Previewing the Dark Secrets Exhibition!

As the veil between worlds thins this Autumn, The Vaults beneath Waterloo Station are set to become a portal to the unknown. Dark Secrets: The Esoteric Exhibition, has been curated by Italian producer Italmostre. Preparing to open its doors to the wider public on October 11th. They will be inviting intrepid visitors into 27 immersive themed rooms brimming with more than a thousand artifacts from magic, folklore and the supernatural!  

There are some notable highlights to draw your attention: A striking statue of the hermetic idol, Baphomet, a mummified Egyptian body wrapped in ancient cloth. Shrunken heads from the Shuar tribes of the Amazon, symbolized as war trophies and ritual objects. Europe's largest gathering of cursed dolls, over a hundred specimens that are alleged to whisper tales of possession and misfortune, including The Weeping Doll, which is alleged to shift its gaze. Whilst his mother may have dubbed him “the beast”, the man who embodied that title, Aleister Crowley. Several items of his magical possessions are being put on display; his ceremonial staff will stand as a sentinel over fragments of the infamous Abbey of Thelema. The brochure draws attention to the Malleus Maleficarum, the witch-hunters' bible, evoking chilling fervour in medieval persecutions! Coupled with a full reproduction of the Codex Gigas, the so-called Devils Bible is to be present among the exhibition's book collection.  

 

Ebay is full of so-called Dybbuk boxes home to apparent spirits with created stories to make a quick turnover. Dark Secrets will instead be providing harbour to the Dybbuk Box and Jewish spirit inside said to be the direct inspiration for the horror film The Possession, as well as a Tibetan Kapala skull-cup symbolising the cycle of life and death. More modern items feature prominently too, the jacket worn by Jimi Hendrix, tied to the “27 Club” and a collection of ill-fated sports memorabilia, like England's cursed 1966 World Cup jersey. 

Italmostre's looks to continue the success following the serial killer show, which drew more than 120,000 macabre-loving visitors through its doors. Having only visited The Vaults once before, there is an atmosphere within the subterranean halls that could really bring this dark spectacle to life… 

Whether drawn by curiosity or ritual resonance, the occult flame burns bright in 2025. We shall be venturing inside on the last day of the Harvest Moon. The Dark Secrets: Esoteric Exhibition is set to run until 2026, closing at the end of May. 
Certainly will ignite fresh covens of conversation-or perhaps a few guarded glances from the shadows. 





Location: 
The Vaults, Leake Street, London. SE1 7NN

Dates: 11th October 2025 - 31st May 2026

Opening Hours:

Wednesday and Thursday: 12noon - 730pm
Friday and Saturday: 12noon - 930pm
Sunday: 12noon - 730pm

Duration is approximately 90minutes.

https://www.darksecretsexhibition.com/london