World Premiere in Berlin
“CRIMINAL MINDS – The Serial Killer Exhibition” offers new perspectives on real-life criminal cases
The exhibition “CRIMINAL MINDS – The Serial Killer Exhibition” celebrates its world premiere at ARENA BERLIN, taking visitors on a journey through the traces of real-life serial murders – from crime scenes in the forest to reconstructed apartments and houses belonging to the perpetrators. Across numerous rooms, forensic findings are brought together with immersive scenes, lighting, sound and a continuous audio guide. This approximately 90-minute true-crime experience opens on 9 December 2026 and will be on display for a limited time only.
Tickets are available at www.criminalminds-exhibition.com.
From the Crime Scene to the Perpetrators’ Homes
Case files, evidence and a crime scene set the stage. In the Mirror Corridor, busts of notorious perpetrators face the empty pedestals of their victims. An immersive forest clearing demonstrates how investigators interpret and follow clues. In the autopsy room, forensic medicine reveals what injuries can tell us about the sequence of events in a crime. Individual findings gradually connect different crimes until a series becomes apparent. Visitors also learn about the systems used by researchers and police to classify perpetrators – and the limitations of these approaches.
From the traces left behind, the journey continues into apartments, houses and basements that perpetrators furnished to accommodate their violent fantasies, often long before anyone was killed there. Reconstructed locations include Jeffrey Dahmer’s kitchen, the altar he planned, and Ed Gein’s farmhouse. Objects illustrate how Dennis Rader, known as BTK, continued to relive his crimes in his mind for years. In total, 44 perpetrators are identified by name, with approximately 25 cases explored in detail, including those of German serial killers Fritz Honka, Niels Högel and Gesche Gottfried.
Dedicated rooms explore female perpetrators, killings in hospitals and care facilities, international cases, as well as cannibalism and its cultural contexts. “Origin Stories” takes visitors back to the perpetrators’ childhoods, examining the roles played by family, school, institutions and social environments in the development of future serial killers. An optical illusion makes the perpetrators’ distorted perceptions physically tangible.
Alongside forensic exhibits, the exhibition features reproductions, reconstructions and staged objects.
The audio guide connects the individual sections into one continuous narrative. Different voices offer forensic and historical perspectives.
Traces of a Life
At the entrance, every visitor receives a personal “Traces of a Life” card. It follows the story of a person who became the victim of a serial killer. From one room to the next, relationships, places and experiences are added, gradually building a picture of that person’s life. The card leads to a dedicated room illustrating just how far the consequences of a crime extend – affecting relatives, survivors, witnesses and investigators.
In the final room, “Afterburn”, the fascination with serial murder itself becomes the subject. Art, film and the media draw on real-life crimes and shape the images that remain in the public consciousness. The exhibition concludes by examining how myths emerge from these representations and why the names of perpetrators are often better known than those of their victims.
Case Analysis from Real-World Experience
Criminologist and profiler Axel Petermann is involved in “CRIMINAL MINDS” as an expert member of the creative team. The former head of a homicide squad in Bremen and of the “Operational Case Analysis” unit contributes his practical investigative experience, exploring how violent fantasies can manifest themselves in traces, locations and actions.
The Dramaturgy of the Immersive Spaces
Creative director Dr. Andy Machals is responsible for the exhibition’s concept, creative vision, design and dramaturgy. Together with the design team, he translates the content into architecture, lighting, sound and visual media.
“CRIMINAL MINDS tells one continuous story: from fantasies and distorted perceptions to the reality of the crimes and the people affected by them,” explains Machals.
Producer Oliver Forster adds: “Behind every crime are people with lives of their own. Our aim is to make their stories visible while also providing a deeper understanding of the circumstances and backgrounds of violence.”
PRODUCER & LOCAL ORGANISER
COFO Entertainment, Passau
With several hundred events each year, COFO Entertainment is one of the leading event organisers in German-speaking Europe. Its diverse portfolio ranges from concerts and musicals to live shows, comedy and family entertainment. COFO is also a regular guest at various venues in Berlin – with productions such as “BEAT IT! – The Show About the King of Pop!” and “ROCKET MAN – The Elton John Biopic” scheduled for 2027, for example.
