Every now and then it's nice to take a trip back to your childhood. Planning for a trip to Canada, we had a lot of neat and unique places we added to our itinerary. This place was one that we could not miss. It housed the coolest largest display of Barbies that I've seen yet! From the hair styles, diversity of the dolls from all over the world and the designer outfits - the neat displays that they had here left us in awe. The special highlight was the giant Barbie selfie box! Worth stopping in here. Check it out yourself. read more

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This was such a fun exhibit! The Barbie Expo is a free attraction that is bound to make anyone smile. I love the creativity and appreciate the time and effort people put into making these detailed Barbies. read more

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Kind of a fun little place to stop by but it wasn't what I expected. I thought there would be more history of the Barbie and interesting layouts. It was mostly one of a kind Barbies dressed in famous designer outfits or representing countries. read more

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Nice free large collection of Barbie dolls with optional donations. My wife was very impressed and I thought it was very nice to see as well. read more

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The Barbie Expo is such a fun place. I recently visited Montreal with my wife. We really enjoyed the Barbie Expo. It is free to visit and open to the public. I loved the atmosphere, the design, and the layout of the space. It is a bit of a tight space, but manageable. It can be hard to find at first due to its location, but they have signage up as well to point you to the right place. The expo has a variety of Barbies ranging from vintage to modern, celebrity designer outfits, and more. As a huge fan of Barbie, I had so much fun and enjoyed seeing all the Barbies. The Barbie Expo is a lot of fun, and if you enjoy seeing unique Barbies, especially clothes that have been designed by celebrity designers for Barbies, and exclusive Barbies, this is the place for you. If you are visiting Montreal, this is a must see during your visit! If you're local to the area, it is a must see as well! The expo is perfect for Barbie fans! read more

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Barbie Expo is on the same floor as the main entrance. It is located behind the escalator. It has lots of Barbie dolls in limited/famous designer outfits. I loved the dolls in the Bob Mackie outfits. There is a life size Barbie box that you can take a selfie/picture in. read more

My mother and I had looked forward to visiting the Barbie museum in Montreal for months leading up to our trip. We were scared a few weeks before as it said temporarily closed, but did not stress as this seems to happen often and for short periods of time. The expo is free and inside a shopping center, which can be a bit tricky to find if you are not familiar with the area. Admission is free. We were amazed at all the Barbie's. Each section was themed such as cultural, wedding, celebrity, fashion, and so on. Some people could get through the expo in 15 minutes, but we probably spent an hour here admiring the beautiful dolls. Great for all ages. read more

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Everyone should come here! It is Free! It had almost all barbies you could imagine. It is a small space, but you know barbie dolls are small in size, with that in mind, they have a HUGE selection. I loved it here. I would recommend it to everyone. read more

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So cool with so many different Barbie's on display!! Although it's pretty small, it is free inside the mall read more

Barbie Expo - Children's Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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The Barbie Expo is free for everyone. It is located inside the Les Cours Mont-Royal Mall. There are different Barbie dolls and some of the Barbies on display are themes based off of different countries, movies and landmark. Country themed would be a Barbie dressed in Korean tradition clothing or Barbie dressed in Chinese traditional clothing or in a dress with American Flag patterns and etc. Movie themed would be Barbie dressed up as Dracula or Franklinstein or like the Adam families etc. Landmark themed would be a Barbie doll dressed as Statue of Liberty or Eiffel Tower. Of course there are display of Barbies based on fashion or even Cities. One of the display was New York City. It is definitely super cool to see. Very great for picture taking. read more

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I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world Life in plastic, it's fantastic You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere Imagination, life is your creation I think every little girl has owned a Barbie doll in their lifetime. There are 1,000 Barbies at this free admissions Expo. The space is glamorous with a gorgeous chandelier and stunning water fountain feature. My son and I had so much fun looking at all the different Barbie and Ken dolls. We kept saying to each other...Oooh, come look at this one and this one. They do a beautiful job with the displays. These are one of a kind Barbies. Love all the meticulous tiny details from the hair, makeup, outfit, shoes and bags. Some dolls pay homage to fashion designers, movie and T.V. characters and in the collection are also Barbies around the world, Rock stars, Musicians, Celebrities, etc. There is a life-sized Barbie Box that you can go into to take a photo for keepsakes. It was fun and silly to pose like Barbie...raise your arms halfway up, stare blankly into space, don't blink...snap, snap. I highly recommend this exhibit. Guys will enjoy it just as much. read more

