Barbie™ exhibit now open at McWane—why kids + adults will love it

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There’s a new reason to make a trip to McWane Science Center in Birmingham, and it’s serving up a little nostalgia with a whole lot of fun. 

Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience! opened on September 26, 2026 and it’s quickly drawing in kids and adults of all ages and interests. 

Read on for what to expect from one of Birmingham’s latest exhibits, from career exploration and inspiring role models to a life-size Barbie™ box where you can snap the perfect pic—plus how to get tickets.

Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience! Birmingham event details

Whether you’re bringing the kids, revisiting some childhood nostalgia or looking to enhance your visit to McWane Science Center, here’s what to know before you go:

• Where: McWane Science Center, 200 19th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203
• When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026–Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027
  • Wednesday–Friday: 9AM–5PM
  • Saturday: 10AM–5PM
  • Sunday: 12PM–5PM
  • Monday–Tuesday: Closed
• Cost: Included in general admission to McWane’s Adventure Halls + exhibits.
  • Adults (13-64): $20.95
  • Kids (2-12): $16.95
  • Seniors (65+): $19.95
  • Kids under 2: Free admission
• Buy tickets online or at McWane

Explore Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience! at McWane Science Center

This isn’t your average walk-around-and-look exhibit. Produced by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, in partnership with Mattel, the exhibit spans 5,000 square feet and lets you try hands-on activities, play with interactive displays and explore themed spaces built around careers, creativity and the idea that you can be anything you want to be.

The best part: The exhibit is for everyone, whether you’re five or 55! Plus, it’s a pretty great excuse to spend a Saturday at McWaneScience Center, where there’s plenty more hands-on science, discovery + fun to explore.

Bonus: The exhibit runs through January 10, 2027, so you have plenty of time to make a trip to downtown Birmingham to check it out.

Try out 15 Barbie™-inspired careers at McWane Science Center

Birmingham is full of professionals of all sorts, from chefs and artists serving up bold flavors and fresh ideas to engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs building the next big thing. 

If there’s one thing Barbie™ has always excelled at, it’s taking on—and rocking—new careers. 

The exhibit lets you explore 15 careers across five themed areas—leader, problem solver, creator, nurturer and adventurer—and try them out through hands-on and digital activities. 

Think robotics engineer, doctor, archaeologist, builder, chef, artist, beekeeper, wildlife photographer and more!

If your kiddo—or even you—is known for announcing new career aspirations every other day, there’s a good chance they’ll find inspiration in this exhibit. 

Learn about the creator of Barbie™ + inspiring role models at McWane Science Center

Love a sweet trip down memory lane? This exhibit is definitely for you. 

You’ll learn all about Barbie™ creator Ruth Handler and the story behind the doll that encouraged generations through imaginative play.

You’ll also find career dolls spanning six decades, showing how Barbie™ has encouraged changing ideas about what’s possible. 

This same idea of “anything’s possible” can also be seen through the exhibit’s highlights on women who broke barriers, pursued their passions and made their mark in history.

You’ll love exploring dolls with amazing careers including singers like Ella Fitzgerald. (Children’s Museum of Indianapolis / Mattel)

Here are some of the inspiring women you’ll learn about as you stroll the exhibit, along with their accomplishments and challenges:

• Amelia Earhart, the pioneering aviator who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
• Ella Fitzgerald, the legendary jazz singer known as the “First Lady of Song.”
• Laurie Hernandez, the Olympic gymnast who helped Team USA win gold at the 2016 Rio Games.
• Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose calculations helped put astronauts in orbit
• Florence Nightingale, the pioneering nurse who helped transform modern nursing + hospital care.

Step inside a life-size Barbie™ box in Birmingham

The ultimate photo op awaits you at the new Barbie™ exhibit at McWane Science Center in Birmingham. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

If there was ever an opportunity to step into Barbie™’s world alongside Ken, Skipper, Allan and the rest of the crew, this is it. The exhibit features a life-size Barbie™ box that you can customize with your name and dream career using digital controls, then step inside and strike a pose.

Part interactive, part family photo op, it’s a fun way to make some memories and capture a few photos to bring home with you.

Ready to check out Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience! at McWane Science Center? Get your tickets now!

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