The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the long-awaited shrine to moviemaking. opened its doors today.
Featuring the collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum offers exhibitions and programs that illuminate the world of cinema.
The Academy holds more than 13 million objects including costumes, scripts, posters and props dating back to 1927. The collection includes Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz; the tablets from The Ten Commandments and a cape worn by Bela Lugosi in Dracula.
Orson Welles’ groundbreaking first feature, Citizen Kane, is well-represented with one of the “Rosebud” sleds and an early draft script, American, both donated by filmmaker Steven Spielberg, as well as camera lens set used by cinematographer Gregg Toland. The museum also includes a black chalk study of a Kane matte painting of the Xanadu mansion, as well as the original one-sheet and oversized production stills.
Designed by award-winning architect Renzo Piano, the Academy Museum’s seven floors feature exhibition spaces, education and special event spaces, a conservation studio, a café, and a museum store.
In addition, the museum’s 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and 288-seat Ted Mann Theater will present a year-round calendar of screenings, film series, member programs, panel discussions, family programs, and symposia. Programs will include retrospectives and thematic series that illuminate the artistic and cultural contributions of an international selection of movie artists.
The museum will be located in the historic May Company Building at the intersection Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, part of Museum Row on the Miracle Mile.
For more information, visit academymuseum.org
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