How to Set up Your Bat (Man) Cave

Whether you resemble the debonair Bruce Wayne or channel the dark and mysterious Batman, you need a place to kick back, relax and store all your cool stuff. It’s time for you to set up your own Bat (Man) Cave, and that means gadgets, decorations and security. There’s no time to waste; let’s get started.

Hidden Entrance

You can’t let just anyone into your Bat Cave. This calls for a hidden entrance (or two). Enter through the grandfather clock in your living room, disguise a bookshelf as a door, open a passageway with piano keys or create a secret tunnel. If you want something a little more practical (you mean this isn’t actually a comic?), use wood paneling on your walls or clever painting tricks to hide the actual doorway. You also can hide an outside entrance behind bushes or vines. But wouldn’t a trap door still be cooler?

Super Computer

You need a computer as big as your imagination. Even if you’re just binge watching Netflix or getting sucked into a Wikipedia time warp, your computer should be able to keep up with anything you want to do. While you may not be able to connect to the entire city to see if your enemies are going to challenge you to a duel, you should be able to connect to the world wide web, stream content and play games. It is the center of your Bat Cave activities, so it needs to be powerful and fast. How else will you keep up with the outside world?

Gym

The Bat Cave isn’t just for lounging around, though. You have a city to protect, so you need to be in tip-top shape. If you want to win your next battle against the Joker, you better start lifting some weights. Set up a gym area in your bat cave, complete with free weights, machines and a treadmill. Give yourself plenty of room for your workouts, and set up a locker room area to clean up after a hard session. You want to look sexy in your Bruce Wayne suit after all.

Decorations and Trophies

Some of the most recognizable items in the Bat Cave are Batman’s trophies and decorations. Still have that Little League trophy from when you were a kid? Display it with pride. What about your championship beer pong cup from college? Find a place of honor to keep it. You also may want to find some posters, neon signs or memorabilia to deck out your hideout in style. Pick a theme or go eclectic; either way, Batman would approve.

Security System

Now that your man cave is all decked out, you need to protect it. You can’t rely solely on your hidden entrance, so you need a security system that enables you to monitor your hideout while you’re out fighting crime or on your yacht as Bruce Wayne. Set up cameras that connect to your Wi-Fi and download the accompanying app, so you can see the video stream 24/7 from any location. You also may want to install an alarm and window sensors to keep yourself protected from break-ins.