September 9, 2026 – The Walt Statue Project took an important step forward Wednesday as the Marceline City Council discussed the proposal to accept the donation of a privately funded Walt Disney statue for Ripley Square, in the heart of his boyhood hometown.
The Council approved a motion that it would consider accepting the donation if The Walt Disney Company supports the idea. The Walt Statue Project welcomes the opportunity to seek that support, along with support from the Disney Family, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, other organizations, and Disney fans around the world.
At the same meeting, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum publicly clarified that the Walt Statue Project is an independent effort and is not a Museum project. That distinction is important and has always been in the project plan.
The Walt Statue Project is not affiliated with, or controlled by the Disney Family, The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, or the City of Marceline. It’s a grassroots effort organized by people who live in Marceline and believe Walt Disney’s connection to our town deserves a permanent public tribute to complement the wonderful efforts of the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.
But, independence doesn’t mean isolation. The project is open to partnership, participation, advice, and collaboration from any individual or organization that would like to help create another meaningful tribute to Walt in Marceline.
Unlike some projects, transparency has been built into the Walt Statue Project from the beginning. The detailed project plan was made public as soon as it was ready, and includes the concept, fundraising goals, preliminary budgets, major milestones – and just like this article, we’ll continue to share the developments publicly as the work progresses. Donors will know exactly what organization is receiving and administering contributions, what the money will be used for, and how the project is progressing.
When fundraising begins, the statue is expected to be funded entirely through private donations. Disney fans, historians, railroad enthusiasts, former Cast Members and admirers of Walt Disney throughout the world will be invited to help create this permanent memorial in the community that helped shape Walt’s imagination. No City funding is being requested for creation of the statue.
The project has also been deliberately structured as a single and original work of art created specifically for Marceline – not as Disney merchandise, a reproduction of an existing Disney statue, or a commercial use of Disney characters, trademarks or logos. Original expressive artwork is treated differently under right-of-publicity law from commercial products and merchandise, with legal protections that recognize the distinction between artistic expression and commercial exploitation.
In other words, the standards anyone would reasonably expect from a permanent public monument – professional management, legal review, financial accountability, careful placement, engineering, professional sculpture work, ownership planning, and long-term maintenance arrangements are already part of the project plan.
The statue would also complement Marceline’s existing Disney attractions. Many people come to Marceline specifically to visit the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. But when the Museum is closed, or during the off-season, Walt’s statue will still be standing in Ripley Square 24 hours a day, seven days a week – free, highly visible, and easily accessible for visitors to photograph and enjoy.
That accessibility matters. A public tribute to Walt will remain available regardless of operating hours. His relationship with Marceline is part of the history of our entire community, and it’s a story Marceline residents are proud and happy to share.
The project is also being approached with relevant experience behind it. Project organizer and Marceline resident Dave Tavres is a former Disneyland Tour Guide, served as a Host in Walt Disney’s private apartment above the firehouse, was an engineer on Walt’s steam locomotives on the Disneyland Railroad, volunteered for years at Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn in Griffith Park, and became a founding board member of the Carolwood Foundation. His professional background also includes program management, technology consulting, small-business consulting, and extensive nonprofit and historical-preservation work.
Marceline itself has a long history of turning ambitious community ideas into reality. Residents and organizations have helped improve Ripley Square, the Ripley Park Pond, Main Street USA and other parts of town. The Walsworth Community Center, skate park, pickleball courts, basketball courts, playground equipment and other community improvements all demonstrate what can happen when people decide a worthwhile idea deserves to become reality. The Walt Statue Project follows that tradition.
Walt Disney loved Marceline. The citizens of Marceline love Walt, and continue to celebrate and share our connection to him – and Disney fans around the world understand that our small Missouri town holds a magical place in his story.
There’s still work ahead – outreach, legal review, artistic development, fundraising, and continued conversations with the City. But the goal remains simple – to create a beautiful, lasting tribute to Walt Disney in Ripley Square, where residents and visitors from around the world can enjoy it for generations.
