The London exhibition explores the global history of the supernatural

A new exhibition in London showcases the dark and ominous history of the occult and the supernatural from around the world, just before Halloween.

Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibitionwhich opened to the public since October 11, offered the public antiquities as varied as Europe’s largest collection of cursed dolls, a 19th-century vampire hunting kit and shrunken heads created by the Shuar tribes of the Amazon as war trophies.

The exhibition includes over 1,000 objects divided into 27 rooms. Related contemporary exhibits include a jacket worn by American guitarist Jimi Hendrix rumored to be linked to his untimely death at the age of 27, and a ceremonial staff attributed to British occultist Aleister Crowley.

The exhibition also aims to debunk and expose fraudulent mediums and illusions, such as Ouija boards and boards that supposedly captured messages from the dead.

Speaking to Reuters on Thursday (October 23), forensic anthropologist and magician Matteo Borrini said: “You see how the mediums used methods, if we don’t use the word tricks, to pretend they were in contact with spirits. So you will see here some plates, for example, that have been used to make sense of this spirit.”

Other paranormal forgeries included a fake werewolf skull and fake fairy skeletons. Also on display was a two-headed fox (preserved by taxidermy) created by Soviet surgeon Vladimir Demikov. The Doctor claimed that his two-headed creation survived for a few days, but this claim remains disputed.

Featuring Druid artifacts such as carved ritual monoliths, the exhibit also serves as a reminder of Halloween’s pagan and Druidic origins.

Borrini explained that, “Halloween started as a pagan religious holiday and moved over the years. It was somewhat demonized by the Christian Catholic Church, but at the same time it was incorporated into the Day of the Dead. And today, it’s becoming more popular in a more commercial way.”

The exhibition will run until May 2026.