by Lauren Frank ’23

When you think of a museum, what comes to mind? This is not the National Gallery of Art or where visitors are coming and going in silence as they stare at 400-year-old paintings on the wall. This is ‘Inside the Wardrobe’, a new and trendy ‘fashion funhouse’. Located in Georgetown, this one-of-a-kind museum features 20 unique and interactive rooms inspired by different fashion trends and references to pop culture throughout history. Unlike most museums that warn “do not touch,” this place invites visitors to do the opposite. Guests can walk on a runway, pose with funky props, write on the walls, lounge on a bed, and so much more. Of course, this museum wouldn’t be as much fun without the endless photo opportunities for your Instagram.

Once checked in, a docent will lead you to the start of the exhibit. Immediately, you notice the colorful, fun and funky decor and furniture on display in each of the rooms. One such room features white boards shaped like speech bubbles where you can feel free to write your thoughts. Further along in the exhibit, you walk into a room painted only in black and white where one wall is completely filled with mirrors of all shapes and sizes. In this same room visitors use pen and paper to note a favorite outfit and pin it to a wall. Notes written by previous visitors overwhelm the space. Continuing on from the black and white room is another space decorated in a glittery floral pattern. It features a platform bed to relax on, markers to plaster your creativity on a wall, and a life-sized teleidoscope to walk into. Another room features a beach theme and fun props including a super light barbell to hold above your head. Rounding out the exhibit is a room inspired by the faux fur craze painted in a soft pastel pink, another created to feel like a desert, and another incorporating a wacky optical illusion complete with a photobooth and cardboard cutout clothing items for snapping, sending, and printing photographs of you and your friends. 

Finally, as if to feel like a fashion model, you strut down a runway as you exit, cameras flashing in your direction while loud music plays in the background. A fitting end to an entertaining, enjoyable, and totally interactive visit. Tickets to this unique “pop up” can be purchased through the museum’s website at www.insidethewardrobe.com. Arrive at your scheduled time since guests are allowed only one hour to enjoy all the features. The museum closes September 26th, so make sure to check it out before it is gone. However, with the attention and crowds this museum has attracted, there is sure to be one similar, opening in the future.