Why you should see the Living with The Walking Dead exhibit

What better way to celebrate AMC’s The Walking Dead series coming to a close than by making a trip to New York to visit the Living with The Walking Dead exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image? Ever since I first heard the announcement of this particular exhibit, I knew I needed to go.

After an exciting summer and early fall of The Walking Dead: Dead City film watching I couldn’t wait to see more TWDU content up close. I won’t give too much away in case there are some who have yet to see the exhibit, but I will share my overall experience.

This was my first time visiting the Museum of the Moving Image and initially, the museum can feel overwhelming. It is not gigantic like the Museum of Natural History in New York City; however, the exhibits feel very hidden away from the rest of the quiet, and rather futuristic feel of the place.

Purchasing tickets online was easy and after receiving tangible tickets inside, you walk or take the elevator to the Living with The Walking Dead exhibit on the third floor. The exhibit itself isn’t huge but it does use the space adequately.

What can you see at the Living with The Walking Dead exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image?

After you pass through a small hallway of nearly every comic book cover, and the Don’t Open Dead Inside hospital doors, complete with small props from the first episode of the series, you enter the main exhibit. The best way I can describe the exhibit is that it’s broken into three parts: The main props/costumes worn and used by main characters, the walker props/costumes area, and the pop culture area, where the show has transformed beyond the television screen in the forms of action figures and artwork.

Surrounding most of the props are several large screens with scenes from the series. For instance, if you make your way over to Negan’s iconic costume, you’ll see scenes with him wearing the costume before it loops.

Yes, this does mean you can rewatch Glenn’s brutal death. Spoiler alert: I still didn’t look.

I’ve never watched that entire scene beyond Negan’s first swing. I was impressed by the props and costumes from the handprints Carl and Judith made on the wood in Alexandria, to the piece of broken stained-glass Rick used to slit Negan’s throat, and the orange backpack from the stranger Rick, Michonne and Carl refused to help way back in season 3.

As you make way around the first section you are constantly hearing the growling of walkers from speakers but that hardly distracts you from the exhibit. I almost felt as though I was stepping back in time, remembering the episodes where we’ve seen Hershel’s Bible at the prison, the dirty bunny slippers worn by the little walker girl in episode one and Carl’s letters to his father and Negan before he turned.

It puts into perspective the amount of detail that truly went into the show from the beginning. How props and costumes have been kept and saved all this time to be observed at a museum or more recently, purchased at an auction.

The next portion can be very jarring and scary depending on who you ask. Even though nothing at the exhibit is real, the lifelike appearance of walkers is horrifying.

As you pass a small hallway of weapons behind glass, it’s one bloody, decaying, and realistic walker face after another. From Alpha to even The Governor’s body when Michonne killed him, it can take a moment getting used to.

It’s one thing to watch walkers on television or while filming, it’s another to see them up close and personal. Be warned this part might be frightening for some, especially younger kids, but you can easily move through it to the last section.

After passing a wall of action figures and videos made by fans, you get to the artist gallery, sort of speak. From Grace Carrero to Kailynn Heide and Benny Miller, you simply cannot look away from everyone’s unique take on characters and scenes from the show.

How can you not be impressed? Carrero’s vision of Michonne as Wonder Woman is breathtaking!

Heide’s work makes each episode looks like a literal film poster you’d see in movie theaters! Miller’s work looks incredibly lifelike!

Overall, I was hoping there would be more to the exhibit. I would have loved to have seen more props, perhaps divided by each season and more fan contributions.

I’m very happy to have gone and I look forward to seeing more exhibits and events like this for a show I am proudly a big fan of and always will be! If you are planning to see the exhibit, The Living with The Walking Dead ends January 22, 2023.

You can learn more about the exhibit and purchase tickets here. Check out the full list of current exhibitions at the Museum of the Moving Image here.

Have you seen the Living with The Walking Dead exhibit? What did you think?

The Walking Dead season 11 episode 21 will air on October 30 on AMC.