Tim Burton retrospective exhibition opens at London Design Museum, just in time for spooky season

Halloween is just around the corner — what better way to celebrate the spooky season than with the King of the Creepy, director Tim Burton? A retrospective exhibition opens at London’s Design Museum this weekend, celebrating Burton’s fifty years of gothic camp chills and thrills, with a whole host of props, illustrations and production materials from across his career on show.

With the exhibition space designed to mimic some of the most iconic sets from Burton’s filmography, the 600 items on display include Michelle Pfeiffer’s Batman Returns Catwoman suit, Burton’s original character designs for Mars Attacks, Alice in Wonderland and The Corpse Bride, and the very scissorhands that gave the film Edward Scissorhands its name.

“It’s a strange thing, to put 50 years of art and your life on view for everyone to see, especially when that was never the original purpose,” said the Beetlejuice director on the show’s opening.

“In the past, I have resisted having the exhibition in London, however, collaborating with the Design Museum for this final stop was the right choice. They understand the art, and with the opportunity to adapt the show and highlight the way design interacts with the works, I’ve been able to view it all through an exciting new lens.”

A new book release also accompanies the exhibition. Tim Burton: Designing Worlds “explores the relationship between Tim Burton’s cinematic creations and the world of design” and features an exclusive interview with Burton.

The exhibition will be open until April 21st, 2025 — but pre-booked tickets have already seen demand so high (32,000 have already been sold) that late openings on Friday and Saturday evenings will run for the rest of 2024. It’d be smart therefore to get a booking as soon as possible to secure a spot.

• The best Tim Burton movies of all time

Image credits: Design Museum