Whether you're based in London or the US, chances are Academy Award-winning director Tim Burton's freakish characters will be in close proximity this fall — so long as you are keen to keep an eye out for their ghostly appearances, that is.
From The World of Tim Burton, the Design Museum's just-opened retrospective dedicated to the filmmaker's mind-bending career — on view at the institution through April 21, and one of the best design exhibitions in London — to an Airbnb-hosted tour of a striking reproduction of the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice haunted mansion, the iconic set of the sequel to his 1988 horror comedy of the (well, almost) same title; and the dramatically illuminated, spectral characters currently dwelling in the lush flowerbeds of the New York Botanical Garden as part of the director's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail (through November 30), his frighteningly amusing visions are infesting some of the world's capitals, and right on time for Halloween. So what is there to know about these Burtonesque, immersive experiences, and where can you book your tickets?
Step into The World of Tim Burton, Design Museum, London, UK (to April 21)
Launched on October 25 at London's Design Museum, The World of Tim Burton has already made history as the driver of "the biggest advance ticket sales for an exhibition" in the institution's 35 years of activity, with more than 32,000 visitors secured before its opening date. Reuniting 600 items, including costumes, props, and hundreds of original sketches from the director's films, under one roof, the showcase is a spectacular, excitingly mind-boggling celebration of his 50-year-spanning creative production and career. Realized in partnership with Harvey Nichols, which presents Burton-inspired holiday windows, and Snapchat, which will bring the audience an exclusive AR experience, the event is the final chapter of the filmmaker's touring personal archive.
The brainchild of independent curator Jenny He, and adapted by Maria McLintock, The World of Tim Burton will transform the director's otherworldly creations, mostly visible on screen, into tangible objects. Visitors can observe these cinematic artifacts up close, from Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands costume and the iconic Catwoman suit from Batman Returns to Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Rave'N dress. Casting light on Burton's design-led approach to filmmaking, the exhibition also platforms the fruits of some of his most extravagant collaborations with acclaimed costume and production designers, including Colleen Atwood and Rick Heinrichs, in a multidisciplinary exploration of his fantastical microcosm.
Book your ticket at designmuseum.org.
Price: $38.85
Price: $38.91
Size: 11.81 in x 15.74 in
Price: $15.57
Experience "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" Mansion, Hillsborough Township, NJ, US (November 16-27)
Every Tim Burton stan's dream has finally come true: holiday rental platform Airbnb has just turned a historical house in New Jersey's Hillsborough Township, US, into the instantly iconic, and frighteningly haunted, residence of the Deetz — the family whose electrifying adventures serve as the heart of the filmmaker's 1988 cult film Beetlejuice, and its newly released sequel.
Accepting a total of ten three-hour bookings for groups of up to six guests each between November 16 and 27, this unparalleled immersive experience will see visitors make their way into the recreated mansion surrounded by black shrouds, curious objects, and hypnotizing neon green lighting. Featuring countless nods to both movies, including a model of Winter River, the fictional Connecticut town in which these are set, and an attic filled with props from the afterlife, the tour makes for an unforgettable — although belated — Halloween night.
Carefully guided along the spooky rooms of the house by a character inspired by Delia Deetz, the spirited sculptor and artist arguably serving as the main hero and family protector in the 2024 Beetlejuice comeback, attendees will have the opportunity to experience the fanciful atmospheres of its trippy hallway and waiting room first-hand (and there will even be art workshops celebrating the protagonist's eccentric production). Open until early November as part of Airbnb's pop-culture-led "Icons" series, bookings include overnight stays at nearby lodging in Princeton — because, after all, who really wants to sleep in a spooked, derelict estate?
Book the experience here before November 5.
Follow "The Nightmare Before Christmas" Light Trail, New York Botanical Garden, NY, US (to November 30)
Since September 27, the New York Botanical Gardens flowerbeds have lent their greenery to the whimsical creatures of Tim Burton's world as part of the open-air The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail installation. Conceived by Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller (Hamilton) and Spanish entertainment producer LETSGO, this fascinating outdoor showcase covers a total of 8,300 square feet, reinterpreting the director's legendary film through large-scale, glimmering works, video projections, and 3D-printed renditions of his most beloved characters, including Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie.
Heralded by a colossal, lit-up pumpkin and a rainbow-hued tunnel, this immersive Tim Burton experience will have you crave Halloween magic year-round. Recreating 19 of Burton's most puzzling scenes, including a graveyard with crooked tombstones and Jack Skellington's first appearance, the event propels the public in an explosion of color, sound, and storytelling, imbued with a slightly nostalgic yet contagious and uplifting feel. And entries start at $39.00!
Book your ticket at thenightmarebeforechristmaslighttrail.com.
