One of the world’s most beloved bunnies will be hopping into Norfolk this autumn, as the Miffy exhibition Great Yarmouth celebrates a very special milestone. From Saturday 11 October 2025 to Sunday 1 March 2026, Time and Tide Museum will host Miffy’s 70th Birthday—an exhibition exploring the charming world of the iconic white rabbit created by Dutch artist and illustrator Dick Bruna.
The exhibition brings together more than 50 original pieces, including screen prints, drawings, manuscripts, and paintings, to tell the story of how Miffy became a global cultural icon. Visitors will also be able to see stop motion models from the television series Miffy and Friends, alongside immersive displays designed to bring Bruna’s stories to life.
Miffy’s 70th Birthday is divided into two main sections. The first explores Bruna’s creative process through original sketches, screenprints and posters, not only from the Miffy books but also from his other projects. These include early book covers designed for his father’s publishing company, A.W. Bruna & Zoon, and posters created for charitable organisations such as the Red Cross. Fans of Bruna’s broader work will also encounter illustrations of other beloved characters including Boris Bear, Poppy Pig and Snuffy.
The second section transforms Bruna’s two-dimensional art into a full sensory experience. Life-sized recreations of scenes from classic books such as miffy goes to stay, miffy in the tent, and miffy at school invite visitors to step inside Miffy’s world. Each setting features interactive elements encouraging play and creativity—children can hide among trees, explore Miffy’s classroom, or visit her friend’s home. The exhibition also includes puppets, colouring areas, and art activities to inspire families to create their own Miffy-style stories.
Alongside these installations are Bruna’s original sketches, acetates, manuscripts and typescripts for the three featured books. These artefacts reveal the artist’s distinctive creative method. Bruna traced drawings onto watercolour paper, using the grooves to guide his brush and achieve his signature “shaky” linework. He then layered hand-cut paper shapes in custom colours to complete his compositions. This meticulous process gave Miffy’s world its unmistakable blend of simplicity and warmth—an aesthetic that continues to captivate readers of all ages.
Miffy was first drawn on 21 June 1955 while Dick Bruna was on a seaside holiday in Holland. To entertain his young son on a rainy day, Bruna told stories about a little rabbit playing in the garden, sketching the character who would become known worldwide as Miffy. The series that followed—recognisable by its bold colours, simple lines, and gentle rhyming text—captured the joy and innocence of childhood. Since then, over 85 million copies of Bruna’s books have been printed and translated into more than 50 languages.
Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said:
“It’s a real delight to be welcoming such an iconic character to Great Yarmouth this October and helping to celebrate Miffy’s 70th birthday through this beautiful collection of artworks. The exhibition is playful, accessible and informative and I hope it puts a spring in the step of everybody who sees it.”
Nat Fairweather, Exhibitions and Events Officer at Time and Tide Museum, added:
“We are so excited to have Miffy in Norfolk, and we are looking forward to an autumn and winter of celebrating this special rabbit. It has been a pleasure to work with our colleagues at Leeds City Museum and Mercis in Amsterdam to make this exhibition a captivating look into the creative world of Dick Bruna and his beloved Miffy.”
The Miffy exhibition Great Yarmouth is a collaboration with Mercis, the global brand owner of Miffy. The project originated in 2022, when Leeds Museums and Galleries won a European award for its learning programmes. The award itself—a bronze sculpture of Miffy, created by Dick Bruna’s son Marc Bruna—sparked a partnership between Leeds, Mercis, and the Time and Tide Museum to curate this touring exhibition.
The exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore the design heritage behind one of the world’s most recognisable characters. Miffy has evolved beyond her origins as a picture book character to become a universal symbol of friendship, innocence and good design. Supported by thousands of licensed products, television series, films, YouTube channels and global exhibitions, Miffy’s legacy continues to delight new generations.
Time and Tide Museum, located in a former herring curing works and smokehouse, provides a fittingly atmospheric setting for this celebration. Opened in 2004, the museum tells the maritime and social history of Great Yarmouth as part of the award-winning Norfolk Museums Service.
Admission prices for Miffy’s 70th Birthday are £8.20 for adults, £7.30 for discounted adults with a paid child ticket, £7.80 for concessions, and £6.90 for children aged 4–18, with under-fours entering free. Disabled visitors can bring a companion at no cost, and twilight tickets—available an hour before closing—are £2.50.
For general information, bookings, or family visits, contact yarmouth.museums@norfolk.gov.uk or visit www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
As Miffy’s 70th Birthday opens its doors this autumn, Great Yarmouth looks set to welcome fans old and new to rediscover the magic of Dick Bruna’s creation. With art, storytelling and interactive play, the Miffy exhibition Great Yarmouth promises a joyful and nostalgic journey into one of the most timeless worlds in children’s literature.
