FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2024
Barbie coming to Cincinnati Museum Center spring 2025
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon exhibition features over 300 artifacts; gift packages available now
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center is preparing to unbox its next featured exhibition.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon honors 65 years of fashion and inspiration, showcasing how Barbie is more than just a doll, she is a cultural icon. Step back into your childhood and embark on a six-decade evolution and the making of a global phenomenon. Barbie™: A Cultural Icon opens April 4, 2025 at Cincinnati Museum Center, but presale tickets and holiday gift packages are available now.
Today, Barbie® is the most diverse doll line on the market, inspiring girls to imagine everything they can become. A role model, a muse, a best friend – Barbie means something to everyone. Barbie™: A Cultural Icon celebrates Barbie as a reflection of culture, featuring collection of over 300 artifacts from the 65-year history of Barbie. The exhibition is filled with photo ops and shareable moments throughout, plus an original Barbie DreamHouse™, behind the scenes prototypes and some of the most infamous Barbie dolls throughout history.
“Barbie has defined childhoods for generations, but she’s larger than a childhood,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “She represented you and everything you could be. That’s why we’re excited to bring Barbie™: A Cultural Icon to Cincinnati, so we can remind everyone, including Kens, of just how much Barbie has shown us is possible.”
Through the exhibition, you are challenged to rethink what you knew about Barbie and reflect on how society has evolved with each generation. Among the artifacts included are more than 150 vintage dolls and life-sized fashion pieces that come to life through custom-themed displays. Video and media interviews with Barbie designers expand the narrative. Barbie dolls featured from the collections of David Porcello, a private collector, and Mattel will be on display.
“Barbie has an amazing and inspiring history. There is a real sense of nostalgia when you see what was happening in the world, and in her universe, when you were a kid – and then follow the story to how she’s impacting our society today,” said Tim Clothier, CEO of Illusion Projects Inc.
Just in time for the holidays, Barbie Dream Packages are available now. Each Barbie Dream Package includes a Premium Ticket voucher (with same-day anytime entry and reentry) plus Barbie sunglasses and a Malibu keychain. Single exhibition presale tickets and vouchers are also available.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon opens April 4, 2025 at Cincinnati Museum Center. Tickets and Barbie Dream Packages are available at cincymuseum.org/barbie.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon is produced by Illusion Projects Inc. in collaboration with leading global toy company Mattel®.
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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized, award-winning institution housed in a National Historic Landmark. CMC is a vital community resource that sparks curiosity, inspiration, epiphany and dialogue. CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012, one of a select few museums in the nation to receive both honors. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, The Children’s Museum, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, Cincinnati History Library and Archives and the Geier Collections and Research Center. Housed in historic Union Terminal – a National Historic Landmark restored in 2018 and recognized as the nation’s 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects – CMC welcomes more than 1.8 million visits annually, making it one of the most visited museums in the country. For more information, visit cincymuseum.org.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global children’s entertainment company that specializes in design and production of quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic franchise, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and Mega®, as well as other popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies.
Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
About Illusion Projects Inc.
Illusion Projects is a creative design and production company. Working with industry leaders such as Meow Wolf, Spiegelworld, Caesars Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil, they specialize in the production, design and fabrication of exciting experiences and theatrical entertainment. As a creative company, they believe in pulling together intrigue, spectacle, education and fascination to deliver lasting memories and amazing adventures.
