The fascinating and inspiring story of Walt Disney, whose artistry, creativity and vision helped define 20th century American culture, is brought to life in our galleries. The Museum’s collection includes some 25,000 works such as animation cels, rare film clips, concept art, scripts, musical scores, and cameras that Disney and his staff used in creating his characters and films. Walt and his family are also represented in photographs, artifacts, and home movies.
Highlights of the Museum include:
- Original drawings that Walt made in his youth
- Drawings and cartoons from Laugh-O-gram Films, Walt’s first company
- The earliest known drawings of Mickey Mouse
- Storyboards, a Disney innovation that maps out timeless film classics
- The technically innovative Multiplane Camera that brought vibrancy and depth to his revolutionary feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Walt’s 26 individual Academy Awards as well as the unique Snow White Academy Award®, which includes a full-size Oscar® and seven miniature statuettes
- The narrow-gauge Lilly Belle train Walt built for his Hollywood home
- A 14-foot diameter model of the Disneyland of Walt’s imagination
The Museum also hosts a rotating special exhibition program featuring exhibitions by artists who not only inspired and influenced Walt Disney, but also contemporary artists who were inspired and influenced by Walt and his animators.
