048 Bay Rd
Milford, Delaware, 19963
United States
38.967611, -75.432274
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Nearby Places

Johnson Victrola Museum

Dover, Delaware

miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Delaware

Delaware

United States

Places 52
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Johnson Victrola Museum

Dover, Delaware

miles away

Golden Fleece Tavern Site

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miles away

Milton Theatre

Milton, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Delaware

Delaware

United States

Places 52
Stories 1

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