THE HORROR SHOW and ZOMBIES! to Open at Academy Museum

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 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, just in time for Halloween 2026.

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 Show will 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!

Visitors will be able to step into a playful, pretend cemetery filled with eerie visuals and sound to explore how filmmakers create the make-believe undead seen on screen. Through behind-the-scenes footage from films such as 28 Days Later (2002), the exhibition shows how movie zombies are created and where their stories come from. It traces the origins of zombie stories, and follows a visual history featuring posters from movies such as White Zombie (1932) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) to show how they have been adapted by Hollywood to become the classic horror monster tales known 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 Show exhibition. There's nothing to fear — it's all movie magic.

Zombies! is curated by Alexandra James Salichs, curatorial assistant, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Event Details

The Horror Show and Zombies! open on September 26, 2026 and are on view through July 25, 2027.

Tickets to the Academy Museum are available only through advance online reservations via the Academy Museum's website and mobile app.

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.

The Academy Museum's exhibitions and galleries are open six days a week from 10am to 6pm and are closed on Tuesdays.

About the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

The Academy Museum is the largest museum in the world devoted to global cinema and the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. The museum advances the understanding, celebration, and preservation of cinema through inclusive and accessible exhibitions, screenings, programs, initiatives, and collections. Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano, the museum's campus contains the restored and revitalized historic Saban Building — formerly known as the May Company building (1939) — and a soaring spherical addition. Together, these buildings contain 50,000 square feet of exhibition spaces, two state-of-the-art theaters, the Shirley Temple Education Studio, and public spaces that are free and open to the public, including The Walt Disney Company Piazza and the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby, which houses the Spielberg Family Gallery, Academy Museum Store, and Fanny's restaurant and café. The Academy Museum is open six days a week from 10am to 6pm and is closed on Tuesdays and select holidays.

The Horror Show is made possible in part by leadership support from Hammer Films and John Gore Studios. Generous support provided by Dave and Tara Dollinger, Regal, and Kimberly V. Strauss. Additional support provided by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie.