Wayne Manor

This article is about the fictional home of Batman. For the student organization, seeWayne Manor (Duke University).

Wayne Manor Estate
Batmanlocation
Wayne Manor inBatmanvol. 3 #16 (April 2017) Art by David Finch
First appearance	Detective Comics#28 June 1939
Created by	Bob Kane Bill Finger
Genre	Superhero comics
In-universe information
Type	Mansion
Locations	Gotham City
Characters	Bruce Wayne Thomas Wayne Martha Wayne Alfred Pennyworth Dick Grayson Lance Bruner Barbara Gordon Jason Todd Tim Drake Stephanie Brown Damian Wayne Duke Thomas Cassandra Cain Claire Clover Julia Pennyworth
Publisher	DC Comics

Wayne Manoris a fictionalmansionappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics.It is the home of Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, who is also thesuperheroBatman.

The house is depicted as a large mansion on the outskirts ofGotham Cityand is maintained by the Wayne family's butler,Alfred Pennyworth.While the earliest stories showed Bruce Wayne buying the house himself, by the 1950s at the latest,retroactive continuityestablished that the manor had belonged to the Wayne family for several generations. Along with serving as a personal residence, the mansion sits above theBatcave,which Batman uses as his secret headquarters. The vast majority of DC Comics references place Wayne Manor just outside of Gotham City in the state ofNew Jersey.

The manor, indicative of Wayne's ancestral wealth, is designed in aGothic Revivalarchitectural style, matching theGothic architecturepresent in Gotham. For live-action films,English country houselocations inNottinghamshire,Hertfordshire,andBuckinghamshire,as well asStevenson Taylor Hallin New York, have been used to depict Wayne Manor.

Wayne Manor appears in the 1960sBatmantelevision series and in filmsBatman(1989),Batman Returns(1992),Batman Forever(1995),Batman & Robin(1997), inThe Dark KnightTrilogy(2005–2012), in theDC Extended Universe(2016–2023) andThe Batman(2022).

Depiction

Mansion grounds

Wayne Manor withGotham Cityin the distance fromDetective Comics#967 (December 2017). Art by Álvaro Martínez and Raúl Fernández.

Wayne Manor is depicted in earlier comics as being on the outskirts ofGotham Cityin the state ofNew Jersey.Comic book portrayals place the mansion within driving distance of Gotham City, close enough that theBat-Signalcan be seen from Wayne Manor alerting Batman of distress in the city.

Wayne Manor's grounds include a surrounding gate around the perimeter with a larger front gate at the main entrance. Batman's subterranean headquarters, theBatcave,is located beneath the mansion.

The grounds also includes a large hill that was partially hollowed out for Batman's aerial vehicles, with the most prominent being the batcave, and there is also an underground river system that is large enough to accommodate docking space for theBatboatand has a large opening for said vehicle.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

InBatman: The Return of Bruce Wayneit is revealed that Wayne Manor was designed by Nathan Van Derm for Darius Wayne, forming a stylized "W", although the additional gardens that existed at the time the manor was built add on to this symbol to create the image of a bat.

Following the events ofCataclysm

During the events ofBatman: Cataclysma massive earthquake struck Gotham City, the epicenter of which was less than a mile from Wayne Manor. The mansion was seriously damaged, as was the cave network beneath. The ground beneath the mansion shifted significantly, and actually revealed the Batcave below, although the Bat-family were able to relocate all of Batman's equipment before official rescue came to the manor so that nobody would learn Bruce Wayne's secrets. The original Manor was damaged beyond repair, forcing Bruce Wayne to redesign the Manor along with the Batcave. The new Manor is a veritable fortress, a pastiche ofGothic architecturecombined with features ofcastellated architecture.Solar panels are installed in the new Manor, providing sustainable and environmentally-friendly electricity generation for the complex.It also includes a heliport for commercial helicopters.

Batman Eternal/Arkham Manor

DuringBatman Eternal,Hush's machinations result in Wayne Enterprises being ruined and Bruce Wayne essentially bankrupt after the villain detonates various weapons caches Batman had concealed around Gotham.As part of this bankruptcy, Wayne Manor is repossessed by the city and turned into the new Arkham Asylum following the destruction of the original,but Bruce decides to accept this new status quo, reasoning that he can at least make sure that his enemies remain contained in the new manor given his intimate knowledge of its entrances and exits.

