This large, carved painted Bugs character was originally displayed on the inside marquee of Studio 28 which was located along 28th Street next to the 28 West Place mall. The HOM Flats development is on the studio’s former parking lot. Studio 28 was the first megaplex movie theater and once the largest theater in the world, opening on Christmas Day in 1965, and closing November 23, 2008. It started as a single 1,000-seat theater by movie pioneer Jack Loeks.
The Bugs Bunny and Goofy that were on the inside marquee had become symbols of Loeks Theater, which later became Celebration! Cinema under Loeks son, John. The two neon versions adorned Loeks’ first theater, the Beltline Drive-in Theater, which was razed in 1988. The Studio 28 Bugs Bunny and Goofy were donated to the Grand Rapids Public Museum Collection.
