So much fun can be had pretending to be someone else, a fictional character, or even an animal or an object.

Since ancient times, costumes have been associated with certain religious rites in different world cultures, from which the first theatrical productions derived. In Europe, costumes have been used for fun - especially during the Carnival period - and distinguished artists have turned costumes into an art form, such as Leopoldo Fregoli, who revolutionized modern theatre.

Costumes can also be used by criminals or secret agents to avoid being recognized. Many fictional heroes and heroines have used costumes to hide their identity, such as the detective Sherlock Holmes, who dresses up to gather information to solve his cases; Superman, who turns into the Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent in order to go unnoticed; Peter Parker, who dresses up as Spider-Man to avoid being recognized; as well as Catwoman or Wonder Woman. The famous featherbrained comic character Mortadelo (Mort & Phil), a TIA agent, is a master of disguise capable of becoming any person, animal, plant or object: from an elephant to a cactus, a box or a lamppost.

A number of children’s costumes are displayed in this section, among which the Asian outfit, the prince and the countrywoman stand out. The display also includes several face masks and full head masks like the ones used in traditional popular festivals in Spain.

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