Spider-man, museum
Joseph Eley, © 2022 Marvel
“This is the best museum I’ve ever been to,” declared my 4-year-old son about five minutes into the “Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing” exhibit at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park.
Developed by Semmel Exhibitions and Marvel Entertainment, the exhibit was co-curated by Dr. Ben Saunders, Director of Comics Studies at the University of Oregon, and Patrick A. Reed, a pop culture historian.
It features one-of-a-kind artifacts from the ‘60s to present day such as original props from the many Spider-Man movies, like a Green Goblin mask and pumpkin bomb. Or, my favorite prop, a Peter Parker press pass with Toby Maguire’s picture.
Spider-man exhibit
Joseph Eley, © 2022 Marvel
Celebrating 60 years Spider-Man, the show is a chronological look at his story, dedicating rooms to 10 years worth of the superhero. Moving pictures don on the walls depicting images from comic books throughout the years sitting next to text plaques that help you really want to dig-in and read about the history of the franchise. Guests can also view exclusive pieces on loan from private collections.
The exhibit is an overload on the senses—in a way that appeals to kids and mega-fans of superheroes like my son. A thumping techno soundtrack designed by Sebastian Purfürst welcomes fans to the exhibit, where life-size Spider-Man statues adorn the walls. Perfect for selfies.
Spider-man, marvel
Joseph Eley, © 2022 Marvel
The exhibit boasts one area where visitors can watch and listen to the intro to the original Spider-Man TV show from the 1960s, and a few booths where you can put your face on a comic book to print out and bring home. That feature costs an additional $10 on top of the admission price of $30 per person for adults and $18 for kids. Seniors, students and military tickets are each $24.
The museum’s website says it takes an hour to go through the exhibit, which may be shorter when not stopping to look at every piece. Of course, that doesn’t include time spent in the gift shop, which is full of Spider-Man toys, puzzles, and T-shirts (a must).
The show will be one of a few rotating exhibits at the Comic-Con Museum, says Rita Vandergaw, executive director of the museum. Each exhibit is meant to bring a bit of Comic-Con to museum visitors, she says. “The convention is only four days a year and they have the incredible fortune of it being literally sold out, so this is a way for people to come in, see a little touch of the Comic-Con magic,” she says.