The manor is eventually reclaimed by Bruce's lawyers, but it is temporarily left empty due to Bruce's death and amnesic resurrection as Alfred wanted to give Bruce a chance to have a life without Batman. However, Bruce returns to the manor when he realizes who he used to be.

Access to the Batcave

Main article:Batcave

The manor grounds include an extensive cave system thatBruce Waynediscovered as a boy and later used as his base of operations, the Batcave. The method used to access it from inside the mansion has varied across the different storylines in the comics, movies, and shows. In thecomic books,it is typically accessible from ahidden doorin Wayne Manor's study behind a non-functioning grandfather clock, which opens to a descending staircase when the hands on said clock are turned to 10:47, the time Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed.

Wayne Manor with its surrounding gate inBatmanvol. 3, #42 (May 2017). Art by Mikel Janín.

The Batcave is accessible from outside the mansion through a hidden entrance on the estate's grounds. This entrance leads directly to the Batcave and has been depicted in different forms, including a waterfall, pond, hologram, and camouflaged door.

The Wayne Foundation Penthouse

Main article:Wayne Enterprises § Wayne Foundation

While these grounds are the regular home of Bruce Wayne, he temporarily vacated it in the stories from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, preferring to live in apenthouse apartmenton top of the Wayne Foundation building in the city, which also included a secret sub-basement acting as a Batcave.

Wayne came to this decision when Dick Grayson went off to college, which led him to decide that the mansion was now impractical with only one resident and one servant. Furthermore, Wayne decided he wanted to be closer to his main field of operations in Gotham City than a home situated outside the main urban area would allow. However, by the early 1980s, Wayne came to reconsider that purpose and decided that being less accessible to the public was more advantageous for his Batman activities and returned to Wayne Manor.

Other versions

Wayne Manor inBatman and the Outsidersvol. 2, #13 (Jan. 2009). Art by Fernando Dagnino.

Vampire Batman

InBatman & Dracula: Red Rain,Wayne Manor is destroyed as part of a plan to destroy Dracula's vampire family, bombs exposing the interior of the Batcave to sunlight after Batman lured the vampires into the cave following a chase through Gotham's sewers that ended in the Batcave just as the sun rose. Although the manor collapses into the cavern system after a second series of bombs are set off, thus concealing Bruce Wayne's secret, Batman and Alfred relocate to a brownstone in the center of town, Batman residing in a mausoleum in the basement while Alfred prepares his equipment in the main house. Although Alfred and Gordon stake Batman at the conclusion ofBatman: Bloodstormafter he succumbs to his vampire instincts and drinks the Joker's blood, he is restored to life after Alfred removes the stake inCrimson Mist,subsequently relocating to the catacombs underneath the remains of Wayne Manor. The manor's remains are finally destroyed for good when Gordon, Alfred,Two-Face,Killer Croc,and Two-Face's gang plant bombs on the cave roof, exposing the interior to sunlight and ending Batman's reign of terror once and for all.

Kingdom Come

InKingdom Come,the Manor was mostly destroyed by Two-Face andBaneafter Batman's true identity was exposed; the Batcave, however, remained relatively untouched. By the end of the graphic novel, the Manor has been rebuilt as a hospital/hospice forGulagbattle victims.

Milltown Road

Outside of the bustling metropolis of New York City, and on the outskirts of the sleepy town of Brewster, NY, boasts an active ‘Wayne Manor’ on a private residence. Known for elaborately themed parties and functions, W.M. northeast includes custom stonework, multiple fireplaces, a standing tiki bar and the occasional overhead fireworks display. While private, all guests are welcome.

