The Batman Unmasked touring exhibition has landed in Manchester and it’s more than just a collection of costumes and props from the franchise, it’s an immersive experience in the most fitting location imaginable.

Located within the former warehouse Depot Mayfield the building is situated just behind Manchester Piccadilly station, this run-down space with industry architecture and the Manchester gloomy weather provides the perfect introduction to this space. 

The bat symbol was cast on the wall and instantly I felt catapulted into Gotham City, this building didn’t make sense to me when it comes to holding millions of pounds worth of props, costumes and vehicles from the franchise but the second we stepped inside, it all made sense.
This was not going to be an ordinary exhibition.

Once we stepped into what looked to be a library in Wayne Manor we were given a little video intro and a few special FX later we were introduced to the first room of props and costumes from the Robert Pattison movie The Batman.
Some of the props on display were on public display for the first time with all items coming from the Warner Brother archives and a clear statement that NO replicas were on display throughout the experience.

Celebrating 85 years of Batman Batman Unmasked blends the display spaces with cool little walkthrough areas with only one particular area that felt a little weak to me which consisted of a bed in a room with a Joker scene that plays out around you, I thought this was very anti-climatic and went on for a long time with absolutely zero pay-off.
The show didn’t compliment the exhibition and felt rather out of place and wasn’t necessary, I’d have much preferred a Joker-themed room packed full of Joker-specific costumes as opposed to a very simplistic show that just simply didn’t have the payoff the creators wanted. 

Batman Unmasked is the type of exhibition where you don’t need to be a diehard Batman fan to appreciate or enjoy what you’re seeing. T
here are lots of photo opportunities where you can scan a QR code and pay for them at the end, lots of places to snap a photo or two (photos and videos are encouraged) and the themed walkthrough spaces are lovely.

The big finale is the Tumbler from The Dark Knight and just this room alone was breathtaking.
The exhibition utilised the warehouse surroundings perfectly and with some silhouettes and beautifully chosen lighting the iconic Batman vehicle looked the part and it sent a shiver up my spine, it was truly breathtaking.

Cowls worn by George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Robert Pattinson and Christian Bale were part of a very impressive cowl and costume room and whilst I have seen some of these props before on the Warner Bros Hollywood VIP tour this particular exhibition lets you get up close and personal to them whereas the displays in Hollywood were roped off and at a distance.
Here you could get nice and close to the cabinets and appreciate all the finer details of the costumes. I loved this aspect where the closer you get to the prop/costume the more respect you get for everyone behind the scenes who work so hard to bring these features to life.

The Mr Freeze costume worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a costume I haven’t seen for 10 years since a US exhibition and here it was in the UK in front of my very eyes. Such a cool addition and it’s hard not to be amazed whether you’re a fan or not!
At the end of the experience there is a chill space where you read comics on bean bags, play Batman video games, do some colouring or play with action figures and more. It’s a cool little chill space at the end of the exhibition where you can hang out and do your thing with no rush to leave.

The entrance of the exhibition is also the exit and it consists of a shop that was selling rather affordable merchandise indeed.
For a pop-up event, you’d expect crazy prices but everything on display was affordable for a pop-up and much cheaper than theme park merchandise with T-Shirts at the exhibition priced at £25, mugs at £12 and a hoodie for £40.

For the photo ops dotted around the exhibition, you could pay for printed photos at £13.50 with the option of a digital upcharge, you must buy a printed photo before you can get digital which I thought wasn’t entirely fair but the ops themselves were cool.
The Batman Unmasked creators have thought about the location and how it’s presented and with the added immersive experiences scattered within the display rooms I think the entry price is more than justified.

If you want to see what the exhibition is like from start to finish then check out our VLOG below.
If you want to keep it a secret until you go for yourselves then visit https://batmanexhibition.com/ and get your tickets today!