Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
With the opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles now has a permanent home for the history of filmmaking. The museum includes four full floors of gallery space, two theaters (including a 1,000-seat space in that giant glassy sphere), a restaurant, and a gift shop. It is situated next to LACMA in the Wilshire May Company building, in a new and expanded space designed by Pulitzer Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano.
The collection includes the kinds of movie memorabilia you'd expect from those who organize the Oscars, including the Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane, Dorothy's ruby red slippers, R2-D2 and C-3PO, the Dude's robe from The Big Lebowski, the lone shark from Jaws that has survived, and the floral May Queen dress from Midsommar, among many others. A rotating collection of galleries devoted to particular creators and niche specialties are also available.
The museum's special exhibitions, which are free with general admission, begin with a tribute to the legendary Studio Ghibli animator and director Hayao Miyazaki. This is followed by "Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971," which examines the contributions of Black artists over the course of nearly a century.
Reservations must be made in advance and can be made using the museum's website or mobile application. Admission to all exhibitions is included in the ticket price of $25 for adults, $19 for seniors (62 and over), and $15 for students. Visitors 17 years of age and younger and California residents with an EBT card are admitted free of charge. An additional $15 will get you access to an immersive installation called the Oscars Experience. Free access is available to the foyer (which houses the modest Spielberg Family Gallery) and outdoor public areas.
Google Rating: 4.4/5.0
Location: 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90211
Contact: www.academymuseum.org/en
Phone: 323-930-3000
Price: $25, seniors (62 and up) $19, students $15, free for visitors 17 and under and CA residents with an EBT card; Oscars Experience installation $15
Opening hours: Sunday–Thu 10am–6pm; Fri, Sat 10am–8pm.
