The love story that launched Altadena’s Bunny Museum is turning the page after its tragic loss, with people embracing news of rebuilding after the nonprofit burned to the ground last week in the Eaton Fire.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $33,000 as of Tuesday, with proceeds going toward rebuilding on the same site, said museum co-founder Candace Frazee. The fund’s goal is $1.5 million.
“Thousands upon thousands have contacted The Bunny Museum from all over the world wanting to send their bunny collections or to purchase bunny items at estate sales and thrift shops for the museum to restart our collection, ” Frazee said.
The Bunny Museum will rebuild on the same location in Altadena. Donors can give to the GoFundMe or mail bunny items to 2335 E Colorado Blvd., Suite 115 #305, Pasadena, CA 91107.
It was a Valentine’s Day gift of a plush bunny from her now-husband Steve Lubanski 32 years ago that launched the Bunny Museum story. The couple started exchanging bunny-related gifts and by the time they wed in 1994, a tradition and soon-to-be world-record-breaking collection was born.
The couple found the museum’s second location in Altadena in 2018, filling galleries in the the 7,000-square-foot space with everything bunny, from artwork to plushes, Easter eggs from White House egg rolls and even a bronze bunny-shaped Roman pendant, circa 100 A.D.
Frazee, who loved to call the museum “the hoppiest place in the world,” said she has saved 20 items from the fire: the first plush bunny that started the collection (in true “honey bunny” fashion, it is white with floppy ears and a pink nose, with a heart-dotted bow and paws, holding a plush heart: “I love you this much.”) The couple were also able to grab another white plush and the second item they added to their collection, a white porcelain bunny figurine Frazee gifted Lubanski.
Also saved from the fire: “five items from antiquity (2,000 years old) which we saved, 10 Rose Parade float bunnies of which we think three are OK, which were outside.”
Most importantly, the couple’s two real-live bunnies and three cats are safe and well.
The catalog of items lost to the fire include a bejeweled rocking bunny from India, seven 6-foot-tall handcrafted dolls from Katherine’s Collection brand, and many items in the museum’s GOOBA (Gallery of Original Bunny Art) including “Bunny Pants” by Altadena artist Tim Hawkinson, valued at $75,000.
The creation was made out of denim jeans and urethane foam by Hawkinson, whose work is included in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian in Washington. D.C., among others.
The latest update from the museum was greeted with offers from rabbit-lovers worldwide who vowed to donate bunny-related items to the collection once the museum reopens. Others offered restoration tips and resources.
The couple kept beating their own Guinness World Record, starting in 1999, with the last certification coming in 2023, which listed 40,550 items in the museum’s collection. But by the time of the fires, there were more than 60,000, Frazee said. Submissions came from renowned artists to tourists and children who wanted to give their beloved plush rabbits a new home in the museum.
“Every single nook and corner (Candace) filled with everything related to bunnies and you could tell they took meticulous care of everything, even in the little details,” said Irina Chou of Pomona, who runs the bunny supply shop bunadventureseries.org. She donated a handmade keychain to the museum on Dec. 9.
One of the museum’s latest acquisitions came from artist Nathalie Tierce of Glendale, who donated a painting titled “Retired Easter Bunny” on Dec. 28. Tierce has worked on art projects with Shel Silverstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Rolling Stones and on feature films such as Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” and Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”
The painting Tierce donated featured a dour-looking bunny seated on a chair, an image she re-drew on the museum’s signature wall, filled with drawings and notes from visitors. The Bunny Museum has always been a vibrant symbol of the unique, free-spirited culture that makes California such an extraordinary place to live and create, Tierce said.
“It represents the whimsical, adventurous essence that draws so many creatives, like myself, to this beautiful state in pursuit of our dreams,” she said. “As soon as the Bunny Museum is up and running again, it will be an honor to donate another artwork to its collection. Recreating this special place will be a proud moment for the community.”
Tierce added: “The Bunny Museum is a testament to creativity and joy, and I have no doubt it will bounce back stronger than ever.”