Did You Know Michael Keaton’s Batmobile Was Once in Kentucky?

Michael Keaton's Batmobile was once showcased in Kentucky, giving fans a rare opportunity to view the iconic movie prop up close. It was absolutely awesome.

The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is home to an abundance of exhibits featuring vehicles from all eras. In 2023, the museum hosted a limited-time exhibition showcasing custom vehicles created by car designer, engineer, and artist Carl Casper. The exhibit was titled Custom CARisma: The Legendary Creations of Carl Casper.

Who is Carl Casper?

From 1963 to 2017, Casper produced over 1,000 car shows across the country. He is perhaps best known for creating the Carl Casper Custom Auto Show, an annual event that was once held in Louisville. In addition to these accomplishments, Casper also helped design numerous vehicles for both TV and film. His most famous creation is likely the Batmobile featured in Batman Returns (1992).

The Batman Returns Batmobile

The car once featured at the National Corvette Museum was one of three used during the filming of Batman Returns. According to the Marconi Automotive Museum, the mechanism used to ignite the flame seen on screen was designed by the Warner Brothers in-house special effects team. It was capable of producing a 20-foot flame.

Seeing the 1992 Batmobile in Person

Michael Keaton's portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman is legendary. The 1989 and 1992 Batmobiles were my favorites as a kid, so seeing one of the actual cars in person as an adult was a dream come true. It was, however, smaller than I had expected and much shinier as well. I later learned this was because a matte spray had been applied during shooting to hide reflections, which was removed after production.

A Long, Hard Look at the Batmobile

The Batmobile was on display at the end of our tour of the National Corvette Museum, which we had already been walking through for several hours. Despite how much my feet hurt, I stood there and stared at that car for a solid 20 minutes, burning every inch of it into my brain. Hopefully, another opportunity will present itself to see the car again, but in the meantime, I suppose we'll just have to settle for the pictures.