Wayne Manor is a fictional

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

appearing in American comic books published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

. It is the home of Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, who is also the

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

. The house is depicted as a large mansion on the outskirts of

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

and is maintained by the Wayne family's butler,

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred is ...

. While the earliest stories showed Bruce Wayne buying the house himself, by the 1950s at the latest,

retroactive continuity Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...

established that the manor had belonged to the Wayne family for several generations. Along with serving as a personal residence, the mansion sits above the

Batcave The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal r ...

, 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 of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

.''Amazing World of DC Comics'' #14, March 1974. DC Comics.''World's Finest Comics'' #259, October–November 1979. DC Comics.''Detective Comics'' #503 June 1983. DC Comics.''Atlas of the DC Universe'', 1990. DC Comics. The manor, indicative of Wayne's ancestral wealth, is designed in a

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

architectural style, matching the

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

present in Gotham. For live-action films,

English country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

locations in

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, and

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

, as well as Stevenson Taylor Hall in New York, have been used to depict Wayne Manor. Wayne Manor appears in the 1960s ''

'' television series and in films ''

'' (1989), ''

Batman Returns ''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters (screenwriter), Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman (1989 film), Batman'' (1989) and th ...

'' (1992), '' Batman Forever'' (1995), '' Batman & Robin'' (1997), in ''The Dark Knight'' Trilogy (2005–2012), in the

DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...

(2016–2023) and '' The Batman'' (2022).

Depiction

Mansion grounds

Wayne Manor is depicted in earlier comics as being on the outskirts of

in the state of

. Comic book portrayals place the mansion within driving distance of Gotham City, close enough that the

Bat-Signal The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as a means to summon the superhero Batman. It is a specially modified searchlight with a stylized emblem of a bat affixed to the light, allowing i ...

can 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, the

, 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 the Batboat and has a large opening for said vehicle.

''Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne''

In '' Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne'', it 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 of ''Cataclysm''

During the events of '' Batman: Cataclysm'' a 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 of

combined with features of castellated 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''

During '' Batman 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.

Gotham War

In '' Gotham War'', Batman loses most of his money to the Joker. Afterward,

Vandal Savage Vandal Savage (Vandar Adg) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encountering a strange meteorite during prehis ...

buys Wayne Manor and the Batcave.

Access to the Batcave

The manor grounds include the

, an extensive cave system that Bruce Wayne discovered as a boy and uses as his base of operations. Its method of access has varied, though it is typically accessible from a hidden door behind a grandfather clock.

The Wayne Foundation Penthouse

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 a

penthouse apartment A penthouse is an apartment or unit traditionally on the highest floor of an apartment building, condominium, hotel, or tower. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features. The term 'penthouse' originally re ...

on 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

Vampire Batman

In '' Batman & 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 of ''Batman: Bloodstorm'' after he succumbs to his vampire instincts and drinks the Joker's blood, he is restored to life after Alfred removes the stake in ''Crimson 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 Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). He has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring e ...

, 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''

In '' Kingdom Come'', the Manor was mostly destroyed by Two-Face and Bane after 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 for

Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...

battle 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

* Wayne Manor appears in ''

'' (1966). The exteriors of the manor were shot at 380 South San Rafael Avenue in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

. The Batcave's exterior was filmed in

Bronson Canyon Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles that has become known as a filming location for many films and television series, especially Westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to ...

, while the interiors were shot at various soundstages. * Wayne Manor appears in '' Gotham'' and '' Pennyworth'', portrayed by the Stevenson Taylor Hall in the Webb Institute. In the former series, it is destroyed in the fifth season before being rebuilt. * Wayne Manor appears in ''

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( ; ) were the pre-Twelve Olympians, Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). The six male ...

'', portrayed by Casa Loma.

