Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The Alamo has bought Pee-wee Herman's bicycle as seen in the 1985 movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure, starring the late Paul Ruebens.
The bike has a famous connection to the mission-turned fortress in the Texas Revolution.
It's the 40th anniversary of the classic movie that saw Pee-wee visit the Alamo looking for his stolen accessory-covered, bright red and white Schwinn bike as part of a big cross-country adventure.
Pee-wee asks an Alamo tour guide if they are going to see the Alamo's basement. She responds the Alamo does not have a basement, prompting laughter from others on the tour.
To this day, tour guides say visitors still ask the same question as a joke.
TPR’s journalism is free to read, but not free to produce. If you believe in independent, local journalism, help us keep it going.
“We are thrilled to add this beloved piece of film history to our collection,” said Kate Rogers, executive director of the Alamo Trust, Inc. “The Alamo holds a special place in the hearts of people everywhere, and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure helped to introduce a new generation to the historic site. This artifact perfectly illustrates how the Alamo lives on in pop culture, and soon, visitors to Texas' top tourist destination will be able to see it up close in our new world-class museum.”
The bike's purchase price was not disclosed.
The bike will be at the center of a gallery inside the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, set to open in the fall of 2027.
To mark the bike's addition to the Alamo grounds and the movie's anniversary, the Alamo Trust has announced plans for a free public screening in its Plaza de Valero. Details of the screening are expected soon.
The Alamo is undergoing a half billion dollar makeover, funded by the state, county, and city to make it a bigger and more educational experience for its 1.6 million annual visitors from around the world.
