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STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK Holy incredible, Batman! The Bat Van rolled into K-Town this past week, towing the Bat Copter behind the batwings mounted on the van. And a crowd of Batman fans descended upon the newly opened Batcave in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park as the Sun Valley Museum of Art and Adam West’s family kicked off the Bright Knight exhibition.
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A youngster waves from the Bat Copter.
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If you missed it, there’s a free exhibition tour at 5:30 p.m. tonight—Tuesday, July 7. Adam West, who played the Caped Crusader, grew up on a ranch in Walla Walla, Wash., but he and his family made Ketchum their home after he rose to fame in the 1960s TV series. His family combed through their treasures to provide much of the memorabilia contained in the exhibition. Gary White trucked the Bat Copter that he built from the parts of three helicopters to Ketchum from his home near Soap Lake, Wash., when he heard about the exhibition. Kids and adults alike relished the opportunity to climb up the Bat Ladder, talk into the Bat Phone and crank the joy stick.
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Carol and Keith Waller slide down the Bat Poles in the Bright Knight exhibit.
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White said he grew up on “Batman” TV show and he met the family during a 2017 parade honoring Adam West. West’s family included him at dinner on the night he arrived in Ketchum, making him feel as part of the family. “I just love the campiness of the show, the graphics of the ‘Ka-Pow!’ ” he said. “It one of those shows where the only reaction you can have is to smile. It was full of stellar personalities and, of course, there was the superhero in a cape.” Inside the exhibit, Laurie Barone served up Bright Knight wine made by Pinstripe Wines and available locally at Sun Valley Wine Company. She and her husband Domenic live in Adam West’s 6,000-square-foot boyhood home built in 1917. They’ve restored the historic property to its early 1900s splendor, transforming West’s childhood bedroom into a bat cave full of vintage Batman memorabilia.
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The Bat Van was unmistakable.
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Jonathan Grant founded Adam West Day in Walla Walla to—Ka-pow! Zap! Boom! and Pow!—celebrate the man behind the mask who grew up in that town. He was there to invite everyone to this year’s Adam West Day, which will be held Sept. 19— West’s birthday at the Kirkman House Museum in Walla Walla. The celebration will feature replicas of iconic cars and vehicles, including the 1966 Batmobile and Bat Copter, as well as memorabilia and set pieces. There’ll be a costume contest for those dressing up as heroes and villains. And the evening concludes with a lighting of the Bat Signal over the city. “He was much more than Batman. he did TV, radio, stage…” said Grant. “And the man behind the most mask was a most kind-hearted man. The Adam West Museum is part of Kirkman House Museum. You push a button and a wall opens up to bat cave.” The Bright Knight pop-up exhibition runs through Aug. 14. The exhibition is open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.
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Guests attending the opening of the Bright Knight exhibit received samples of a wine by the same name.
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Tonight’s free exhibition tour starts at 5:30 p.m. Another will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4. Joseph Keatinge, editor in chief of “Comics! The Magazine,” will discuss "The Comics Roots of Batman" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. He will present a teen workshop, "Making Comics: From Concept to Career," at noon Thursday, Aug. 13. Save a spot for tours and workshop at https://svmoa.org/pop-up-exhibition/2026/bright-knight-the-life-legacy-of-adam-west.
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