The exhibition was designed to appeal to fans of the show and has toured across the world, including Singapore, New York, Boston, and Chicago. We wanted to bring together an experience that encapsulates all that fans cherish about the show. The spirit, glamour and social history of the era, along with the gripping storylines, intertwine to create an exhibition which celebrates the history, fashion and characters of Downton.

The exhibition was voted in the top

pop culture exhibitions in the world

We wanted to immerse visitors in the world of Downton, to give them a unique opportunity to be part of family life and to relive iconic moments from the six incredible series and feature films. They can walk through Downton Abbey’s most recognisable room sets faithfully recreated by the show’s Bafta-winning production team, and meet key characters in each space.

“I was blown away by the exhibition. It is so brilliantly done, it’s so brilliantly curated... It brought a tear to my eye.”

Joanna Froggatt, acted as Anna Bates on the show

100,000

tickets were sold in one weekend.

An audiovisual library space whisks visitors from Highclere to the trenches of France during the First World War, where Matthew Crawley is shown on the front-line. This 270 degree, immersive film surrounds visitors and takes them on an emotional journey, recounting a key part of the TV script.

The fashion of Downton Abbey is iconic. We created a large zone dedicated to the beautiful costumes, accessories, hats and jewellery from the show. The display included sections on daywear, nightwear, outdoor leisure and evening wear, with Lady Edith’s lace wedding dress standing out on a purpose-built plinth.

“...a cleverly immersive experience mounted with the same exacting care as the show itself.”

The New York Times

The exhibition displayed

50+

costumes seen in the TV show

Downton Abbey is a house of stories, emotions and history. We wanted to weave real stories within the fiction of the show, as the TV show did itself. We surrounded the character’s stories with related British historical events – so visitors are not only being entertained but also learning real history.

We know the fans know every detail – so we worked closely with the show’s award-winning production team and show historian Jessica Fellowes to make sure single part from the smallest prop to a script delivered by a character was as authentic as possible.

“I feel proud that people still want to immerse themselves in Downton and I think the exhibition is a great way for them to do that.”

Allen Leach, acted as Tom Branson on the show

Taking on an established, global brand was a challenge. The exhibition had to follow strict guidelines established by the NBCUniversal team to make sure we retained the look and feel and authenticity of the show. This was partly done using large frame shots from the show blended with historic archival imagery, and bold Edwardian-inspired colours and textures to create layering and depth.

This exhibition was designed and developed as a global touring show. This meant different venues, different shaped spaces, and lots of packing and unpacking. We designed a flexible infrastructure with a range of structures, lighting and audiovisual solutions - a kit of parts that could be scaled up or down to fit.