Museums are always looking for new things to show their guests – it’s a way to get repeat visitors and/or new guests who are interested in that “one new thing.” Sometimes these “new things” (which are typically “old things” – museum and all) are items the museums have purchased. Other times they’re donated – such as in 2014, when British rock star Phil Collins donated his priceless collection of Alamo and Texana artifacts – 200+ pieces which he had been slowly gathering for the past 20-odd years – to the Texas General Land Office, guardian of the Alamo on behalf of the people of Texas.
A Cult Classic and a Historic Twist
Speaking of the Alamo, the famed historical site and museum located in San Antonio, TX, has just acquired a new piece for its collection—and it’s not a cannon, sword, rifle, knife, or anything else that was a relic from the famous 1836 battle. Nope, it’s the bicycle from ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”
The Alamo’s social media presence announced the acquisition on Friday.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which was Tim Burton’s directorial debut and paved the way for the Pee-wee’s Playhouse TV show, was a cult hit. “When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.” (IMDb) At one point in the film, despondent about being unable to find his beloved bicycle, Pee-Wee wanders the rainy streets of town and visits a phony psychic, who convinces him that his bike is in the basement of The Alamo. Pee-wee then sets out on his epic journey to get there (Spoiler – he eventually does get to the Alamo, only to discover at the end of a guided tour that the building has no basement).
In real life, the bike in the movie was actually bits and pieces of fourteen vintage 1946-1953 era Schwinn DX bicycles that were sourced for the 1985 film. Each one shown in the film was cannibalized from the original 14, and then “tricked out” to do different things, such as, say, swing from a vine or spew oil. #IYKYK
Where the Bikes Went
Since the success of the film, the bikes have gone in different directions. The late Pee-wee actor, Paul Reubens, got one (or possibly two; stories vary), one recently sold at auction for $125K, and two others are in museums (The Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen, Ohio and The Hollywood Museum in, of course Hollywood, if you ever want to see them – although the Hollywood one will be moving to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wilshire Boulevard next month. That specific bike was one is the one Rubens owned – it was in his trust to give it to the Academy).
And now the Alamo has one..
Where to See It (Hint: Not the Basement)
Later this year, fans will have the opportunity to view the bike inside the Ralston Family Collection Center for a limited time. Then it will be stored (ahem…not in the basement of the Alamo) and eventually be permanently displayed in the future Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, which is currently scheduled to open in the fall of 2027.
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2 comments
When I first saw this, I thought that Alamo Drafthouse (a cinema chain) had been the purchaser.
In my research, I got the impression that one of their theaters has a replica (there was lots of replicas out there).