The Barbie Exhibition At The Design Museum, London

If You’re A Barbie Fan, Visit The Barbie Exhibition at The Design Museum, London – It’s Brilliant For Barbie Fans Big And Small

Hey doll….if you’re a fan of Barbie, make sure you pay a visit to The Barbie Exhibition at The Design Museum. It’s a brilliant exhibition that showcases the design evolution of one of the world’s most famous dolls.

The Barbie exhibition at The Design Museum in London includes over 250 dolls, items of furniture and accessories, dating from 1959 to the present day, and there are even some of Margo Robbie’s costumes from the recent Barbie movie.

My tweens are now far beyond the playing with Barbies age – this seems a lifetime away! – but they really enjoyed it, as did I, a 1980s childhood fan of the doll (of course!). It was one of the best exhibitions we’ve seen recently, and as it’s on until February 2025, here’s why you should see it.

What’s At The Barbie Exhibition At Design Museum?

As well as the very first doll released by Mattel in 1959 (my 9-y-o ‘Can I have one?’) there is a huge display of new, notable and old dolls, Barbie furniture and accessories. All of Barbie’s friends are there – including Skipper and Midge – and a there’s a big selection of Just Kens.

We liked that it highlighted the diversity of the Barbie range, with examples of the first Black, Hispanic and Asian dolls to bear the Barbie name, as well as the first Barbie with Down syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the current range of dolls with different body shapes.

As well as the dolls, the exhibition includes information about the history of Barbie, the design evolution and how the dolls are made. My kids usually zip around museums but found this really absorbing.

For any fellow 1980s babies, there’s a lot of recognisable Barbie nostalgia on display. Including the iconic 1980s Peaches N Cream Barbie that I swear every girl either had, or had a friend who had one they were very jealous of.

For Interior Fans…Iconic Barbie Dreamhouses And Furniture

The Barbie Exhibition also includes a wide range of Dreamhouses, vehicles and furniture, with a focus on how the design reflected the tastes and trends and reflected current day modern design.

I loved Barbie’s 90s ‘trendy loft’ furniture set (with the ubiquitous inflatable sofa, of course!)

There’s also a dreamy selection of doll-size design, including this 1970s modernist masterpiece A frame Dreamhouse (my dream house!).

Barbie Movie Outfits

The final room showcases more modern Barbie references, including designer outfits, magazine covers and even some of Margot Robbie’s costumes from the recent Barbie film (recognise this?)

What Age Is The Barbie Exhibition Suitable For?

First off, The Barbie Exhibition is brilliant for adults (I would happily go back for a longer look). There is so much fascinating information combined with recognisable nostalgia from your own childhood, as well as recognisable items from your own children’s childhoods. The exhibition also looks fantastic – it’s designed so well (love all the pink and the silver wallpaper in the final room).

In terms of the age it’s most suitable for kids, it is very much a toy exhibition where you can’t touch the toys,

With this in mind, the Design Museum has a cart of Barbies you can take around the museum which I thought was a nice touch.

However I’d say it’s best for slightly older children (school age and above potentially!)

Do I Need to Book Tickets In Advance?

Do you need to book tickets to the Barbie Exhibition? Yes, you need to pre-book tickets and even thought it’s bee on a while, they still seem to sell out quickly (we went at the very end of the summer but still had to pre-book a few days in advance).

Barbie tickets are around £8 for kids and £16 for adults.

What’s The Barbie Gift Shop Like?

The all-important question! If your kids are anything like mine, they love a good gift shop – of course – but it can be hard to find ones with a selection of good / useful stuff that’s not horrendously priced.

During The Barbie Exhibition, as well as the main Design Museum gift shop – which sells the usual items you’d expect from a museum – there’s also a separate Barbie gift shop at the entrance to the museum. I was pretty impressed at the range of items – as well as the bigger ticket dolls for sale, there is a good selection of smaller and more affordable toys, keepsakes and postcards.

Where Is The Design Museum?

The Design Museum is at 224–238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG.

The nearest tubes are High Street Kensington, Earl’s Court and Holland Park.

Find out more on the Design Museum website and book tickets here.

More of our favourite London museums:

The Museum of Childhood / The Postal Museum / And Tate Modern