The Walt Disney Archives’ Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume is on the move again. Starting May 23, 2026, the Disney Costume Exhibit opens at The Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. The touring exhibition features nearly 70 ensembles from Disney film and television, with costumes connected to Cinderella, Maleficent, Mary Poppins, Captain Jack Sparrow, Aladdin, and more.
If the exhibit sounds familiar, it should. We have followed Heroes & Villains on Sam’s Disney Diary before, including previous stops in Birmingham and South Carolina. Now, the Walt Disney Archives collection heads to Nebraska for a new summer run.
Disney Costume Exhibit Brings the Archives to Omaha
Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume is curated by the Walt Disney Archives. That connection gives the exhibit its real weight. This is not a simple collection of character-inspired outfits. These are film-worn costumes that helped define Disney heroes, villains, and antiheroes on screen.
The Durham Museum stop gives fans a rare chance to study those details up close. For some guests, the draw will be Cinderella’s gown or Maleficent’s dramatic silhouette. For others, it may be Captain Jack Sparrow’s instantly recognizable pirate look. Either way, the appeal is the same. These costumes are part of Disney storytelling history.
Why the Costumes Matter
A great Disney costume can tell a story before a character says a word. Color, fabric, shape, and texture all matter. A gown can suggest transformation. A cape can create power. A pirate coat can signal danger, humor, and swagger all at once.
That is why this Disney Costume Exhibit works so well as a museum experience. It slows everything down. Instead of watching the costumes move quickly across a screen, guests can look closely at the craft behind them. The exhibit also includes designer interviews and a video created for the exhibition. Those elements help explain how costume designers use every seam, layer, and detail to support the story.
Special Events Turn the Exhibit Into a Summer Destination
The Durham Museum is also building special programming around the exhibit. Select Sunday matinees will feature films connected to the costumes and characters on display, including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, National Treasure, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
On June 4, Behind the Seams: The Making of a Disney Exhibition will offer a closer look at how the exhibit came together. The program will explore the process of curating original costumes and adding newer pieces from films such as Cruella and Peter Pan & Wendy. The museum will also offer Wednesday and Saturday programming, including fairy tale storytime, Disney trivia, and guided exhibit tours.
That mix makes the Omaha stop feel bigger than a standard walkthrough. It gives families, film fans, and Disney history fans multiple reasons to visit.
From D23 Expo to Omaha
Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume first debuted at D23 Expo 2019. Since then, it has become one of the Walt Disney Archives’ most recognizable touring exhibitions.
That touring format matters. Not every Disney fan can get to Anaheim, Orlando, or a major D23 event. A traveling Archives exhibit brings part of Disney history closer to fans across the country. The Omaha stop continues that story.
Sam’s Disney Diary Take
Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume works because it connects Disney fandom with real craft. Yes, fans get to see costumes tied to familiar characters. But the bigger story is how those costumes helped build the characters in the first place.
That is what makes this Disney Costume Exhibit worth watching. It is part fashion, part film history, and part Disney Archives storytelling.
For fans in Nebraska and surrounding areas, The Durham Museum stop is a rare chance to see these pieces up close without traveling to a Disney park or D23 event. The exhibit opens May 23, 2026, and runs through October 25, 2026.
For full museum hours and admission information, visit DurhamMuseum.org.
Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume is curated by the Walt Disney Archives. The exhibition is supported locally by the Richard Brooke Foundation; Valmont Industries; Douglas County, Nebraska; HDR, Inc.; Dr. C.C. & Mabel L. Criss Memorial Foundation; The Durham Society; and Millard Lumber Inc.
