Barbie World in Mississauga is the first stop on the North American tour and it was something the Barbie-loving Village Media reporter couldn’t stay away from
I recently visited the World of Barbie Experience in Mississauga from the Square One Shopping Center.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of Barbie, some would even call it an obsession, with over 100 dolls and accessories in my collection. When I heard it was coming to the area this summer, I was excited and bought tickets the first day they went on sale.
Naturally, I bought VIP tickets for the opening weekend. With a VIP ticket, you can visit the exhibition at any time during the day of your scheduled visit, as opposed to a fixed time-frame.
It’s the first stop on the North American tour, which will move to other cities like New York City and Chicago later this fall.
Inside is set up like a Barbie’s dream house. From her big pink camper van designed by West Coast Customs to her deep floor walk-in closet with shoes of every color. I was in heaven.
In one part of the exhibit, you see Barbie’s transformation over the years. Since being launched in 1959 by producer Ruth Handler, Barbie has worked in a variety of careers from fashion model to doctor and astronaut to firefighter. She’s always been a true inspiration to me, and as I tell all my friends and family: Barbie is more than just a doll, she’s a lifestyle.
Enclosed in a glass display case shows the various vehicles Barbie has driven and the dream homes she lived in.
There are lots of photo opportunities in the exhibition. My favorite was posing in six different life-sized Barbie boxes.
There are other interactive activities perfect for kids: like a Barbie’s pool full of balls in which you plunge through the big pink slide or the music studio where you can record a song with the microphone, guitar or drums.
At the exit is a gift shop for Barbie merchandise from dolls to bags to T-shirts.
Guests can also purchase their own customized doll kit with special ‘World of Barbie’ boxes and bags.
The dolls are what you can find at Walmart or Toys R Us, but I had to have ‘World of Barbie’ merchandise so I bought a custom kit with the doll.
Here’s a video of my experience at World of Barbie.
The experience will be here all summer. You can buy tickets online here.
Natasha Philpott is a reporter/editor at Bradford Today, our sister site.