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Deets: The Horror Show
Just in time for Halloween 2026, the Academy Museum will unveil The Horror Show, a bold and immersive exhibition that bridges the gap between cinema and experience, honoring horror’s enormous cultural impact and enduring popularity.
On view from September 26, 2026, to July 25, 2027, The Horror Show will explore and celebrate horror cinema, highlighting select tropes and themes, all centered around the question: Why do horror films matter so deeply to so many?
Blurring the line between museum presentation and eerie spectacle, The Horror Showwill take visitors on a journey through cinema, starting with an introductory gallery sound installation, into “The Hallway” — modeled after the common horror trope—that will lead to six distinctly themed galleries: Gothic, Psychological, Science, Slasher, Religion, and Ghosts. Each gallery is designed to invite visitors into iconic settings, where they will encounter their favorite creatures, monsters, and objects from films including: Alien (1979), The Horror of Dracula (1958), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Get Out(2017), Halloween (1978), Ju-on (1998), Midsommar (2019), Misery (1990), Poltergeist (1982), Ringu (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Exorcist(1973), The Shining (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)—while also offering a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of these films.
The Horror Show is organized by Senior Exhibitions Curator Jessica Niebel with Assistant Curator Nicholas Barlow, and Curatorial Assistant Alexandra James Salichs. Additional support by THI Moving Image Lab Curatorial Fellow Bradford Nordeen.
Zombies!
Step into a playful, pretend cemetery filled with eerie visuals and sound to explore how filmmakers create the make-believe undead we see on screen. Through behind-the-scenes footage from films such as 28 Days Later (2002), discover how movie zombies are created and where their stories come from. Learn the origins of zombie stories, and follow a visual history featuring posters from movies such as White Zombie (1932) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) to understand more about how they have been adapted by Hollywood to become the classic horror monster tales we know today.
Through sensory-rich design, plus an interactive, animatronic puppet created especially for the museum by Spectral Motion, these often misunderstood creatures are ready to re-emerge from the darkness, to be seen in a whole new light.
Visitors of all ages are invited to this family-friendly companion to The Horror Showexhibition. There’s nothing to fear—it’s all movie magic.
Zombies! is curated by Alexandra James Salichs, curatorial assistant, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Hint for the Average Socialite: General admission tickets for the museum’s exhibitions are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors (age 62+), and $15 for students. Admission for visitors ages 17 and younger and for California residents with an EBT card is free.
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