Holy Collection of Batman Artifacts at the World's Largest Children's Museum

Holy collection of Batman artifacts. Get on the Batphone and spread the news. More than 3,250 pieces ranging from collector rings to action figures to screen-used props are about to move from their secret Indianapolis Bat Cave to their new home at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Over the last seven decades, the Caped Crusader has swooped into homes and inspired millions of people with his positive attitude and crime fighting skills, proving you don't need superpowers to be a superhero. That's exactly what attracted a young Kevin Silva to the TV series and eventually to become a Guinness world-record holder of Batman memorabilia.

"I turned 5 on January 6th, 1966, the Batman TV show aired for the first time on January 12th. Through work my dad bought us a 19" color TV the previous Christmas. (1965) "LIVING COLOR"! My first image of Batman..........let's say burned a hole in my head and in my heart." said Silva.

The Indianapolis native earned the Guinness World Record for the world's largest collection of Batman memorabilia in 2013, and held the record until he was passed by another collector late in 2016.

That's when he decided his precious collection should have a permanent home, where a lot of families could enjoy it. And the world's largest children's museum was thrilled to have the opportunity. "Batman is an iconic hero of American Culture," said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen. "We are always looking for ways to initiate conversation between multiple generations of families and this was a perfect fit."

While much of the collection consists of Batman collectibles and merchandise, there are also original screen-used props. These include a Gotham City license plate and a Gotham City phone book from the 1960s TV series.

Even though Batman has been adapted for TV, animation, and movies, he started as a comic book character. Included in the collection is original artwork used as comic book illustrations.

Batman is known for his gadgets, and many are represented as toys in this collection. It includes a Batman Action Watch, several "batarangs" (boomerangs), batbelts, walkie-talkies, and even batskis and a batbike.

Some pieces of the collection will be incorporated into the upcoming Galleries for American Arts & Popular Culture, which opens June 17, 2017.

The Galleries for American Arts and Popular Culture are made possible through lead gift support from Lilly Endowment, Inc., Mel and Bren Simon, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Gerald and Dorit Paul, Thelma L."T" Wilds, Sharon W. Doiron, and Shirley S. Bryant.

About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Instagram @childrensmuseum, YouTube.com/IndyTCM, and Facebook.