Highlights: "50th Anniversary of Otto Otter"

Closing out Otto Otter's 50th anniversary year is this display in the Interior Museum. One of Otto's retired costumes and a selection of ephemera from the 1970s to the present showcase Otto's enduring legacy of water safety in the West.

  • Otto Otter Costume, circa 2010

    Otto Otter's retired costume from circa 2010 on display in the Interior Museum
    Otto Otter's retired costume from circa 2010 on display in the Interior Museum
    Collection of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 07947 | Transfer from the Bureau of Reclamation, 2025

    Otto Otter Costume, circa 2010

    For more than a century, Illinois-based Facemakers, Inc. has been "America's mascot-maker," creating custom costumes for universities, sport teams, corporate brands, and even Smokey Bear. The company fabricated this version of Otto Otter circa 2010, and for nearly 15 years, volunteers wore the costume to schools, community fairs, and public events across the West. Retired in 2025 with the 50th anniversary update and rebranding of the Otto Otter campaign, this costume is now preserved in the collection of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum as as an enduring symbol of the Bureau of Reclamation's water safety initiatives.

  • Otto Otter Sticker

    Otto Otter sticker
    Otto Otter sticker
    Collection of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 07954

    Otto Otter Sticker

    Colorful decals reinforce Otto Otter's key takeaways. In 2016, the program expanded its audience to include pet owners with a "Leash Up, Stay Out, Stave Alive" campaign.

  • "Otto Otter for Safe Canals" Coloring Book, 2006 edition

    Otto Otter coloring book
    Otto Otter coloring book
    Collection of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 07963

    "Otto Otter for Safe Canals" Coloring Book, 2006 edition

    The Bureau of Reclamation started publishing Otto Otter coloring books in the mid-1970s. In 2006, Reclamation illustrator Bobby Gaytan gave Otto a makeover, and the safety tips in English and Spanish were combined into one book. Over the years, up to 45,000 copies have been distributed annually. 

  • Otto Otter's retired costume from circa 2010 on display in the Interior Museum
  • Otto Otter sticker
  • Otto Otter coloring book