Posted By Dan Greenfield on Feb 11, 2025 | 9 comments

A visit worth making…

By PETER BOSCH

On Saturday, I made a trip out to the Hall of Justice, which is not in Metropolis or in Gotham City as most would suppose. Instead, it is in Burbank, California. To be precise, it is as 3400 Warner Boulevard. Oh, I don’t mean the Hall of Justice building itself but, rather, the home of the world’s greatest mortals. It is here where you can find Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam (Captain Marvel), Aquaman, Supergirl, and the Flash. It is also where you can find some of the DC’s baddest baddies.

I had a birthday recently and decided to go to the Warner Bros. Studios’ new TCM Classic Films Tour. (“TCM” for Turner Classic Movies.) I had a fantastic time looking at locations on the lot, as well as an inside look at several departments — but the really incredible moment came at the end of the tour when we were invited to explore the huge costume and props exhibits museum, which turned out to be Fanboy Central for me.

Part of the hallway leading into the museum. The other half featured Harry Potter characters.

I don’t mean to sound like a commercial but this was a fascinating journey all the way through — as it included a vast memorabilia collection from DC/WB movies. Enter through the main entrance to the exhibit and your jaw drops as you behold three Batmobiles, a number of cycles belonging to the Caped Crusader and Selina Kyle, props, and costumes worn by every movie Batman (with the exception of Adam West, as that was a 20th Century-Fox production, and has its own museum in Indiana).

In addition, you find yourself amid a Batsignal, the gates of Arkham Asylum, costumes worn by Heath Ledger and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and an exhibit of a dozen or so cowls for the Caped Crusader. Not enough? Then how about Superman, Wonder Woman, Jor-El, and Aquaman costumes used by Christopher Reeve, Lynda Carter, Gal Gadot, Marlon Brando, and Jason Momoa respectively?

Costumes (L-R): Batman (1989, Michael Keaton), Batman Forever (1995, Val Kilmer), Batman & Robin (1997, George Clooney), The Dark Knight (2008, Christian Bale), Justice League (2017, Ben Affleck), and The Batman (2022, Robert Pattinson).

Left: Batman cowls from various projects. Right: Michael Keaton’s from Batman Returns (1992).

The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christian Bale).

Arkham Asylum gates from Batman Forever (1995).

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze costume (Batman & Robin, 1997).

The Dark Knight (2008), Joker (Heath Ledger).

The Batsignal from The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Batmobile from Batman (1989).

Batmobile from The Batman (2022).

Batman’s Tumbler, used in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008).

Costumes worn by Lynda Carter (TV’s Wonder Woman), Marlon Brando as Jor-El (Superman, 1978), and Christopher Reeve (Superman III, 1983).

Costume for Zachary Levi in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).

Gal Gadot’s costumes for (left) Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and (right) Justice League (2017).

Maybe you are also a Harry Potter fan. Lots here to warm the heart of any Hogwarts’ student… including sitting beneath the Sorting Hat, which tells you what school houses you are best suited for. (Rightfully detecting I am brave, determined, and courageous, I was assigned to Gryffindor, Harry’s house.)

Even if superheroes are not your thing (which they are because you’re here), there are exhibits for other WB productions, including Casablanca and My Fair Lady. (Note: the exhibits change periodically).

Before you head to the exit, maybe you want a photo of yourself on the Friends couch, or a video of you flying a Potter broomstick or speeding through Gotham’s streets on the Batpod? All are here for you.

Guests can ride the Batpod against a green screen, combined with Gotham City night scenes.

And then, from the museum, you head into the Warner Bros. Store, where you can buy tons of merchandise, including DC comics, and see costumes from the Supergirl and The Flash TV series.

The tours run seven days a week, and there are two different ones available: the standard Warner Bros. Studio Tour or the newer TCM Classic Films Tour, which is more specialized and different each time, based on you telling the tour guide what stars interest you the most.

I can think of other things you could do on a Saturday afternoon, but few better.

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MORE

— We Took a Three-Hour Road Trip to the New BATMAN ’66 MUSEUM — and It Was Worth Every Second. Click here.

— HOLY SIGHTSEEING! Take a Modern Tour of 1966 GOTHAM CITY. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is due in 2025. (You can pre-order here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.