Calling All Barbie Fans! Major Barbie Exhibit Coming To Minnesota

With over 60 years of cultural impact from toys to movies, Barbie is a worldwide phenomenon that has lived on for generations from toys to movies.

In conjunction with the 65th anniversary of Barbie, a major Barbie exhibition will be coming to Minnesota, set to be hosted at the DECC in Duluth over the course of several weeks later this year.

In mid-June, the DECC started teasing something very "pink" coming to the event venue later this year. Most people speculated it was something Barbie-related, myself included. But nobody thought it would be something of this scale.

The new exhibition is called Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition, which first debuted in 2021, bringing thousands of visitors to both Phoenix and Las Vegas. This will be the exhibition's first visit to Minnesota.

Here's what to know about this upcoming Barbie exhibition at the DECC:

What will be there?

Some of the items will be museum-like displays that will include more than 300 vintage Barbie artifacts as well as advertisements from over the years and other memorabilia.

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A series of 5 unique photo opportunities will be on-site. They include things like a life-size Barbie "Ultravette", which is a mirror-pink Corvette that will be available for visitors to interact and take photos with. Additionally, life-size Barbie boxes will also present photo opportunities as well as life-size fashion designs based on Barbie's fashion trends from over the years.

The opening section of the exhibition will include an exploration of Barbie's origins, including all 22 original Barbie ensemble outfits. Other areas in the exhibit will include Barbie through the years as well as the addition of Ken and the expansive and diverse Barbie characters over the decades.

Also on display will be a showcase of the Barbie Signature 65th Blue Sapphire Anniversary Fashion Dolls, which pay homage to the history and legacy of Barbie.

Fashions and trends through the 65 years of Barbie will all be on exhibit, drawn from collections including those from Mattel and private collector David Porcello.

When & where will it be? How much will it cost?

The exhibition will open to the public on Tuesday, August 6, and running through Sunday, September 22.

It will be open daily from 10 am to 4 pm August 6 through September 2, then open Friday-Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm September 6 through September 22.

It will be hosted in Paulucci Hall at the DECC

Adult tickets (ages 16+) will be $22, while kids tickets (ages 5-15) will be $17. A VIP+Merch ticket, which includes VIP front-of-line access, a Barbie tote bag, and Barbie sunglasses, will be $62.

Tickets will be available via the DECC website.