Las Vegas has always been home to the biggest names in the entertainment business. And now one of the biggest names over the past 60 years is coming to the Strip.
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Barbie: A Cultural Icon will debut October 22 and run for close to 3 months inside The Shops at Crystals. The exhibition will display the very first Barbie doll produced in 1959, then lead visitors through her changes through the decades, paying homage to Barbie and the world around her.
The exhibition will also feature more than 150 vintage dolls, artifacts, and life-sized fashion pieces that will come to life, and videos and interviews with Barbie designers will expand the story.
“We are excited to partner with Illusion Projects to bring Barbie: A Cultural Icon to Las Vegas,” Julie Freeland, senior director of location-based entertainment for Mattel, said in a statement. “Barbie is a brand that has evolved through generations, and we can’t wait for fans of all ages to take a journey through time with us.”
The display is expected to tour after its Las Vegas run, but organizers felt Nevada was the perfect place for the launch.
“So much of the entertainment and fashion culture of Las Vegas is mirrored in the generations of Barbie,” said Pete Housley, exhibition executive director. “The Barbie exhibition is perfectly positioned in the middle of The Shops at Crystals alongside many of the world-famous fashion brands that Barbie has worn through the decades.”
This is something new for The Shops at Crystals, a location even many residents of Las Vegas are not familiar with. Much like the more famous Forum Shops at Caesars and the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, The Shops at Crystals features dozens of high-profile stores.
Located in City Center between Aria and New York New York, the shops feature 49 luxury retailers like Christian Dior, Gucci, Stella McCartney, Tag Heuer, and more.
“Barbie has an amazing and inspiring history. There is a real sense of nostalgia when you see what was happening in the world, and in Barbie’s world, when you were a kid — and then follow the story to how she’s impacting our world today,” said Tim Clothier, CEO of Illusion Projects Inc.
Pre-sale, discounted tickets for the exhibition are $49.95 for adults and teenagers, $39.95 for seniors 55 and older and members of the military, and $29.95 for children ages 3–12.
