Volo, IL (27582 Volo Village Rd)
Exterior (October 2019)
The Volo Museum (Also known as the Volo Auto Museum) is a museum located at 27582 Volo Village Rd, Volo, IL, which opened in 1960 and is still around to this day.[1]
Stages
Volo features multiple animatronic shows, including The Rock-afire Explosion, The King and King Kat, The Beagles, the Four Little Shavers, and the Enchanted Forest Pirate Show.
History
Volo Museum would receive their first animatronic show, the Enchanted Forest Pirate Show, in around 2014. It would be fully restored and operational by 2015, residing in ShowBiz Pizza Place (Not to be confused with the actual ShowBiz Pizza Place.)
In 2018, Volo purchased The Beagles from Craigslist, and installed it next to the Pirate Show. Volo would also purchase a complete Rock-afire Explosion show around this time but was not able to install it due to not having a feasible location or a license. The show would be the same show that appeared at the Florida Film Festival in 2009 for the premiere of the The Rock-afire Explosion Documentary. Volo would also receive the tree backdrops, Antioch mech, and valances from the Libertyville Chimpy's Pizza Safari.
In 2019, Volo would purchase the Four Little Shavers, The King, and King Kat. The Shavers would be restored by Layton and installed where The Beagles formally were. The King and King Kat would be restored by Jared (The King ETT), and placed inside Showroom #4 in the museum along with The Beagles, who received a slight refurbishment.
Installation & Restoration of the Rock-afire
In January 2024, Volo Museum would post an ad on social media stating that they were looking for a person to install their Rock-afire Explosion and maintain it. Multiple people would reach out, and ultimately Jay (username “showbizmidwest”) would get the job. In February of 2024, it was announced that Volo Museum and Creative Engineering came to an agreement and Volo was granted a license to operate the show publicly.
Work began on February 24, 2024, with center stage being mostly complete by March 3. Billy Bob would receive entirely new valves on March 16, due to the original valves being severely rusted/corroded. User “technerdbird” would assist in the installation of the show over a week during April, wiring lighting, installing the rainbow, and installing Rolfe. Rolfe and Billy Bob’s stages would be mostly complete by the end of March, with Rolfe’s stage being finished on May 18, center stage being finished May 27, and Billy Bob’s stage being finished on May 29. Vinyl wraps were added to the garage doors (curtains) which include a red curtain backdrop with photos of each character, their names, and bios.
The show was slated to premiere on June 1, 2024 at 12:00 PM local time, but due to rain was pushed to the following day.
Restoration of The King & King Kat
In April 2024, The King and King Kat would be removed and placed in storage. Restoration started in June 2024.
Animatronics
| Animatronic | Serial | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rolfe & Earl | 5-83 1-22 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Dook Larue | 5-83 2-15 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Fatz Geronimo | 5-83 3-16 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Beach Bear | 5-83 4-24 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Mitzi Mozzarella | 5-83 5-21 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Billy Bob | 5-83 6-21 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Looney Bird | 5-83 7-20 | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Choo Choo | N/A | Private Collector, Florida Film Festival, CEI |
| Sun | 5-83 10-19 | Originally from Looney Bird’s (Covington) |
| Moon | 5-83 11-19 | Originally from Looney Bird’s (Covington) |
| Antioch | N/A | Mech originally from Hutchinson, KS, later Chimpy's Pizza Safari (Libertyville) |
| Four Little Shavers | Unknown | Originally from Daytona Beach, FL |
| The King | 1981 | Originally from Daytona Beach, FL. |
| King Kat | 1982 | Originally from Tallahassee, FL. |
| The Beagles | 1981-1983 (multiple dates) | Possibly a California store, although a manual had Aurora, CO's store number. |
| Enchanted Forest Pirate Show | 1985 | From Enchanted Forest located in Chesterton, IN. |
Videos
TODO
| Link | Description | Filming Date |
|---|---|---|
Gallery
TODO