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This was a fun 15 minutes-- you won't get much more out of it! My toddler was disappointed there weren't any Barbie's for sale at a gift shop or pop-up. That would've been a fun bonus! read more

Barbie Expo - Children's Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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This place was such a fun stop during out long Montreal weekend getaway. We hadn't even planned to go here, except we stumbled upon it while walking between two other destinations! I saw a poster and a sign, so we decided to go. I was not disappointed. I am a lifetime Barbie lover and have collected Barbie's for a few decades when I was younger. I adore the dolls and the costumes. This exhibit was FREE- which is reason enough to go, but I would have paid to see this! They have almost every single Barbie under the sun in this exhibit- including a life sized Barbie box so you can take pictures as a real-life doll! This ended up being one of my favorite stops in Montreal- it was different, small enough to take me only an hour to look through everything, it was unique, and of course, the cost was ideal. read more

Ive attended the Barbie Expo for 4 years now and every time I come I LOVE IT. It never gets old, is always in a central area and takes about 40 mins to see all the Barbies. While I am a Barbie and Mattel lover, there are others who are not Barbie fans but enjoy the diverse fashion looks on the dolls. What I enjoy most is the fact that people always reminisce on the Barbies that debuted in their childhood. This expo takes you back to your childhood (if you liked Barbie) and if you're a fashion lover it gives you a great amount of ideas. Its definitely an activity for all ages, alone or with a partner it is a must! Cannot wait to go back. read more

Cool, unique experience. I can't believe this is free! Barbies were my favorite toy as a child so this was a must-see for me. The life sized Barbie box for guests to enter and take photos is a nice, extra touch! read more

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closed, unlike our hearts for barbie, but I'll still give two stars for effort. no, I still have love for the doll that started it all, however, it was closed and even more fun, none of the instructions or directions inside the building were clear, nor was their site specifically telling us it was open or closed. we were told by someone who worked in the area it was definitely open, alas, nó. I guess you could see some it still from the front window, but then again, what we saw we weren't over impressed, maybe they saved the good stuff for inside. At least we got a pic with the giant shoe. read more

10 BARBIE SECRETS HIDDEN DEEP IN HER DREAM CLOSET... ____________________________________________________ PLUS: Are "Creepy Barbie Dudes" Really a Thing? 1) Barbie began life as a risqué German doll named: "Bild Lilli"... a struggling, high-end call girl featured in a comic-strip. Initially sold as a racy adult novelty in bars and tobacco shops, you wouldn't bring this smoke and booze-laden tramp home to the kids. 2) A new U.S. toy company, Mattel was looking to develop a toy that empowered little girls to imagine a brighter future. Envisioning the results of a brief detox in rehab and a makeover, Mattel purchased Lilli's rights in 1958 for $21,600. 3) In 1959, a 10-months-sober, cleaned-up Lilli with a new name "Barbie" made her official debut in a fabulous zebra striped swimsuit. To the astonishment of all, 300,000 of the curvy dolls were sold at the International Toy Fair in NYC. 4) You can't please everyone. Barbie's figure and questionable lifestyle were criticized by the conservative media. A voluptuous doll with a sordid past was in stark contrast to the innocent, shapeless baby dolls of the era. 5) To appease its critics, Mattel introduces a clean cut, background-checked love interest for Barbie: "Ken". Barbie and Ken, one of the most famous couples in the world, were actually inspired by a brother and sister. These were the names of the son and daughter of Mattel president Ruth Handler. 6) Barbie's three story dream house has eight rooms, an elevator, a 3-car garage, and a pool. Forbes Magazine appraised the house in Malibu... if it were real... at $25 million. This despite the rumor that the house has unsafe electrical wiring. 7) Barbie and Ken broke up in 2004 (which is a good thing since... umm... they're RELATED!?!). But you love who you love-- and they re-unite on Valentines Day, 2011-- when Barbie tweets "my heart only beats for {brother} Ken." 8) During her breakup, Barbie had a new male companion named Blaine Gordon. Blaine was later determined to "prefer the company of men". The fact that his name was "Blaine" should've tipped her off. The envy of Blaine's superior wardrobe and makeup skills became too much for her to endure. 9) Barbie celebrated her 60th birthday last month, a record-breaking success with over 1 billion models sold. In fact, 3 Barbie dolls are still purchased every second. Since you started reading this review, 500 more Barbies have been rung up. 10) Although Mattel has now shelved the prototypes of "Barbie's Meth Lab"; and "Gangsta Bitch Barbie"... "Creeper Barbie" remains under development. This idea packages Barbie alongside her pink Corvette.... but when you pop open the trunk you find a bald, fat-guy-doll eating Cheetos. Pro tip: Whether you consider Barbie a whimsical woman of constant re-invention... or a total embarrassment to humanity... this is a must-see in Montreal. Admission to the 5,000-square-foot exhibit is free, and includes the knowledge bestowed by all the Barbie experts that come here. TL;DR: The classy chandelier-adorned expo was designed to appeal not just to lifelong Barbie aficionados... but also to drag-along husbands and dads; not-quite-so-girly girls; as well as your garden variety Creepy Barbie Dude (yep, unfortunately... a thing). Surprisingly, there's no gift shop. read more

