Fiberglass Freaks Batman Museum, Mark Racop

Guardians of Gotham: Help Crowdfund the Finishing Touches of the Batman Museum

As the Fiberglass Freaks Batman Museum in Logansport, Indiana, approaches the home stretch in opening what will be the only dedicated Batman museum in the United States, the museum’s owner and curator, Mark Racop, is turning to crowdfunding to support updates to the historic building.

Racop, builder of officially licensed replicas of the 1966 Batmobile, shared his vision for the project with Toy Tales, saying: “The core mission of the Fiberglass Freaks’ Batman Museum is to provide a place where we preserve Batman history (primarily about the 1966 TV show, but not entirely), and provide a respite from the woes of the world with an immersive museum with great displays about our favourite superhero.”

The museum, which houses Racop’s personal collection of Batman memorabilia along with loaned objects, is a concept that Racop has been developing for a decade. In a December 2023 conversation with Toy Tales, he shared how that vision has manifested: “The museum takes visitors through the Batman timeline. It shows everything from the 1939 serials, the television show, and then of course the current Batman and LEGO Batman movies. We’ve recreated a lot of the familiar elements like the blinking Bat Phone in the Wayne Manor study. When the Shakespeare bust is pushed back, it triggers a sliding bookcase where you step inside and hold the Bat Pole.”

The crowdfunding campaign seeks to raise funds for updates to the 7,000-square-foot building, including a complete rewiring, changes to the entrance, safety updates, and other modifications.

Racop is steadfast in seeing his vision through to completion. He explains, “I’ve seen first-hand how powerful the 1966 Batmobile is for transforming bad days into good — the twinkle in the eye, the joyous tears, the smiles — it reminds the older batfans of a simpler, more fun time, and it gives youth a different view of Batman as the “Bright Knight”, as Adam West called him. Seeing the expressions of fans as they walk in gives me the greatest joy. I can’t wait to show the world.”

The crowdfunding campaign, which seeks to raise $20,000 US, concludes on Tuesday, July 23. Visit the campaign page on Indiegogo.