The Serious art of Make Believe

The Serious art of Make - Believe

Whether you are a art enthusiast, interested in how things are made, or just a Halloween Horror Night fanatic then I highly recommend The Orlando Museum of History's: The Serious art of Make-believe.

I first heard about the display from Behind The Thrills and decided, seeing as I am all of the above, that it was something I could not miss! So the first chance my wife and I had, we made the trek from Mount Dora to Orlando. I am happy to say I was in no way disappointed.

First off I did not know Orlando had a history museum. If you have been to the FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in Gainesville it has a similar feel. While not nearly as large, is has a multitude of informative and creative displays regarding the history of Orlando. That, in itself, was enough to draw me there but once you throw in the fact that it's $9.00 admissions and a HHN exhibit it was far too tempting to pass up.

The  Serious Art of Make - Believe is located on half of the second floor. As you walk in, you are greeted by the familiar sight of Jacks Carnival of Carnage and The Terra Queen's motorcyle.  The walls are packed with sketches and props from  Halloween Horror Nights, Mardi Gras, Grinchmas, and even some various permanent park attractions. There are even a few interactive displays where you can draw blue line sketches,  a "find it" game where you try and spot various objects in a mock up of the prop warehouse, and even a display depicting how foam on plywood are made to like a cornucopia of textures and objects.

I finally learned the inscription on the '05 dagger!

"Cruentus Regina Infinitas Infinito"

The sketches were where I spent most of my time. Being an avid fan of Universal's Art & Design team (and an aspiring artist) I really like to see the creative ideas that spark the amazing sets the we get to see as a finished product. There was a great deal of art from HHN 15: Tales of Terror which I feel ranks as one of Universal's most creative years.

There were also several examples of progression in development. For example the original Carnival of Carnage website started out as rough sketches on three sheets of notebook paper

which progressed to a sketchup version

and then the final website version

I also spent some time drawing my own sketch.

The props are always awesome to see and I enjoyed picking them out and remembering which year(s) I had seen them before. From older props like Jack's box or the Caretaker's scissors to more recent props such as the vomit/garbage and the two wrath costumes from the "Seven" scarezone this year.

All in all, the trip is well worth the paltry admission fee. The exhibit  runs until April 29th 0f 2012 so there is ample time and if you want to go a step further there are two chances to meet the A&D team! So make the trip, have fun, and support Florida's museums all in one shot.

** If you just can't make it or just want to spoil the surprise, scroll down for a link to more pictures **

Orange County Regional History Center
65 E. Central Blvd.
Orlando, Florida 32801

Visiting Hours
Monday-Saturday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday

Noon - 5 p.m.

Artists & Authors Series

Art & Design Team from Universal Orlando Resort

Thursday, December 8, 2011

6-9 PM $65 admission (non-members)

Meet & Greet the Art and Design Team from Universal Orlando Resort
The Serious Art of Make-Believe Exhibition
Sunday, December 11, 2011

Included in general admission. 

Click here for all pictures of the exhibit.