Barbie Expo - Children's Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

What a fun little gem in an unsuspecting mall. I brought my boyfriend who has no interest in fashion or Barbies here and he also loved it. All the Barbies has fun outfits and themes to talk about and even some iconic characters and celebrities to peruse. We even enjoyed the more high fashion looks! This expo is free and open as long as the mall is open so I highly recommend dropping by while exploring Rue Sainte-Catherine. read more

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Barbies aren't just those unrealistic, blonde, well endowed dolls you remember! In Montreal there's a permanent "Barbie Expo" and everyone can find a Barbie that's exciting to see in real life. As one knows in my reviews, I'm into the darker, goth styles. And the Munsters and Addams Family couples really left me in awe! There was incredible and impressive handiwork on each of the dolls. I was extremely happy to have seen these special Barbies. I wish these were the ones I would have had to play with when I was little. I also adored the "Birds" Tippi Hedren Doll that includes attacking crows. There was a variety of witches, the "Bewitched" witch, the Broadway star from "Wicked" witch, the "Wicked Witch" from Wizard of Oz and the classic old school "Halloween" spirit witch. One of the best parts was the Barbie box that you can step into and get your best profile pic from. It was an absolute blast taking turns in the box. I have to mention that it was tricky to find this place. It's on the second floor and is hidden towards the back and it closes when the mall closes. It's a very open space and walking in there's a fountain wrapped in bench seating. I enjoyed the super large (for Barbie size) fashion catwalk that was motorized to have the models moving. There's also a large display of Elvis dolls from all his different fashion styles. In the bridal area you can find Elvis and Priscilla dolls. But don't miss the "Zombie Bride". There's also X-Files dolls. My friend went bananas for the "Cher" and "Blondie" dolls. A fun and free activity in Montreal. The only thing I would have liked to see was the years of all the dolls and maybe some more literature for background on the collection. read more

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Sing along to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer....in the spirit of the holiday season 2018: You know Juicy and MAC There is a tribute to the late Kate Add Disney, Snoopy, even Valentino But do you know my favorite designer of all... It's Tarina Tarantino Tarina Tarantino Has a sparkle factory in LA And if you've ever been there You would know it's all made in the USA No other designer so unique She uses real Swarovski When it comes to crystals It's top of the line for me Then this fall leaves changing and all My husband came to say Let's hit up the Barbie Expo I know it will make your day (and I said, Eh, in Canada, OK) Designer Barbies everywhere It's an exhibit that is free Tarina Tarantino and many old and new designers For all the world to see So many favorites Had many outfits to view From films to plays to runway You might say in Canada it's one thing you should do Many landmark Barbie fashions Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Opera House to name a few Mesmerized by the Lady Liberty When you're in Montreal be sure to visit while donating to Make a Wish too #Montreal #BarbieExpo #MakeAWishFoundation #TarinaTarantino read more

