Whether you’re a die-hard fan who schedules their life around the release date of every new movie (that’s us) or you haven’t seen the Caped Crusader since Tim Burton’s fanciful depictions in the ’80s and ’90s, the lure of Batman and the sinister world of Gotham has been drawing us all in some way, shape, or form, since the 1960s.
With yet another brand new Bruce gracing our screens recently (the incomparable Robert Pattinson), the popularity of arguably the world’s most famous superhero continues to peak.
With that and a second installment of The Batman officially confirmed, we can think of no better time to take a closer look at all the places the Dark Knight called home.
Where does Batman live?
Just beyond the skyscrapers, surrounded by a sprawling estate and secret tech-filled caves, sits the ever-imposing, Wayne Manor.
There have been so many different versions over the years but they’ve all, in their own way, been equally impressive. Starting of course with the first feature-length depiction of our hero and his home back in 1966.
Batman: The Movie (1966)
Having starred as Batman in the beloved television series, Adam West continued in the role for the first feature-length, live-action movie directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Since the film was made the same year as the show, we got the same Wayne manor in both.
Built in 1928 and valued by Redfin.com at over 20 million dollars, you’ll find this impressive property at 380 San Rafael Avenue in Pasadena. It boasts a whopping 10 bedrooms, six bathrooms, and almost five acres of land making it truly fit for a millionaire CEO (and part-time bat).
The impressively long list of other famous productions shot here includes Rush Hour, Murder, She Wrote, Alias, Stand By Me, The X-Files, and so many more.
It even features as the luxurious home where Helen (Rose Byrne) throws the infamous bridal shower in Bridesmaids. You know the scene where Megan (Melissa McCarthy) takes nine puppies as party favors and Annie (Kristen Wigg) flips out and tries to push over a chocolate fountain with her bare hands? Yeah, that all takes place at Batman’s house!
Batman (1989)
Ramping up the stakes in terms of square footage and, let’s be honest, literally everything else, Tim Burton’s 1989 take on Wayne Manor employed the use of a real-life castle.
That castle is Knebworth House, a stately Tudor home located in Stevenage in the UK. As famous for staging rock concerts as it is for a long history in film, the house and surrounding Knebworth estate have featured in countless blockbusters. The Kings’ Speech, 28 Weeks Later, Nanny McPhee, and Paddington 2 to name just a few.
As for television, you may have also spotted Knebworth doubling as Lady Pheobe’s country house in the latest season of You, and as the inside of Balmoral in The Crown. The best part? During the warmer months, you can buy reasonably priced tickets to tour the house and grounds and soak in all of that history in person.
Batman Returns (1992)
Three years later when Michael Keaton’s Batman, well, returned, Tim Burton gave him all new digs. This new and decidedly spookier home was so full of fantasy that it wasn’t actually real.
So, sadly no house to find but it makes perfect sense. Since the overall design concept for this installment was so wacky and exaggerated, it’s only fitting that Burton designed a house so unique it’s literally out of this world.
See also: Skyfall, James Bond’s Childhood Home in the Scottish Highlands
Batman Forever (1995)
As Keaton hung up his cape for the third installment, Val Kilmer stepped in to play the role with Joel Schumacher directing. Alongside our new hero came, you guessed it, a brand new Wayne Manor, and it looked nothing like the ones before.
Taking up the mantel was Stevenson Taylor Hall, home to The Webb Institute, a high-ranking college of engineering in Glen Cove, New York. This new home certainly felt more real, though if you ask us, it lost a little of the fantastical flair that made it feel so intriguing.
Interestingly though, the hall was a hit and went on to feature as Wayne Manor twice more. Firstly in Schumacher’s 1997 sequel, Batman & Robin, then again in the television series, Gotham in 2014.
Recognize this location? Scenes from the 1998 movie, Great Expectations starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and the CBS series, Limitless were also filmed here!
Batman & Robin (1997)
George Clooney‘s Batman was by no means anyone’s favorite, but that’s not to say the 1997 movie did not leave a lasting legacy. In fact, Clooney recently donned the superhero cape recently for a cameo in 2023’s The Flash, 25 years after his run as Batman.
Also directed by Joel Schumacher, this installment in the Schumacherverse may have changed up the lead actor, with Clooney replacing Val Kilmer, but both Chris O’Donnell (as Robin) and the Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York (as Wayne Manor) retained their roles.
Batman Begins (2005)
”…this place is a mausoleum. If I have my way, I’ll pull the damn thing down brick by brick.”
Bruce Wayne – “Batman Begins“, 2005
Jumping ahead ten years to 2005 Christian Bale is our brand new Batman. Just when we thought Wayne Manor couldn’t be any more impressive, Mentmore Towers appears.
One of the most iconic and visually striking Residences of the entire franchise, this palatial estate in Buckinghamshire, England dates back to 1852. It has also played a role in countless other iconic movies including Eyes Wide Shut, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and even Johnny English!
Sadly as of last year, and since plans to turn the house into a luxury hotel fell through, this once revered estate now sits in a state of decay. The English Heritage register now has it listed as ‘at risk’. We’re hoping someone swoops in soon to rescue this monumental piece of historical real estate.
The Dark Knight (2008)
With art almost imitating life, by the end of Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne’s home lies in ruin. All but burned to the ground after an attack by Ra’s al Ghul, Bruce has to leave the mansion and set up shop in his New York apartment.
Not quite as grand but we’ll always welcome a swanky NYC penthouse, however, that’s not where these scenes were shot. In fact, filming took place in Chicago, in the lobby of a Mies Van Der Rohe building.
City views were added with green screens to make it look as if the apartment was sitting above the New York skyline when in reality, it was on the ground floor!
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Okay, so we know we said earlier that each Wayne Manor has proved equally as impressive as the last, but we were wrong.
Woolaton Hall and the surrounding Deer Park, aka, the newly re-built Wayne estate, might just be the most iconic of all the manors we’ve seen so far. Standing proudly in 500 acres of natural parkland in Nottingham, England, this beautiful Grade I listed building is the one we picture when we when think of the Wayne residence.
And can you visit Batman’s house? Yes! Open from January to May and again from August until November, tickets are available on their website.
The Batman (2022)
A final ten-year leap and Robert Pattinson has donned the cape! And serving as a background was not a CGI-generated mansion or a palatial English estate, but something in between.
This iteration of the Wayne manor introduces something new altogether with a sleek Art Deco-style tower and an eclectic mix of architectural styles inside. According to Architectural Digest, however, it’s this unique blend of styles that means it’s unlikely this is a real residence.
Unfortunate, but at least we have plenty of other Manor’s on our to-visit list!
The Batman’s second installment is scheduled for release in 2026 and we can’t wait to see all the action. But mainly, we can’t wait to see Bruce’s next house!
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