Are you a fan of animation, pop culture, and, more importantly, superheroes? The quaint town of Elkhart, Indiana, has you covered! Enter the Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum. While it’s technically considered a museum, it’s more like a trip down memory lane for fans of the DC and Marvel universes and a way to really geek out (remember, geeking out is a good thing!) over them.
What’s the Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum?
In a nutshell, it’s a haven for lovers of DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and animation in general. If you love stats, you’ll really love these ones: its 5,000 sq. feet holds 10,000+ toys and games, 60,000 comics, and 100 pieces of comic and animation art. For fans, those numbers add up to hours and hours of moseying around the museum and always finding something new to delve into every time you go. It’s a cool place to visit for kids, adults, and even parents and grandparents with the kiddos.
Curator and Director Allen Stewart began his collection as a child in the 1970s. As there were no video games at the time, he delved into the world of comic books and cartoons. Fast-forward to the present day, and he has the largest collection in the world.
Even for casual comic fans, the museum is colorful and playful, and its eight decades of coverage means it will truly jog your memory. If I haven’t swayed your opinion yet, you can visit for the pinball machines and arcade games alone - and they’re all free to play with paid admission.
The Best Way to Visit
Truth? I’m not a massive fan of Marvel and DC, but I can appreciate the super fandom they hold for countless others, my husband and daughter included. However, there’s so much more to the museum than just the two previously mentioned universes. There’s glass case after glass case of toys showcasing our childhoods. The cases are arranged by topic and era/decade, so if you want to fast-track to your favorite, all you have to do is ask where they are. While I suggest taking a peek at everything it has to offer while you’re there, that certainly is an option.
Personally, I really enjoyed checking out the 1970s cartoon collection, including Hong Kong Phooey, Captain Caveman, and even Speed Buggy. I saw plastic toys, both metal and plastic lunchboxes, featuring popular cartoon characters, and they made me beam from ear to ear. I visited with my adult daughter and was able to show her what my childhood cartoon characters looked like, and it was a hoot compared to today’s standards and details.
Notably, the coolest toy in the collection is, hands down, a wooden Superman doll from 1939—the very first superhero toy, in fact. As for the coolest piece of movie memorabilia, according to Director Allen Stewart, he’ll tell you it’s Adam West’s personal Batman costume used for public appearances.
After you’ve checked out the glass cases of cartoon whimsy, make sure you walk the perimeter of the museum, which holds actual actors’ costumes and set pieces from popular films. If I had to pick a favorite, it’s the Johnny Blaze (aka Nicolas Cage) motorcycle from Ghost Rider in 2007.
Yearly Events
Each year, the Hall of Heroes hosts several unique events. If I’m talking about unique, it’s Santa and the Superheroes each December. Additionally, the Hall hosts trivia night and is heavily involved in local Comic Cons around Elkhart County, so even if you can’t make it to one, they’ve got the most recent photos and autographs to check out.
