I Grew Up 80s!

This fun, immersive exhibition will transport you back to 1980s Britain with more than 200 nostalgic objects.

Ready for a rad exhibition? Like Marty McFly in his DeLorean or Bill and Ted in their phone booth, this exhibition takes you on a time-travelling adventure. Blow the kids’ minds with a visit to the pre-internet age!

In a galaxy far, far away, in a time of excellent adventures, things were rad – or at least radically different. Pre-internet, the 1980s was the age of the cassette tape, the shell suit, and Dirty Dancing, a time when driverless cars, artificial intelligence and virtual reality were the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters rather than a fact of life.

Get ready to hear “I remember that!” and “I had one of those!” reverberating off the Artex walls as, like Marty McFly in his DeLorean or Bill and Ted in their phone booth, this exhibition takes you on a time-travelling adventure to revisit ten remarkable years.

Those who grew up in the 80s and early 90s will be filled with childlike glee – plunged back into the bright cultural landscape that shaped a generation. It’s the museum equivalent of a Saturday morning in front of Going Live! or a trip to Woolworths to pick up the latest Now That’s What I Call Music.

For the kids of today, this is history but not as they know it. The 80s feels like a parallel universe – one that’s now the backdrop to hit shows like Stranger Things, Snowfall, and Glow.

More than just one long mix tape of reminiscence, I Grew Up 80s also poses challenging questions, such as how kids got their kicks before social media, Minecraft, and Netflix? We celebrate play as it was back then, investigating the objects, hobbies, treasures and trends that were part of an 80s childhood, exploring toys, music, sport, fashion, food, books and TV – all with a generous spritz of high-volume hairspray thrown in.

If all this leaves you yearning for simpler times and a bowl of Viennetta, we hear you! Immerse yourself in this incredible decade with interactive activities as part of the exhibition, including 80s dressing up, crafts and games.

Join us at our 80s Opening Party on 17th July – shoulder pads and aviators optional!