CINCINNATI – Say “Hi, Barbie!” to Cincinnati Museum Center’s next featured exhibition.
Barbie™: A Cultural Icon honors 60 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 in the world, 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 a priceless collection of over 300 artifacts from the 66-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 world, when you were a kid – and then follow the story to how she’s impacting our world 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®.
Save time, buy tickets in advance! Enter any time with a Premium ticket for just $5 more.
| Adult: | $19.50 |
| Senior: | $17.50 |
| Child: | $15.50 |
| Member Adult: | $13.50 |
| Member Child: | $9.50 |
Includes one Premium Ticket + Barbie™ sunglasses + Malibu keychain.
| Adult: | $48.50 |
| Senior: | $46.50 |
| Child: | $44.50 |
| Member Adult: | $42.50 |
| Member Child: | $38.50 |