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The Barbie Expo was NOT on my list of things to do while in Montreal but my wife and daughters wanted to check it out. First of all, it was FREE, so that was awesome. Secondly, it was great! I never expected so many Barbies and such a variety of Barbies that I never knew existed.I especially loved all the recognizable "celebrity" Barbies. Very cool and a fun thing to see, and beautifully displayed. read more

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For free, how critical can people be? It's nice to see the wide array of Barbie costumes- some of the Barbies look really odd or off- like the Marilyn doll whose face and head completely mismatched the body. They had some fun scenes/ tableaux, and then every conceivable Barbie outfit, style, nationality imaginable. Fave part: little pop up picture booth where you can pretend to be big Barbie. read more

If you were following my review, you can find my baby always in my profile. Yes my objective for going to the Barbie expos is to learn to make doll clothings for my baby! After all I t is free and I have nothing to do post my interview there! Fair warning, there are kids in the place, but it is not loaded with them. For the number of fancy Barbie I can see in this place, and all the props (oh yea my baby want that casino table and circus swing set now...) I get to see no where else, this place is a gem! Highly recommend anyone to go whether if you are Barbie fans or not. They also have those cute booth where you can go in to pretend you are a Barbie in a box and take the picture. I do felt bad about that poor staff who has to keep cleaning the glass shelves (filled with fingerprints when kids says "mommy look"!). A "do not touch" sign and non-glaring shelves will come in handy! read more

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Since I work in​ the fashion field, going to the Barbie expo seems became necessary​. And because I was on​ vacay, I had to drag my friends with me and check out the Barbie world. As you all may read it from other reviews, the admission​ cost zero dollars​. Meaning looking is free, but touching is a no no. Trust me, I was tempted​! If you wonder where does it locate? The expo is right inside of the underground​ city, not that easy to spot be honest. But, since everyone will be inside of the building​ to shopping, you can easily spot their posters and signs everywhere. FYI, before you leave, I suggest to take some cool pictures in the Barbie box, is absolutely​ Instagram​ worthy. read more

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I went to the Barbie Expo for the same reason I insisted my feminist book club read Neil Strauss's The Game: I wanted a good hate read. The problem is that there is no explanation whatsoever. The tag in front of each doll might indicate a theme or a designer (and occasionally that it's an anniversary edition) but there's no information about who put the exhibition together or why or any information about Barbie at all. It's just a bunch of Barbies in a room. With a giant fountain taking up 1/3 of the space, but thankfully there are bathrooms in the mall. I arrived expecting to make some snarky I Went to a Women's College sort of jokes (not strictly true, sure, but no one is checking my transcripts) and maybe experience some nostalgia for both constructing elaborate outfits/homes for Barbie as well as all the murder movies we shot on my dad's Camcorder. Who doesn't have some Barbie snuff films under their belt, even if you don't list them on your imdb? But no! There are no classic Barbies, these all appear to be special editions or be custom made for the show. With the same lack of nuance or concern about respecting the identity of various cultures as I had as a child, in a world where I was being dressed up as an "Indian" for kindergarten Columbus Day celebrations. Presumably the people who put these together are designers who should be aware of the issues of cultural appropriation and all the things that drive endless scholarly critiques of Barbie. But it doesn't feel that way and to a degree that is a little bit shocking in 2019 Canada. I was left imagining these designers as grown up children, being obliviously offensive as they happily sewed sequins onto a gown for their favorite toy. Without any information on their origins and inspiration, I was left to guess at which ones were inspired by drag balls (all of them) and why someone is paying to rent this shop space in the mall to display them. It's free, indoors, and right downtown, so if you're not sure if you should go or not, just go. read more

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Decent sized place in the mall. Great to see all the barbies from different time periods and places. Brings out the memories from childhood. Had a good time. read more

Going into the mall I was so excited to find this place and it didn't disappoint. The place is free to enter and the Barbie's have a lovely display.There are so many and it's amazing to see all the different types of Barbie's that have been made. There are Barbie's from pop culture and cultures from all over the world. Overall it's a fun experience to go in and see. When I went there wasn't a lot of people so I had the chance to take my time and admire each one. Definitely recommend visiting. read more

