Comic Con-Museum’s New Headline Exhibit Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder Allows Visitors to Step into the Whoniverse
The U.S. Premiere of the Exhibit Features New Elements, Including Authentic Costumes
SAN DIEGO (March 17, 2025) – An adventure is awaiting behind Comic-Con Museum’s doors–and it’s bigger on the inside. A grand exploration of time and space began in San Diego on March 15, 2025, as the U.S. premiere of the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction exhibit debuted at Comic-Con Museum.
“We’ve brought one of the largest exhibits in the Museum’s history to fans, members, and visitors, and we can’t wait to connect Whovians and newcomers alike to the wondrous world of Doctor Who,” said Comic-Con Museum Executive Director Rita Vandergaw. “While endlessly entertaining, it’s also educational, and we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers, artists, and those who love the popular arts.”
As is only fitting, attendees enter the exhibit through the TARDIS doors (a blue police box that serves as the Doctor’s ship to travel through the universe), and make their way through eight zones, including the Monster Vault where they will come face to face with a selection of iconic characters. Attendees will hear from exhibition narrator, Mark Gatiss, as well as a range of experts and scientists who provide insight into some of the scientific topics that feature in the hit series. This is also an opportunity for U.S. fans to see a wealth of props and costumes from the beloved TV show in person for the first time.
Comic-Con Museum is also the first to include a never-before-seen section of the exhibition that features all 17 of the Doctor’s costumes.
The exhibit is designed to welcome and intrigue longtime Whovians, and those just becoming acquainted with the Doctor. The world’s longest-running science fiction show is on display in a way never seen before in the U.S., produced by leading design experts from Sarner International, under license from BBC Studios.
“Science has been part of Doctor Who’s DNA since the first episode aired in 1963,” said Steven Swaby, Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibit curator. “Connecting the threads that inspired Doctor Who’s inception in the 1960s with new advances in modern-day science and technology, such as space exploration and global warming, the exhibit reflects how scientific research and understanding have changed throughout time, and how this continues to inspire the show today.”
Guests of all ages will travel through the Time Vortex Corridor to explore a variety of topics, from the space-time continuum and artificial intelligence to biological, environmental, and earth sciences, taking them on a journey from the furthest stars to the depths of the ocean.
Tickets are on sale at comic-con.org/museum or at the door, and include admission to the entire Museum. Comic-Con Museum is open Thursday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last entry at 4 p.m. Closed on Wednesday. Admission (adults ages 18+) is $30; children (ages 6–12) are $12; seniors (65+), students (13–17), and military are $20. Children five years of age and younger are free.
Produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for BBC and Disney Branded Television, season one of Doctor Who is available now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ in the rest of the world, where available. Season two is set to premiere April 12.
About Comic-Con Museum
Comic-Con Museum is a division of San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC) a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for charitable purposes and dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, including participation in and support of public presentations, conventions, exhibits, museums, and other public outreach activities which celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to its San Diego convention each summer, Comic-Con (the premier comics convention of its kind in the world), SDCC organizes the Anaheim-based WonderCon each spring and the SAM: Storytelling Across Media symposium in the fall. On the web: comic-conmuseum.org, Facebook.com/ComicConMuseum, and follow us on X (@ComicConMuseum) and Instagram (@comicconmuseum).
About BBC Studios
BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £1.8 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a third consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests, and distributes TV and audio globally, and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programs last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specialisms, and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey, and Doctor Who.
About Doctor Who
Quintessentially British, Doctor Who is one of the longest running science-fiction television series in the world with legions of fans across the globe since it was launched by the BBC in 1963. Ncuti Gatwa took on the role of the Fifteenth Doctor in The Giggle. Doctor Who remains one of the most watched programs on iPlayer and was a top 5 series on Disney+ globally every week it aired, as well as being the BBC’s top drama for under 35s this year making it one of the biggest programs for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters. Doctor Who has a variety of licensees and partnerships spanning comics and collectibles, audiobooks, podcasts, and magazines. Since 2012, over 17 million Sonic Screwdrivers and action figures, 19 million DVDs and over one million tickets for Doctor Who live events have sold globally. In 2023, BBC iPlayer launched the Whoniverse, a dedicated area where UK viewers can see more than 800 shows within the orbit of Doctor Who. Produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for BBC and Disney Branded Television, season one of Doctor Who is available now on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ in the rest of the world, where available. Season two is set to premiere April 12. www.doctorwho.tv
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction is produced by Sarner International under license from BBC Studios.