In other media

Television

Live-action television series

• In the1960s live action series,the exteriors were shot inPasadena, California,at 380 South San Rafael Avenue (34.14°N 118.17°W/34.14; -118.17),about a mile (1.6 km) south of theRose Bowlstadium. The Bat Cave exterior was filmed inBronson Canyon,inGriffith Park,Los Angeles. The interiors were shot at various soundstages, and the primary passage to the Batcave from the manor was located in Bruce Wayne'sstudy,behind a bookshelf that retracted into the wall. The bookshelf was activated by a switch hidden in a bust ofWilliam Shakespeare.The bookshelf would disappear to reveal two labeledfirepolesdescending to the Batcave. Through an undisclosed mechanism, the poles allowed for Batman and Robin to go from their civilian garb to costume (the film based on the TV show shows a switch which initiates the change, though the process itself was never explained). The interiors and exterior of the Wayne Manor was also used in the originalMission: ImpossibleTV series episodes "Charity" and "The Visitors." It was used in 2016 for another superhero group as the residence of Hydra leader, Gideon Malick, inMarvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.on ABC. Most lately, the exterior is used as the home of Sam and Jay Arondekar, in the seriesGhostson CBS.
• Webb Institute's Stevenson Taylor Hall reprises its earlier film role as Wayne Manor for the TV seriesGotham.A secret passageway behind the fireplace led to the Batcave. During the No Man's Land event in thefifth season,Bruce Wayneand Alfred are unable to return to Wayne Manor after the bridges connecting Gotham City to the rest of the mainland were destroyed byJeremiah Valeska.Wayne Manor is eventually invaded by Jeremiah and completely destroyed by a number of explosives in the episode "Ace Chemicals". By the series finale "The Beginning...",which takes place ten years in the future, Wayne Manor is mentioned as being fully reconstructed.
  • Stevenson Taylor Hall further reprises its role as Wayne Manor for thethird seasonof the TV seriesPennyworth,aprequeltoGotham.
• Casa Loma,aGothic Revivalstyle mansion in midtownToronto,Ontario,was used as a stand in for Wayne Manor in the TV seriesTitans.The mansion's exterior is most prominently featured.

Animated television series

• InBatman: The Animated Series,an address is given for Wayne Manor in the episode "The Demon's Quest"stating that it is located at 1007 Mountain Drive, Gotham. The design of the manor was similar to previous versions, but included many moreart decoaspects, inside and outside. This version of the manor was built on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The unique shape of the main section's roof vaguely resembled the "ears" of the Batman symbol. The Justice League also visited the manor during the Thanagarian invasion to plan their next attack after escaping captivity. It was damaged during a Thanagarian invasion of the manor itself looking for the Justice League. Following the Thanagarian's defeat Alfred began repairs, with the League presumably using it as a temporary headquarters until the newWatchtowerwas built.
• By the time ofBatman: BeyondWayne Manor is exactly the same fromBatman: The Animated Seriesexcept with a few modern improvements. The inside of the Manor appears all but deserted and all possessions covered with blankets. The clock tower now opens with a pull of a lever in the clock.
• In "Epilogue"the grandfather clock has been upgraded further. It is attached to the wall with no supporting bottom and opens similar to an airlock.
• InThe Batman,Wayne Manor is depicted as a much taller building, with 7 floors. The initial entrance was hidden behind a video game machine, but following later seasons the entrance was replaced with the traditional grandfather clock and a batpole.
• InBatman: The Brave and the Bold,Wayne Manor can be seen briefly in the episode, "The Color of Revenge", where Batman and Robin use the pole to access the Batcave.
• Wayne Manor Eastis the manor where Bruce Wayne resides in the episode "#Tween Titans" of the seriesDC Super Hero Girls.The manor is the setting for the television-show-within-the-showMake It Wayne.Alfred welcomesJessandKarento "Wayne Manor East" when they arrive for their babysitting job.
• Wayne Manor appears in the animated seriesScooby-Doo and Guess Who?,episode "What a Night, for a Dark Knight!".

Film

Live-action films

Knebworth Housewas used for the exterior of the 1989Batmanfilm

Stevenson Taylor Hall,Webb InstituteinGlen Cove, New York,was used as Wayne Manor inBatman Forever,Batman & Robin,Joker2019 film and TV seriesGothamandPennyworth.

Mentmore Towerswas used for exterior shots inBatman Begins.

Wollaton Hallwas used as Wayne Manor inThe Dark Knight Rises.

Lambert Hillyer serial

The 1943Batmanserial originated the use of a grandfather clock as a door to the bat cave (or "bats’cave "as it was called in the serial), a device which was then adopted by the comics. The austere bat cave featured only an ornate desk, on the wall behind which was projected the shape of a bat.

