Pee-wee’s bike will go on display at San Antonio’s Alamo starting early August

After teasing earlier this month that the stunt bicycle featured in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure would soon join the Alamo’s collection, officials with the historic site said Monday the movie prop will make its debut there Saturday, Aug. 9 — the 40th anniversary of the cult classic’s big-screen release.

The bike will serve as a permanent fixture in the Long Term Legacy Gallery in the future Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, slated to open in 2027, officials said in an emailed statement.

However, until the center opens, Pee-Wee Herman’s sweet red ride will be displayed in a temporary exhibit housed in the Ralston Family Collection Center behind the historic Alamo church. Visiting hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Members of Friends of the Alamo will have early access to check out the bicycle at a members-only viewing Friday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was a campy comedic tour de force starring Paul Reubens in the role he originated and made famous on the TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which aired on CBS from 1986 to 1990. Prior to that, Reubens played the Pee-wee character in a Hollywood stage act called The Pee-wee Herman Show, which later aired as a special on HBO.

Pee-wee’s cinematic debut, directed by Tim Burton and scored by Danny Elfman, was partially shot in San Antonio. Its plot hinges on the theft of Pee-wee’s beloved red-and-white Schwinn bicycle — a classic MacGuffin, or a device used to move the plot forward. Through a series of misadventures, including befriending a biker gang by dancing to “Tequila” on a bar top, Pee-wee finds his way to the Alamo and is eventually reunited with his beloved bike.

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This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 6, 2025.