Holy Batman Day! Orlando attraction sports multiple Batmobiles
Central Floridians looking to celebrate Batman Day on Saturday could opt for a spot on International Drive. The Orlando Auto Museum, part of Dezerland Park Orlando, is home to five versions of the Batmobile and other bat-vehicles in on television and in films.
The Batmobile lineup, parked in the Bat Cave section of the attraction, includes one from the 1960s TV show starring Adam West and as well as the film from that era. Orlando Auto Museum also has two cars from the Michael Keaton era and one from when Val Kilmer portrayed the Caped Crusader in the 1990s.
One of the Keaton vehicles was created by Warner Bros. to bring the star to a red-carpet premiere, said Paul Scheuerle, a tour guide at the museum.
“The other one we have is a screen-use vehicle from a scene where the henchmen of the Penguin [played by Danny DeVito] were kind of messing with some of the wiring in the car,” he said.
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The two Adam West cars look pretty much identical from a distance, Scheuerle said, although a white outline was added to the bat logo on the door for the film version.
It’s pretty much a look-but-don’t-touch situation at the Batmobiles in the museum. But people sure like to look, Scheuerle said.
“The way that the ’66 and ’69 [cars] are you are have the ability to look inside and see the way that the dashboard looks. And with the one of the ’89, we kind of have the hood of the roof open, so they can look inside,” he said. “They’re just astounded by the amount of buttons and gadgets that are attached to the dashboard.”
The 1960s vehicles come equipped with Batphones inside.
The Bat Cave also features a Batboat, Batcycle and other props from productions. They’re all part of the private collection owned by developer Michael Dezer, about 2,000 of which are on display at Orlando Auto Museum and throughout Dezerland.
The Batmobiles generally stay in the museum but have been out for promotional purposes.
The attraction is encouraged folks to come in costume and get creative. Photos from this weekend posted on Instagram and tagged to @DezerlandParkOrlando will be eligible to win a $100 PlayCard for Dezerland attractions. The Bat Cave is included with regular admission to Orlando Auto Museum. Other sections of the attraction include a James Bond Museum, Gatsby Lounge, Thunderbird Lounge, American Classics, Military Pavilion, Vespa Lounge and more. V.I.P. tours are available.
For more information, go to dezerlandparkorlando.com.
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