Spencer Gordon Bennet serial

1949'sBatman and Robinserial showed little more of Wayne Manor than its predecessor did. It continued the use of the grandfather clock as a secret door to the bat cave, which boasted more accoutrements than in the 1943 serial, including a holding cell.

Tim Burton films

In 1989'sBatman,Knebworth House,aGothicTudormansion28 miles (45 km) north ofLondonwas used for the exterior. The interior, however, isHatfield House,Hertfordshire.The gaming room from the movie used the long gallery, and the marble hall was used for Wayne's "arsenal" with the two-way mirror. InBatman Returns(1992), an original scale model was used for the exteriors of Wayne Manor. In the sequel, the passageway to the Batcave is uncovered by turning on the lights of an ornament in a nearby aquarium and dropping through a false floor in aniron maiden,although Alfred does quip that he'll "take the stairs".

Joel Schumacher films

InBatman Forever(1995) andBatman & Robin(1997),Webb InstituteinGlen Cove, New York,was used for the exterior shots of Wayne Manor. InBatman Forever,Dick Graysondiscovers an entrance to the Batcave concealed behind asilverwarestorage cupboard.

Christopher Nolan films

In the more recentBatman Begins(2005), the formerRothschildestate,Mentmore TowersinBuckinghamshire,was used to portray Wayne Manor's exterior and interior. InBatman Begins,the main part of the mansion is destroyed by fire caused byRa's al Ghul,although its foundations survive intact and rebuilding efforts are underway as the film ends, with Alfred suggesting to Bruce to make improvements on the mansion's southeast corner (where the Batcave is located). Thesecret passageis an elevator shaft originally built as part of theUnderground Railroad,accessed by playing three notes on a nearbypiano.

InThe Dark Knight(2008), Wayne Manor is still being reconstructed and is thus never seen, though it is briefly mentioned as being near the outer city limits in a neighborhood called the Palisades. Bruce Wayne relocates to a two-story tallpenthouse apartmentwithin a hotel he purchased, and his equipment is located in a different area: a secret bunker underneath a cargo container in a construction zone owned by Wayne Enterprises. The penthouse has a secret entrance to a location within the hotel where Wayne hides his equipment as Batman that strongly implied was built by the building's original owner as asafe room.According to the viral campaign, it is 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m²), with 40 ft (12 m) ceilings, two gigantic balconies, heliport for his private helicopter, and 360 degree view of the entire city. The monthly maintenance fee is around $31,000.

The reconstructed Wayne Manor has appeared inThe Dark Knight Rises(2012) which takes place eight years after the events ofThe Dark Knight,andWollaton Hall(whichMentmore Towersis a near replica of) in Nottingham as Wayne Manor's exterior and interior.The Selina Kyle drawing room scene inThe Dark Knight Riseswas filmed inOsterley ParkHouse in Hounslow, England, which is in a suburb of London. In the movie, the mastermind criminal Bane destroys a secret underground facility, an event that leads to the discovery of The Batcave. The film's drawing room is the real life mansion's entrance hall. The interior was designed by famed Neoclassical architectRobert Adam.At the end of the movie, after Bruce retires his role as Batman after fulfilling his vows to turn Gotham City into a city of order, he had his associates convert the manor into an orphanage, and named it after his parents.

DC Extended Universe

Wayne Manor appears inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.It has been abandoned for some time, after a large fire destroys most of the house, with Bruce and Alfred now residing within the "Glasshouse", a small modern mansion on the shores of a lake, similar toFarnsworth House.The ruined former Manor; in actuallity, being a digital rendering of the real world,Sutton Scarsdale Hallruins, located in Derbyshire, England. Bruce visits his family's burial vault on the grounds of the mansion and briefly visits Wayne Manor's ruins before his battle withSuperman.

InJustice Leagueand itsdirector's cut,following the defeat ofSteppenwolfand his army ofParademonswith the help of Superman being revived, Bruce and Alfred re-visit the manor, accompanied byDiana,with Bruce discussing plans with them on rebuilding the Manor to serve as the new team's headquarters, and suggesting that the Manor's main hall could hold a round table of six chairs. Diana adds that the table should have room for more seats to be added in future, which Bruce agrees with. The interior of the manor was likely filmed on the Southill Estate inBedfordshireThe Knebworth House was used again for the filmThe Flash.