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I had one day in the city and I was walking around when I saw a sign for this. It was free! So naturally I was like what could it hurt to walk in and check it out? Well it's exactly what it says. Barbie dolls behind glass. It was not a lot of dolls for the amount of space. I'm sure a little a girl would've given it five stars. However I'm a 30 something male. So I had a little girl take my picture in the giant Barbie box and I got out of there. You might not feel so awkward if you have kids. read more

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Come on, Barbie! Let's go partyyyy! There must have been at least a hundred Barbies there dressed in all sorts of couture and character outfits. My personal favorites were Palm Beach Coral and a gown by Zuhair Murad. If only I had all these clothes and accessories for my Barbie when I was young! There's also a life sized barbie box for you to go in and take pictures. Admission is free but there's a donation box if you'd like to drop in a few dollars, as this Expo is for a great cause (for Make a Wish foundation). Worth a stop if you love Barbie and you're in the area! read more

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Barbie was my childhood! She was my absolute favorite toy as a young girl and I have fond memories of building dream houses with my dad around the holidays. So when I heard there was a Barbie exhibit I knew I had to go. I was expecting barbie through the years but all of these iterations of Barbie was also nice. Some of the dolls I had never seen before and it was nice to think up all the personalities my 8 year old self would have given them. I enjoyed seeing so many brown and black dolls as well, and they were done so well! Like always the Beyonce doll was unrecognizable but overall dont skip it while your in town if you ever once played with a Barbie doll. read more

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I was seriously like a kid in a room filled with candy but better.... I was in a room filled with BARBIES! This was totally one of my favorite things I did during my trip in Montreal. I loved how it was free and really show cased the different Barbies in the world. This was located in a shopping center in downtown Montreal. I loved the displays of the Barbies on a runway show and in NYC. I would definitely suggest stopping by here if you are in the area. Brings so many memories back! read more

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We stumbled upon the Barbie Expo at Cours Mont-Royal, trying to get out of the freezing rain. Located on the second floor, this is billed as the largest permanent collection of Barbies on exhibit in the world. While I recognized some of the Barbies from dedicated Barbie stores and collector websites, the display left me in awe of the detail and effort put into these dolls. Here, you can see: Barbies dressed by famous designers like Givenchy, Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Byron Lars, Bob Mackie, and Nolan Miller Barbies in iconic outfits by Chanel, Badgley Mischka, Burberry, Kate Spade, Gap (twice), Juicy Couture Barbies representing characters from pop culture: Wizard of Oz, X-Files, Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, Legally Blonde Barbies representing famous people such as Cher, Prince William and Kate Middleton (on their wedding day), Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Barbies in recognizable outfits of their representative countries: Canada, US, Ireland, France, China, Japan With over 1,000 dolls to view, comment on, or photograph, be sure to leave enough time. Also, note that there is a "fashion show" and Barbie photo booth that resembles a Barbie box, in the event there is a little one who has always wanted to be a Barbie or Ken doll. read more

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The Barbie Expo is still on! It is totally cool. Tons of Barbie dolls on display. The best part is admission is free, you just donate whatever you want to the Children's Wish Foundation. There's a box on the wall. It's unmanned so it's just an honour system. I stumbled upon this expo by accident as I was shopping in Les Cours Mont-Royal. I never knew that there were so many themed Barbies. They had movie themed Barbies, like Hunger Games Barbie and X-Files Barbie. They had Barbies wearing clothes that designers made for them like Vera Wang Barbie and Christian Louboutin Barbie. They had Barbies from different countries too like Philippines Barbie and India Barbie. They also had a life-sized Barbie doll box with "Limited Edition Barbie" printed on it so you can stand in it and have your picture taken and be a limited edition Barbie, lol. I don't know how long the Expo is on for, but if you're in town and like Barbie, you should check it out :) read more

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There is no more Barbie Expo. It was taken down and there was no update and my friends and I and many others were very disappointed. read more