Animated television series

* Wayne Manor appears in the

DC Animated Universe The DC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans) is a Shared universe, shared fictional universe based on DC Comics properties and media franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with ''Batman ...

series '' Batman: The Animated Series'', ''

Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (also known as ''Batman of the Future'' in Europe) is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, and serving as the sequel to both '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and '' The New Ba ...

'', and ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is an American superhero animated series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and ...

''. Its design is similar to previous versions, but includes an

art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

aesthetic. * Wayne Manor appears in '' The Batman''. The Batcave's entrance is initially hidden behind a video game machine before being replaced with the traditional grandfather clock. * Wayne Manor appears in the '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' episode "The Color of Revenge!". * Wayne Manor appears in the '' DC Super Hero Girls'' episode "#TweenTitans". * Wayne Manor appears in the '' Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?'' episode "What a Night, for a Dark Knight!".

Film

Live-action films

* Wayne Manor appears in the ''

'' (1943) and '' Batman and Robin'' serials. The former originated the use of a grandfather clock as an entrance to the Batcave. * Wayne Manor appears in ''

'' (1989) and ''

'', portrayed by Knebworth House for its exterior and

Hatfield House Hatfield House is a Grade I listed English country house, country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean architecture, Jacobean hous ...

for its interior. * Wayne Manor appears in '' Batman Forever'' and '' Batman & Robin'', portrayed by the The Braes. * Wayne Manor appears in ''

The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005), and the second inst ...

'' trilogy, portrayed initially by

Mentmore Towers Mentmore Towers, historically known simply as "Mentmore", is a 19th-century English country house built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. Sir Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George ...

and later by Wollaton Hall. It is destroyed by

Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared ...

in ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...

'' before being rebuilt by the time of ''

The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the final instal ...

''. * Wayne Manor appears in films set in the

, initially portrayed via CGI and modeled after Sutton Scarsdale Hall and later portrayed by Burghley House. It is destroyed in a fire prior to the events of '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' before being rebuilt by the events of ''

The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...

''. * Wayne Manor appears in '' Joker'', portrayed again by the The Braes.

Gallery

Knebworth W front.JPG, Knebworth House was used for the exterior of the 1989 ''

'' film. Webb bw.jpg, Stevenson Taylor Hall, Webb Institute in

Glen Cove, New York Glen Cove is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. The city's population was 28,3 ...

, was used as Wayne Manor in '' Batman Forever'', '' Batman & Robin'', '' Joker'' 2019 film and TV series '' Gotham'', and '' Pennyworth''. Distant view of Mentmore Towers-cropped.jpg,

was used for exterior shots in ''

''. Wollaton Park MMB 07.jpg, Wollaton Hall was used as Wayne Manor in ''

''.

Animated films

* Wayne Manor makes a minor appearance in '' Batman: Under the Red Hood''. * Wayne Manor, based on its depiction in '' Batman: Year One'', appears in the comic's

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

. * Wayne Manor appears in '' Batman: The Dark Knight Returns''. It is destroyed during Batman's battle with

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

in Gotham City after Alfred activates a self-destruct sequence. * An alternate timeline variant of Wayne Manor appears in '' Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox''. * Wayne Manor appears in '' The Lego Batman Movie''.

Video games

* An alternate universe variant of Wayne Manor appears in '' Injustice: Gods Among Us''. * Wayne Manor appears in the '' Batman: Arkham'' series. In '' Batman: Arkham Knight'', it is destroyed when Batman activates the Knightfall Protocol after Scarecrow exposes his secret identity.

Miscellaneous

The lyrics to the song "She Looks Like Fun" on the album ''Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino'' by

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. They comprise lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O'Malley. The co-founder and original bassist Andy Nicholson ...

mention Wayne Manor.

References

External links

Architectural Blueprints of Archetypal TV Homes

Wayne ManorArchitectural Digest: Evolution Of Batman’s Wayne Manor
{{Batman (TV series) Fictional houses Fictional elements introduced in 1939 DC Comics locations Gotham City Fictional buildings and structures originating in comic books New Jersey in fiction