In the filmThe Flash,Burghley Housein Peterborough was used as the exterior for Wayne Manor.

Shazam!

The 2019 filmShazam!features an animated end credits sequence in which Bruce Wayne was shown changing into his Batman costume in Wayne Manor, before breaking through a window and chasing after the Batmobile, which was stolen by Shazam.

Joker

In the 2019 filmJoker,Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York, was once again used for exterior shots of Wayne Manor, following the Joel Schumacher films and the 2014 television seriesGotham.

The Batman

It was revealed inThe Batmanthat the Wayne's moved into Wayne Tower and Wayne Manor was turned into an Orphanage where The Riddler grew up. It was burned down by The Riddler over his hatred for Bruce Wayne.

Animated films

Batman: Under the Red Hood

Wayne Manor is seen briefly when Bruce digs up Jason's grave site which is located in the backyard.

Batman: Year One

Wayne Manor is seen in the background during Bruce's training and a visit by Lieutenant Gordon and his wife. The design is exactly the same design on the graphic novel of the same nameBatman: Year One

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1and2

The design for Wayne Manor is the same one used inBatman: Year One.It served as the home and seclusion for Bruce Wayne after he retires from being Batman 10 years previously due to the death of Jason Todd through unknown circumstances. It lost all power and ran on an emergency generator when Gotham, along with the rest of theUnited Stateslost power after Superman deflects a Soviet nuclear missile, which caused an EMP blast. Oliver Queen visited Bruce at the manor when planning to take down Superman. Wayne Manor was destroyed during Batman's final showdown with Superman in Gotham City after Alfred activated a self-destruct sequence. As the Manor burned to the ground Alfred looked on with sadness as he suffered a fatal stroke.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

Wayne Manor is seen in the alternate timeline as the home of Thomas Wayne. However it is heavily dilapidated and all but abandoned with Thomas who has taken on the role of Batman, following the murder of his son Bruce by Joe Chill and the descent into madness and transformation into the Joker by his wife Martha. The balcony of the Manor is where Thomas and Barry Allen attempt on two occasions to restore Barry's connection to theSpeed Force.The design used for the manor is the same one used forBatman: Year OneandBatman: The Dark Knight Returnsanimated films. After Barry repairs the timeline, Wayne Manor is once again the residence of Bruce Wayne and restored to pristine condition.

The Lego Batman Movie

Wayne Manor is featured inThe Lego Batman Moviebeing located on an island called "Wayne Island". The entrance to the Batcave is accessed behind a fireplace. Wayne Manor and Wayne Island are controlled by aHAL 9000-like version of theBatcomputer,here called "'Puter".

Video games

Injustice: Gods Among Us

InInjustice: Gods Among Us,Wayne Manor is seen in a parallel universe where Superman rules the world. Because Batman's Insurgency opposed him, Superman exposed his identity and had the manor cordoned off. Batman, accompanied byGreen Arrow,Wonder Woman,Green LanternandAquamanfrom another universe, infiltrate Wayne Manor to access the Batcave to retrieve akryptoniteweapon to use against Superman.

Batman: Arkham

Batman: Arkham Cityfeatures several challenge maps set in Wayne Manor, including its main hall and armory. The interior of Wayne Manor is featured in theBatman: Arkham OriginsDLC,Cold, Cold Heart.Bruce Wayne's New Year's Eve party is crashed byMr. Freezeand Penguin's gang, in search of Ferris Boyle. Wayne Manor is briefly featured inBatman: Arkham Knight.It is visible outside the game's bounds. AfterScarecrowexposes Batman's identity to the world, a crowd of reporters gather outside the estate gates. The Dark Knight then returns to the manor to enact the Knightfall Protocol. Soon after he is greeted by Alfred and steps inside, Wayne Manor is destroyed by a series of explosions, giving the world the impression that Batman has died.

Music

The lyricsto the song "She Looks Like Fun" on the albumTranquility Base Hotel and CasinobyArctic Monkeysmention Wayne Manor.

External links

• Architectural Blueprints of Archetypal TV Homes
  • Wayne Manor
• Architectural Digest: Evolution Of Batman’s Wayne Manor