Barbie Expo - There is no more Barbie Expo. - Children's Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Crazy how beautiful this place is. Almost forgot to go visit this expo!! They had I think every Barbie you could possibly think of. From Oreo Barbie to zombie Barbie to Beyoncé and most countries. They have a great setup all clean and perfect. Only one Barbie in pink was knocked over which is pretty impressive since there's a million of them. There's a booth you can take a pic in that makes u look like a giant Barbie. My friend and I had a great time and will be back to check it out again. Only thing that would of been nice is if they included the new Barbies with different shapes and sizes. read more

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February 19, 2019 - In Love!! Most definitely enjoyed going to the Barbie Expo. Loved that it was free, but I also loved all the dolls! The Barbie Expo was very pretty and clean and had a beautiful fountain in the front of the store. They also had a Barbie booth for you to take a photo in, it was very adorable. Overall we all loved our experience here and would recommend. read more

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Wow anyone who grew up with a Barbie Doll will be dazzled by this amazing exhibition of the World's Largest Barbie Museum in which Barbie Dolls from all over the world have been donated to benefit The Make a Wish Foundation! The Backstory- Our waiter Laurent at Ben and Florentine's Restaurant suggested my parents and I go view it. He himself posed for a picture in the adult sized Pink Barbie Box! The Layout- Fashion designer Barbies=Burberry, Oscar de La Renta, etc. Barbies with traditional dress from countries around the world=Peru, Norway, etc Famous people Barbies=Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, The Royals-Kate and William,etc. Barbies in Famous Places=Times Square NYC, Fashion Runway, etc. The Ambiance- Huge lit Crystal Chandeliers hang from the ceiling as you stroll down the endless exhibition of Barbie Heaven. PS. Even my Dad was fascinated in the exhibit! FYI-The Exhibit is Free-donations are encouraged-however; we did not see any spot that was taking donations-so maybe it is on-line only at the Make a Wish Foundation in Montreal? read more

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Barbie!!!! So many of them everywhere! Getting into this little cubbyhole corner is not the easiest. Follow the hallway around the escalator, passing the indoor grotto/trellis on the same floor as Desigual. You cannot help but be mesmerized by the opulent fountain and moving catwalk with flashing cameras upon entering. For this to be free (donations only) is amazing. Maybe the can get the mansion from NYC's Toys'R'us and turn it into a gift shop or an add an automated souvenir machine or something to commemorate the visit to such a beautiful presentation of a grown up version of the doll that inspired girls to set professional goals beyond society's expectations. read more

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The coolest expo ever! Barbies everywhere! They have celebrities like Cher, Diana Ross, Kimora Lee and Elvis, characters from movies like Grease, The Birds, Twilight and Mary Poppins, TV shows like I Dream of Jeannie, The Flintstones and Dynasty! They had barbies that represented eras, countries, cultures and even designer brands. And they have a beautiful, opulent chandelier above a water fountain. And there are 2 wonderful displays of moving barbies in cases that are so intricate and lovely. One is a runway scene and another is an extravagant party. Love this exhibit! read more

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UNREAL! Such a cool little corner in the mall. It is much smaller than I imagined due to the name "expo." Also a little difficult to find but once you do...Barbie magic. You are greeted with a Barbie fashion show, catwalk , photogs, and all. Then you can go in any direction and be in complete awe at all the detail that went into designing and styling these dolls. I hit the jackpot with my turn to the left. The Bob Mackie collection. That man was a genius. Then there is the celebrity and movie collection. Scarlet O'Hara...drool. Wish they had all of her outfits from GWTW. They only had two on display. Some of the major fashion houses were represented. Even Ferrari was displayed with race car Barbie!!! I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I met with some new friends the other night and the topic of "art that moved you" came up. I really didn't have anything. So I looked up all these museums in Montreal and of all places, this was my first stop. Hahahha! Let's be real, I had to start somewhere. Can't just jump to the fine art museum. I would know what to do with myself. Lol.... Anyway, this free Barbie Expo is amazing. And if you ever owned a Barbie you would love it. Even if you never owned a Barbie, like me, it is impressive nonetheless. I pretended that it was my very own collection that I never had. A girl can dream.... read more