Frankenstein's Monster and Superman costume to go on display after V&A Museum of Childhood's £13m revamp

A West End war horse will join Superman, Paddington and Peter Rabbit in the revamped V&A Museum of Childhood.

They are the among 2,000 objects that will go on show after the £13 million transformation, which will see the building in Bethnal Green close its doors in May for two years.

Among the exhibits will be a Superman outfit made for Christopher Reeve in 1987 for Superman IV, Beatrix Potter’s original illustrations and one of the huge puppets from War Horse.

Also set to go on show is a costume made for actor Boris Karloff when he played Frankenstein’s monster in the 1935 film The Bride Of Frankenstein.

There will also be objects at toddler height, with dressing-up boxes sharing space with high art and haute couture.

The new building will have a stage in the main hall with room for 150 people to watch performances tracing the stories behind characters and a model town of small-scale buildings, including a Star Wars spaceship.

V&A director Tristram Hunt said: “We want to empower children to realise that every act of creativity is wondrous, whether it’s self-expression through their clothes, building a world on Minecraft or launching a school climate strike.

“By bringing together the V&A’s world-class collections with immersive displays, we will offer an outstanding day out for families, for free.

“Beloved by the local community, but in need of modernisation, this ambitious transformation will enable the V&A Museum of Childhood to unlock its huge potential to nurture the potential of future generations and become a champion of children’s creativity.”

The V&A is planning a three-day free festival over the first May bank holiday to celebrate the museum before the temporary closure.

It is working with Whitechapel Library to put on events for the two years it is closed. The museum traces its beginnings back to 1872 when it was founded as the Bethnal Green Museum of Science and Arts.