Golden Ticket

Golden Ticket screen-used prop

In places like The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, objects are keys that unlock amazing stories about the world in which we live. For fans of the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, only one thing could unlock the doors for children to tour Wonka’s magical world—a golden ticket wrapped around a chocolate bar. This screen-used prop from the movie was kept after production by the film’s advertising manager, Robert Newman. It was donated to the museum by Joe Maddalena, the founder of a prominent auction house for Hollywood props and costumes and former host of the Syfy Channel series Hollywood Treasure.