International exhibitions are another important and steadily growing part of COFO’s diverse portfolio. The company successfully entered this sector in 2013 with an exhibition about the world-famous Terracotta Army and China’s First Emperor in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. This was followed by blockbuster exhibitions such as “Tutankhamun – His Tomb and the Treasures”, “Da Vinci – The Genius”, “Body Worlds” and “Titanic – Real Artefacts, True Stories”, presented throughout German-speaking Europe.
Even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, COFO continued to expand its commitment to the exhibition sector. With its innovative “Art as an Experience” concept, the company explored new ways of presenting art. Projects such as “The Great Masters of the Renaissance” and “Andy Warhol – Pop Art Identities”, as well as immersive productions including “Van Gogh – The Immersive Experience” and “Titanic: An Immersive Journey”, offer audiences new ways to discover art, culture and history, bringing them to life in extraordinary ways.
An exceptional success story is the series of exhibitions about street art superstar Banksy, produced by Oliver Forster. “The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind” and “House of Banksy – An Unauthorized Exhibition” have now been presented at 41 venues in twelve countries, attracting a combined audience of more than four million visitors.
Following the world premiere of “Polar Experience – An Immersive Exhibition About the Arctic and Antarctic” at Arena Berlin last winter, COFO is now bringing two more world premieres to the German capital: “SPACE DISCOVERY – An Immersive Journey into Space” and “CRIMINAL MINDS – The Serial Killer Exhibition”. In doing so, COFO continues its mission to make knowledge, culture and entertainment accessible to a wide audience through extraordinary exhibition experiences.
ADVANCE TICKETS
To ensure that visitor numbers are managed efficiently, tickets with a reserved time slot are required. Time-slot tickets allow admission to the exhibition within the selected time window, while visitors are free to stay for as long as they wish.
For those who prefer greater flexibility or wish to give tickets as a gift without committing to a specific time, Flex and Gift Tickets are the ideal alternative. These tickets allow admission at any time during the selected month, without advance reservation or a fixed time slot. Visitors can stay for as long as they wish. Available in limited quantities, they are also an ideal gift for any occasion.
One Ticket – Two Experiences: With the Combined Day Flex Ticket, visitors can discover two extraordinary worlds of experience in Berlin. By visiting both “SPACE DISCOVERY – An Immersive Journey into Space” and “CRIMINAL MINDS – The Serial Killer Exhibition”, they can save up to eight euros compared to purchasing individual tickets. The flexible ticket allows admission to both exhibitions on the selected day, without having to commit to specific entry times, offering maximum freedom when planning the day. Two experiences, one ticket and countless unforgettable impressions – the perfect opportunity for a special day out in Berlin.
All exhibition texts and audio guide content are available in both German and English. The audio guide can be accessed via visitors’ own smartphones and is included in the admission price.
The exhibition is fully accessible and wheelchair-friendly. Admission is permitted for visitors aged 14 and over. The exhibition is also expressly suitable for school groups. Specific case studies illustrate topics such as violence, responsibility and human dignity, providing valuable starting points for lessons in subjects such as history and ethics. Reduced group rates are available for school classes.
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
Exhibition dates: 9 December 2026 to 4 April 2027
Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday and public holidays: 11 am–7 pm (open daily during school holidays). Opening hours may vary on public holidays.
Venue: ARENA BERLIN, Eichenstraße 4, 12435 Berlin
Tickets: Available at www.criminalminds-exhibition.com, from all authorised ticket outlets and, from the opening date onwards, at the box office.
Further information and press materials: www.criminalminds-exhibition.com
Press contact:
bluesparrow PR & Management GmbH
Chodowieckistr. 27
10405 Berlin
+49 (0)30 24084854
kontakt@bluesparrow.de