Special Exhibition

I Grew Up 80s

3 December 2022 - 26 February 2023

This winter visitors to Dorset Museum are invited to take a trip back in time with the nostalgia-filled exhibition I Grew Up 80s.

In this fascinating time capsule of over 200 objects, you’ll experience the youthful exuberance of this iconic decade through the eyes of a child. Embark on a colourful adventure and discover toys, technology, fashion, rock bands, food, and even an iconic car, a Volkswagen Golf GTI, 1981, on loan from the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

From Betamax to BMX, Dirty Dancing to Donkey Kong, the Thompson Twins to Transformers there is plenty for all generations to see, enjoy and share.

Curated by collector and social commentator Matt Fox, I Grew Up 80s is a colourful, immersive and family-friendly exhibition. It shows how different life was 30- 40 years ago when Matt was a child and ‘roamed about on our bikes, away from our parents and without the umbilical cord of mobile phones. In cinemas, Star Wars had ushered in a new era of special FX movies, music was a feel-good riot of colour and sound, and games consoles and home computers had transformed the humble telly into a host of imaginary worlds.’