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A 16-Foot-Tall, 1-Ton, Transformer Will Welcome Visitors in The Museum’s Welcome Center
On Friday, March 12, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis unveiled its newest pop culture icon – Bumblebee! At more than 16-feet-tall and weighing in at nearly 1 ton, this new collection piece will tower over visitors in its new home at the Museum.
“Bumblebee’s unveiling is a great way to open our new Incredible Costumes from Film and TV exhibit, ” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “The Transformers are loved by generations – both the children today who are familiar with the movies and their parents who grew up watching the original cartoons – Transformer collectors span three generations.”
Bumblebee is the newest pop culture icon at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis joining other beloved museum collection pieces on permanent display such as Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass; Bucky the T. Rex; Martimus, the museum’s stuffed polar bear, the Museum’s Mastodon; the world’s largest Waterclock; and the Rebuen Wells steam engine. The Museum’s icons are well-known and loved by museum visitors and members, many of which are familiar to generations of museum families.
Bumblebee was the result of a direct request by Director Michael Bay for a full-size Transformer for the making of the 2007 movie Transformers. Bumblebee was used as a prop in the filming of several scenes including when characters Sam and Mikaela are first introduced to the Autobots, the heroic characters who fight against the evil Decepticons. For the movie, Michael Bay made the decision, in consultation with Hasbro, to turn Bumblebee into a Chevy Camaro.
Built by renowned special effects company FXperts, Inc. (John Frazier Special Effects), it took three sculptors and four mold makers about three months to create Bumblebee from drawings to paint. Bumblebee is made of 300 parts from 200 molds, most of which were hand sculpted and then hand molded. All parts including the tires, grill and Chevy logo were molded from existing parts; the only real car part is the license plate.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The 472, 900 square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World®, experience Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass and examine children’s impact in shaping history in The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The Children’s Museum, situated on 20 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents hundreds of programs and activities each year. For more information about The Children’s Museum in English and Spanish, visit www.childrensmuseum.org.
