The immersive, hands-on Family Activity Area located in our current exhibition, All Aboard: A Celebration of Walt's Trains, is made possible with the generous support of Lionel, LLC—a company that was saved by a Mickey Mouse handcar in 1934. Get a glimpse into the history between Disney and Lionel.
Heinrich Kley’s influence on Walt Disney is undeniable. In 1935, Walt travelled extensively through Europe and returned with a handful of pieces by the German artist. Walt was drawn to the drama and emotion of Kley’s work, and wished to achieve a similar powerful visual narrative and sense of storytelling on screen...
Wish upon a star with WD-FM as Chris and Bri take a deep dive into Walt Disney's second animated feature film, Pinocchio (1940). An epic of animated cinema, Pinocchio is full of moments of artistic beauty and fun entertainment. Learn how this film was developed and some fun facts about the technology used to bring the film to life.
Once a story man, always a story man.
The Sherman brothers (or “the boys” as Walt Disney called them) were staff writers for The Walt Disney Studio, and are responsible for some of the best-loved songs in entertainment history. In an early meeting with Walt, the Sherman brothers explained their reasoning behind the song “For Now, For Always” from the 1961 film,The Parent Trap...
In the history of The Walt Disney Studios, animator Fred Moore (1911–1952) is considered among the leading artists who helped originate and define the Disney style, matching appealing design with believable performance. In particular, Moore was instrumental in the evolution of Mickey Mouse as an animated character, and his legacy with the Disney icon’s appearance remains evident today.
On Saturday, May 21, 2016, John Canemaker, guest curator of Wish Upon a Star: The Art of Pinocchio, took guests on an in-depth exploration into the works of two great animation legends: Vladimir Tytla and Milt Kahl. Canemaker discussed Disney’s extraordinary film, Pinocchio.
Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and fans of Blaine Gibson—artist, Imagineer, and Disney Legend—who passed away today on July 5, 2015.
On Saturday February 25 at 10am, select Members were able to meet and spend time with Academy Award®-nominated producer and author Don Hahn, in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall at The Walt Disney Family Museum...
With flowers in bloom and birds alight this May, we take a look at one of Walt's springtime Silly Symphonies short: 1934’s The Goddess of Spring is based on the Greek myth of Persephone (or the Roman Proserpina), and her capture by the insidious god of the underworld. The project presented the unique opportunity for Disney artists and animators to bring human characters to life.
In celebration of Disneyland’s birth month this past July, we focused our Spotlight Talks on one of The Walt Disney Family Museum’s most popular attractions, a model of “the Disneyland of Walt’s Imagination.”
"Last Sunday we honored Wally Boag, the unforgettable comic genius of The Golden Horseshoe Revue,” Diane Disney Miller reports. “Jeff Kurtti put the program together and presented it, and we were honored by the presence of Wally's son, Laurence, and his family. It was, of course, a very entertaining program...
Miniatures and models held a special fascination for Walt Disney, and he used three-dimensional sculpture to help visualize his concepts and ideas as part of the creative process, from the Studio’s animated films, through the design of Disneyland, and beyond. Even today in the digital realm of three-dimensional animation and in theme park design, the tradition of using sculpted (or digital) models continues...
Throughout his life, Walt Disney was dedicated to giving back to his community and generously supported many charities, especially those that benefitted children. From Toys for Tots to the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, Walt’s charitable giving often extended beyond monetary support. The John Tracy Clinic—now known as the John Tracy Center—was an organization close to Walt’s heart and, from its inception, he was an active supporter of its efforts.
The Museum Store offers an abundance of Disney-themed gifts, apparel, books, postcards, exclusive pins, and more. Be sure to stop by during your visit as our selection of items is constantly changing to correlate with the special exhibitions and programs that occur at the museum.
The Museum Store is open to the public Thursday–Sunday from 10am–5:30pm. Additionally, the Museum Store will be open every Monday from Memorial Day, May 29, 2023 to Labor Day, September 4, 2023 from 10am–5:30pm. For other ways to shop—online or by phone—visit waltdisney.org/store.
Originally constructed in 1897 as an Army barracks, the iconic building transformed into The Walt Disney Family Museum more than a century later and today houses some of the most interesting and fun museum exhibitions in the US. Explore the life story of the man behind the brand—Walt Disney.