It’s October and time to think of horrible things, things that go bump in the night and things that give you a fright. The Academy Museum has just the thing for all.
Horror can be many things. It can be Thing or a thing. It can be romantic and funny. It can be nightmare-inducing sights. The museum exhibit is divided up into six rooms for six different categories: Gothic, Psychological, Science, Slasher, Religion and Ghosts.
The hallway between the rooms has a row of posters from horror films. You might find your favorite. You’ll have a chance to get a selfie in a red velvet-line crypt (standing and not lying down) and you can take a photo with every horror fiend’s favorite mom, Mrs. Bates. Just be sure Norma Bates isn’t hanging around. Not far from that photo op is the dress worn by a different Bates: Kathy Bates for her Academy and Golden Globe award-winning role in “Misery.”
There are more costumes and more photo ops. Of course, for science, you’ll have a different mother, an alien with salivating jaws. You can see just how tall she is and see her back, sides and front. There are more bits of fashion, some faces and, of course, lots of fiends, but you’ll want to be with friends to make a photographic memory in The Blood Room.
“The Horror Show” is accompanied by a film program.
Film Screenings and Programs
September 26–October 25, 2026 |John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness
Timed with the opening of The Horror Show, the museum welcomes one of the most celebrated masters of horror, John Carpenter, for the opening weekend of a retrospective film series. John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness will kick off with a screening of Halloween (1978) on Saturday, September 26, followed by screenings of They Live (1988) on Sunday, September 27, and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) on Monday, September 28. Tickets go on sale to Academy Museum members on August 17 and to the public on August 18.
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Monster Mash
Calling all creatures of the night! Join the Academy Museum for an all-ages, fang-tastic day of special-effects makeup demonstrations, thrilling tours, appearances by monsters, film screenings, and activities—all exploring the vampire, the famous creature of the night. Enjoy film screenings throughout the day, including Blade (1998), the US premiere of the 4K restoration of Horror of Dracula (1958), and Hotel Transylvania (2012). This event is for visitors of all ages and free with general admission. Separate tickets needed for film screenings.
Saturday, October 31, 2026 | Museum After Dark
Celebrate Halloween at the Academy Museum with a goth-themed after-hours party: cocktails, tarot readings, a special guest, and a screening of The Craft (1996). Inspired looks are highly encouraged. We want to see your most hauntingly glamorous costumes. This event is for adults 21 and over.
Thursday, November 19 | 50th Anniversary of Carrie with Sissy Spacek
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brian De Palma’s horror classic with a screening of the film and a conversation with its star, Oscar-winning actress Sissy Spacek. Tickets go on sale to Academy Museum members on August 17 and to the public on August 18.