What Not to Miss at the New Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, set to open Sept. 30 in Los Angeles, offers much more than those famous ruby slippers.
Photo by Josh White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Saban Building. Photo by Josh White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation
Just as the 2022 Oscars season is beginning (in earnest) for awards-hopefuls, the long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is set to open in Los Angeles.
The museum, first announced more than eight years ago, opens its doors at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard on Sept. 30 with several exhibitions and screening programs in store. The collections vary from technology and the history of cinema to behind-the-scenes props from famous moments in film (like matte paintings that you probably thought were real life).
On display (so far) will include The Wizard of Oz‘s famous ruby slippers, a Cinerama camera from 1954, Nightmare Before Christmas‘ original expressive heads of Jack Skellington, Shirley Temple’s tap shoes, an annotated script of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the head from Alien.
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One of the collections is all about the early history of the movies and includes a steam-driven praxinoscope from the Richard Balzer Collection. Another of the anticipated exhibitions is a Hayao Miyazaki retrospective, portraying the legendary filmmaker’s work through more than 300 items (storyboards, character designs, posters, and cels from Studio Ghibli). The museum will also be screening his films, in both English and Japanese, throughout the run of the exhibition.
Among the museum’s other unique features are Calm Mornings, set-aside time for attendees wanting a less sensory-stimulating experience “with moderated sound and lighting displays,” according to the museum website.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be open seven days a week, starting Sept. 30. Timed admission tickets are now available.
Below are just a few highlights of what visitors can see at the museum of movies.
Ruby Slippers
The onscreen pair of the famous slippers from the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, will be on display when the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens.
‘Toy Story’ Zoetrope
According to visual renderings of the museum space, one prominent exhibit includes a massive zoetrope with Toy Story characters.
The Dude’s Robe
Of the many costumes and clothes on display, one that may stand out to visitors is the robe worn by The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, in The Big Lebowski (1998).
Praxinoscope
This steam-driven praxinoscope with animation strips from the Richard Balzer Collection depicts the early days of cinema, dating back to 1904. The device was a successor to the popular zoetrope.
