Geppi's Entertainment Museum facts for kids
| Established | September 8, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | June 3, 2018 |
| Location | 2nd floor, Camden Yards Baltimore, Maryland |
Geppi's Entertainment Museum was a special place in Baltimore, Maryland. It was a museum all about pop culture – that's the music, movies, comics, and trends that are popular with lots of people. The museum was located at Camden Yards.
It showed the history of pop culture in America. This included things from the 1600s all the way to the early 2000s. You could see how things became popular through newspapers, magazines, comic books, movies, television, radio, and video games.
The museum had almost 60,000 items! These included old magazines, movie posters, toys, buttons, and even cereal boxes. It also had trading cards, dolls, and other cool stuff. Geppi's Entertainment Museum closed its doors on June 3, 2018. Many of its amazing items were given to the Library of Congress.
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About Geppi's Entertainment Museum
The museum was owned by Stephen A. Geppi. He is the President and CEO of Diamond Comics Distributors. Most of the items in the museum came from his own huge collection.
In 2007, Stephen Geppi's daughter, Melissa "Missy" Geppi-Bowersox, became a leader at the museum. She was promoted to President in 2012. The museum also had a store. In 2012, it was renamed Geppi's Comic World. This was to honor Geppi’s old comic book stores.
Exploring the Exhibits
The museum had many different areas, called galleries. Each gallery showed a different time period of pop culture. There was also a special area for new, changing exhibits.
Here are some of the main galleries:
- A Story in Four Colors: This gallery showed a huge collection of comic books. It covered comics from their early days to more modern times. You could also see many old pulp magazines and Big Little Books here.
- Pioneer Spirit: Baltimore Heroes: This section looked at people, businesses, and events from Baltimore. It showed how they helped shape the city's history.
- Extra, Extra: 1776–1927: This gallery featured popular characters from early newspapers, books, movies, and radio. It showed how entertainment changed over time.
- When Heroes Unite: 1928–1945: This part of the museum displayed items from the Great Depression and World War II. It included famous characters like Mickey Mouse, Popeye, and Superman. You could also see Captain Marvel and Dick Tracy.
- America Tunes In: 1946–1960: This gallery had items from after World War II. It featured things like Howdy Doody, Davy Crockett, and I Love Lucy. There were also items about sports heroes, space, western shows, and early rock and roll music.
- Revolution: 1961 to 1970: This section showed items from a very important decade. It included things about James Bond, The Flintstones, Batman, and Star Trek. You could also see items related to The Beatles, Barbie, and G.I. Joe.
- Expanding Universe: 1971–1990: This gallery highlighted the rise of video games. It also showed fast food toys and Saturday morning cartoons. You could see items from TV shows and the Star Wars movies.
- Going Global: 1991–Present: This section displayed items from the late 1990s to the 2010s. It included characters like Jack Sparrow and Hannah Montana. The Toy Story movies were also represented here.
The galleries were connected by a main hallway. This hallway was covered with comic strips, animation art, and movie posters.
Special Changing Exhibits
Geppi’s Entertainment Museum also had special exhibits that changed over time. These exhibits covered many different topics. Past exhibits included ones about Star Wars and the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
In August 2014, there was an exhibit called "Milestones: African Americans in Comics, Pop Culture and Beyond." It showed the history of African Americans in comics. This exhibit ran until December 2014.
Fun Events at the Museum
The museum hosted some exciting yearly events for visitors.
Zombie Gras
Zombie Gras was a yearly event that happened around Mardi Gras time. People would come to the museum and get transformed into zombies. Then, they would walk through the streets of Baltimore. These "organized undead" would visit different restaurants.
Pirates & Princess Party
The Pirates & Princess Party was a fun annual event held in the summer. Kids were encouraged to dress up as pirates or royalty. They could then explore the museum's rooms. Each room had special activities. There were games, prizes, stories, and lots of food for everyone to enjoy.
Awards and Recognition
Geppi's Entertainment Museum received several awards:
- Winner of Nickelodeon's 2009 ParentsConnect.com Parents' Picks Award for Best Kid Museum.
- Winner of Nickelodeon's 2008 ParentsConnect.com Parents' Picks Award for Best Teen Museum.
- Baltimore City Paper 's GEM Best NonArt Museum, 2007.
