The Design Museum to explore the world of Tim Burton

London’s Design Museum has announced it will share more than 600 items, including the Rave’N dance dress worn by actor Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, as it delves into the world of director Tim Burton.

‘The World of Tim Burton’ will run from October 25 to April 21, 2025, and will feature over 600 items from Burton’s remarkable 50-year career, including sketches, props, set designs, and costumes from his iconic films, including Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman costume from 1992’s Batman Returns, the black and white striped dress from 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, worn by Christina Ricci, and the instantly-recognisable costume for Edward Scissorhands, as worn by actor Johnny Depp in the 1990 film.

The major exhibition will see Burton’s personal archives go on display in UK for first time, alongside objects on loan from key film studio archives, including Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios, and Warner Bros., and the private collections of Burton’s collaborators, spotlighting his creative input in more than 18 of his films, such as Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Tim Burton exhibition coming to London in October

The exhibition comes to London after a hugely successful decade-long world tour that has visited 14 cities in 11 countries since 2014. For its showcase in London, the exhibition has been specially adapted, expanded, and physically reimagined for the Design Museum.

Visitors will for the first time be able to take a deeper look at the director's work by seeing it through a design lens, with over 90 new objects to the exhibition, examining Burton’s hands-on and design-led approach to filmmaking.

Commenting on bringing the exhibition to London, Tim Burton, said in a statement: “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.

“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.”

‘The World of Tim Burton’ to display costumes from his iconic films

The exhibition will also highlight Burton’s long-term collaborations with designers working across costume, set and production design. This includes the renowned costume designer Colleen Atwood, production designer Rick Heinrichs, architect and designer Anton Furst, and the award-winning puppet makers and stop-motion animators Mackinnon and Saunders.

‘The World of Tim Burton’ will begin with ‘Suburban Beginnings’, charting Burton’s early artistic endeavours, his studies at college, and his time working as an apprentice animator at Disney. Visitors will then move from the Hollywood suburb to the Hollywood Studio and into ‘Crafting Imagination’, exploring his immense contributions to stop-motion animation and those themes which have influenced his work, like festive holidays and the 'Carnivalesque'.

The exhibition then moves into ‘Building Worlds’ celebrating thirteen key feature films and the television series ‘Wednesday’, while the section ‘Drawing Narratives’ will display a volume of artwork that illustrate Burton’s prolific output as an artist and visual storyteller.

Finally, ‘Beyond Film’ explores Burton’s projects he has produced outside of cinema, like books and music videos, and designers who have been inspired by the Burtonesque, such as photographer Tim Walker.

The exhibition promises to “immerse visitors into specific landscapes reminiscent of his filmography, from the suburbs to angular corridors and film soundstages,” all accompanied by a custom soundscape created especially for the Design Museum by sound designer Tomi Rose.

Maria McLintock, curator of The World of Tim Burton at the Design Museum, added: “For Tim Burton, each film begins with a drawing, that he often returns to over time, almost like old friends. We’re thrilled to be displaying so many of these deeply personal works at the Design Museum this autumn, in the heart of the city he’s called home for over twenty years.

“This hugely successful show has delighted audiences across the globe for over a decade, but our Design Museum reimagining, with many new additions and new narratives, means this will be an unprecedented opportunity to be immersed in Tim Burton’s unique and singular vision.”

‘The World of Tim Burton’ is presented in partnership with luxury department store Harvey Nichols, who will be teaming up with the Design Museum to unveil a Burtonesque Christmas window display later this year. It will feature five unique objects from Tim Burton’s private collection, previously showcased in his exhibitions around the world.