Get ready for the “Red Carpet Experience!” On Thursday, September 30, 2021, a new museum officially opened in Los Angeles: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. This seven-story museum transports you into the world of motion pictures and film. It is dedicated to the art of filmmaking as well as portrays the history, science, and cultural impact of the film industry. I had the pleasure of attending a press preview for the museum and got a sneak peek at some of the spectacular exhibits. Visiting the Academy Museum is a museum you will not want to miss when in Los Angeles.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to the Academy Museum for hosting me on my visit. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.
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History of the Academy Museum
The Academy Museum has been in development for many years. In 2012, the Italian architect Renzo Piano was chosen to design the museum. Construction finally began in 2015 and the museum was supposed to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
How to Get to the Academy Museum
The Academy Museum is located at the intersection of Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles. It is close to Beverly Hills and located on the Museum Row on the Miracle Mile. The actual address is 6067 Wilshire Boulevard.
To get to the museum, the easiest way is to drive or take an Uber/Lyft. It is about a 20-minute drive from Downtown Los Angeles with no traffic. There is some street parking available or you can park in one of the parking structures in the area. It is about $18 to park in the structure.
You can also opt to take public transportation. From Union Station, take the purple line to Wilshire/Western for 7 stops. Then, you will need to hop on the 720 or the 20 bus line to Santa Monica for 3 stops to Wilshire/Crescent Heights. From there, it is about a 5-minute walk to the museum.
Hours and Admission
The Academy Museum is open Sunday through Thursday from 10am-6pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 8pm. It is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Admission costs $25 for General Admission, $19 for 62 and over, $15 for college students, and free for anyone under 18 years old. If you want to add on the Oscar Experience, that costs an additional $15. You can opt to buy your ticket online ahead of time in order to ensure admission.
The Academy Museum Exhibits
The Academy Museum has several exhibits to visit across its 7 floors. These exhibits will help transport you into the world of motion pictures and the process that goes into filmmaking. Plan to spend at least a couple of hours visiting the Academy Museum.
Stories of Cinema
The main exhibit of the museum is “Stories of Cinema.” This takes up three floors and each floor goes over a different aspect of the filmmaking process. Highlights of this collection include the Oscar Collection, an area where you can see various historical Oscar statues, storyboards from films such as Psycho (1960), and a Wizard of Oz Exhibit.
Another gallery, Identity, offers over forty costumes from well-known films. Disney fans will enjoy the Animation Gallery, where you can view various sketches and prints from Disney movies such as Up, Sleeping Beauty, and more. One of my favorite galleries was the Encounters gallery where you can view original set pieces and iconic characters such as R2D2, C-3PO, and ET.
Temporary Exhibits
The fourth floor houses the temporary exhibitions. This exhibit will continue to change over the years, but for the Grand Opening, the exhibit is about Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is a well-known Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, and artist. He is most well known for his anime films Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
The exhibit houses numerous of his storyboards and sketches for his movies. Also included are 300 objects from his movies. This is the first time many of these items are on display outside of Japan. Note that there is no filming or photography allowed in this exhibit as Miyazaki wants visitors immersed in the experience.
The other current exhibit on the fourth floor is the Toy Story 3D Zoetrope. This shows a quick sequence of movement like a 3D Flipbook using Toy Story Characters. It was built in mid- 2000. Prior to being on display at the museum, it was located at Disney’s California Adventure.
Another must-see on the fourth floor is the 25 foot “Jaws” shark. This is the last of the three mechanical sharks built for the filming of the 1975 movie “Jaws.” It currently hangs over the escalators when coming up between the third and fourth floors.
Dolby Family Terrace
The open-air, glass-domed Dolby Family Terrace, located on the 5th floor, offers views of the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and other surrounding areas. The dome is made from 1,500 glass panels. It will sometimes host special events or live music. This is one of the coolest areas of visiting the Academy Museum.
The Oscar Experience
In addition to the General Admission, you can add on the Oscar Experience to your ticket for $15. This was definitely my favorite part of visiting the Academy Museum. The Oscar Experience gives you the opportunity to win an Oscar. You will be transported to the Dolby Theater Stage where your name will be called that you won an Oscar. You then get the opportunity to pick up a real-life Oscar that weighs a hefty 8.5 pounds.
During the experience, you will be filmed getting your award. Afterward, you will be emailed a final cut of the experience so you can continue to remember “winning an Oscar.”
Screenings When Visiting the Academy Museum
The Academy Museum contains two theaters: The 1,000 seat David Geffen Theater and the 288 Ted Mann Theater. Both of the theaters will hold daily film screenings with Oscar-nominated movies and old classics.
Also included as part of the museum is Fanny’s, a restaurant and cafe that will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Academy Museum Store, and a Tea Room.
Visiting the Academy Museum is a fun stop on a Los Angeles itinerary and a fabulous and unique Los Angeles museum. Plan to spend at least two hours exploring what the museum has to offer. After you visit, head next door to LACMA or the La Brea Tar Pits, venture to Hollywood, or hit up some great places to eat in Downtown Los Angeles.
