Where Is Adam West’s Original ‘Batman’ Costume Today?

Gabrielle Moss January 12, 1:50 pm

BATMAN, (aka BATMAN: THE MOVIE), Burt Ward, Adam West, 1966, TM and Copyright © — 20th Century Fox Film Corp. / Everett Collection

59 years ago today, on Jan. 12, 1966, Batman debuted on ABC, marking the first depiction of the Caped Crusader on the small screen. Though there was a Batman film serial in 1943, Adam West‘s Bruce Wayne was the first to capture the hearts of the viewing public. Some of that had to do with his way with a one-liner or his graceful deployment with the Emergency-Bat-Turn-Lever … but some credit definitely goes to the 1966 Batman’s costume. Has a man ever looked so noble in nylon?

But while the costume is iconic, its not in the Smithsonian like Archie Bunker’s chair or Fonzie’s jacket. So where is it? And can you visit it?

The origins of the Batman costume

BATMAN, (aka BATMAN: THE MOVIE), Burt Ward, Adam West, 1966

Batman’s 1966 costume looked a lot like the costume worn in the Batman comic books of the mid-1960s, and not terribly different from the one shown in the 1943 film serial starring Lewis Wilson, the first recorded depiction of an actor playing Batman.

But the TV costume had its own unique design elements — created by costume designer Jan Kemp, who, along with Pat Barto, designed all the super looks for the series’ characters. The look stayed pretty consistent for all three seasons, though there were some variations (remember the pink contaminated cowl??).

Where is Batman’s costume today?

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Of course, more than one Batman costume was used for the series. But like many classic TV mementos, most of the original screen-used costumes seem to have gone the way of the dodo. In 2023, a pair of screen-used costumes from the series —Adam West’s Batman suit, as well as an outfit worn by Burt Ward‘s Robin — were sold at auction to a private collector for $615,000. There’s currently no word who they were sold to, or if there will be any future plans to exhibit them.

Fans who want to see a Batman costume that West wore are not entirely out of luck, however — Indiana’s Hall of Heroes Superheroes Museum does have on display a Batman costume from West’s personal collection. However, according to the museum’s website, it is “Adam West’s personal Batman costume that he wore to appearances during the 70’s and 80’s,” which likely includes some costume elements that were worn on screen while shooting the series, but other parts of the costume may be newer, having been replaced over time due to wear and tear.

The suit also came with a signed letter from West himself, attesting that the suit was from his personal collection, and that “I hope the owner of this classic Batman costume enjoys it as much as I have over the years. However, please keep in mind that wearing it in public can bring some strange looks and the chance of being permanently institutionalized.”

So head on over to Indiana if you want see a Batman costume that Adam West actually wore … but please, keep your Batusi-ing to a minimum so as not to disturb the other museum visitors.