I’ve Been to the Academy Museum Four Times. Here’s Why I Keep Going Back.
Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, but it took nearly 100 years to tell that story in one place. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures finally changed that in 2021.
The Academy Museum is probably my favorite museum in Los Angeles. Unlike a lot of museums where one visit is enough, this one is more like your favorite movie: you can come back again and again and still catch something new. I’d know. I’ve visited four times since it opened.
If you’re wondering whether you should add the Academy Museum to your LA itinerary, here’s everything you need to decide.
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The Academy Museum at a Glance
📍 Location: Wilshire Blvd & Fairfax Ave (Miracle Mile)
⏰ Time Needed: 2-3 hours
🎟️ Tickets: Check prices and availability
🚗 Parking: Paid on-site parking or limited metered and free street parking along 6th Street
🚇 Metro: D Line
👥 Crowds: Weekends are busiest
🏛️ Pair It With: LACMA or the Petersen Museum
What is the Academy Museum?
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is dedicated to, you guessed it, the movies. In fact, it’s “the largest museum in the world devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking.”
Think movie props, costumes, storyboards, special effects and the stories behind the films. Basically you’re getting a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the most famous films were made.
Like the Petersen Museum across the street, the Academy Museum is housed inside a former department store. The May Company building dates back to 1939 and was considered to be the crown jewel of Wilshire Boulevard.
The museum is spread across seven floors and even includes a 939-seat theater named after the king of the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax: David Geffen. (At this point he’s running out of buildings to put his name on.)
What You’ll See Inside the Academy Museum
The Academy Museum is massive. I move through museums at a pretty quick pace, and I still spent around two hours there. But if you’re a cinephile, you’ll probably spend much longer than I did.
Unlike a movie, which has a beginning, middle and end, the Academy Museum lets you be the director of your own visit. There’s no right or wrong way to experience it.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Academy Museum rotates its exhibits. So while the permanent galleries stay mostly the same, some of the exhibits from my visit may no longer be on display by the time you visit.
Level 2
The Oscars; Academy Awards History; Costume, Hair & Makeup
The Wanda Gallery is what I’d call a permanent-ish gallery. Some things change, but most of it stays the same.
For example, when I visited a couple of years ago, one of the original “Rosebud” sleds and an original script from Citizen Kane were on display. That area is currently an exhibit dedicated to director Boon Joon Ho, and will be until 2027.
The rest of the gallery, which is dedicated to the Oscars and Academy Awards history, is exactly how I remembered it.
The spherical Oscar gallery is where you’ll find 20 of the famous golden statuettes on display, including the very first one ever presented. In the next room, some of the most memorable Oscar speeches play in the background while you look at mannequins dressed in Oscar night gowns and suits.
My favorite room is called Identity. It’s where you’ll find the only known matched pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, original movie costumes (they are swapped out often), and creepy life casts of Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds and Carmen Miranda that look straight out of The Haunted Mansion.
Level 3
Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon
The Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon exhibit was the main reason for my most recent visit to the Academy Museum. Before my visit, I watched a review from a Hollywood history account that had a bone to pick with both the museum and the Marilyn Monroe collection. While I agreed with one criticism (the displays that shine brighter than an Oscar and ruin pictures), I loved it.
The exhibit, which opened the day before what would have been Marilyn’s 100th birthday, is a collection of posters, portraits, letters, costumes and personal items that belonged to Marilyn Monroe.
I spent 30 minutes ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Marilyn’s iconic dresses, most by costume designer William Travilla. Both the rarely displayed pink peau d’ange (angel’s silk) gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and a replica of the infamous pleated ivory subway dress from The Seven Year Itch had their own rooms.
My favorite dresses were the two Orry-Kelly designed dresses from Some Like It Hot. I loved seeing the details, like the heart embroidery on the butt, up close.
Also on display were some of Marilyn’s personal items, including her clothes and makeup. They even had a plaque from her crypt. It has to be replaced often because so many people visit (and touch) her grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park.
And if you’re wondering if men will like it, I never once saw my boyfriend’s eyes glaze over the entire time.
The Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon exhibit runs until February 28, 2027.
Want the Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon Room to Yourself?
I arrived at the Academy Museum right at 10:00 a.m. and went straight to the exhibit. I had the space to myself for at least 15 minutes. For a minute, I thought maybe I wasn’t supposed to be there.
Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer
One of the more immersive galleries at the Academy Museum, this exhibit gives you a look at how Production Designer Sarah Greenwood and Set Decorator Katie Spencer develop the visual concept of a film.
As someone who played with Barbies as a kid, I was naturally drawn to the Barbie house and Barbieland display.
While the biggest names are in the title, no one talks about the Beauty and the Beast props. Don’t sleep on this one! Seeing the enchanted rose made my 5-year-old self scream. Just don’t get too close, you’ll set off the alarm.
The Oscars Experience
If you’ve ever dreamed of accepting an Oscar, bring your speech with you to the museum. For $10 you can hold a real Academy Award and get your photo taken with it. This was an easy pass for me since I did something similar on the Paramount Studio Tour.
Level 4
Jaws: The Exhibition
I don’t know about you, but Jaws single-handedly ruined going to the beach. Then again, watching every Jaws movie in one weekend probably didn’t help.
But, that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy Jaws: The Exhibition. Located in the Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery, the exhibit celebrated the film’s 50th anniversary with props, costumes and even a recreation of “The Orca.”
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you feel about sharks), the Jaws exhibit has closed. An exhibit dedicated to horror films will take its place from September 2026 to July 2027.
But don’t worry! You can still see the famous shark hanging above the escalators.
Dolby Family Terrace
Known by locals as “The Death Star,” the Dolby Family Terrace offers 180-degree views of the Hollywood Hills. On a clear day, you can even see the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
The Academy Museum FAQs
Still have questions? Here are answers to some of the most common questions about visiting the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Where is the Academy Museum located?
The Academy Museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, next to LACMA and across the street from the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Do I need to buy Academy Museum of Motion Pictures tickets in advance?
While it’s recommended to buy tickets in advance, especially on weekends or during popular temporary exhibitions, you can also purchase tickets on-site. If you’d rather skip the check-in line, buy your tickets in advance. Keep in mind the Academy Museum is close on Tuesdays.
Where do you park at the Academy Museum?
Trying to park at the Academy Museum is part comedy and part horror film.
- Pritzker Parking Garage (entrance on 6th Street): $23
- 6th Street: Four-hour metered parking (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or free parking on the north side of the street
- Onyx Tower (6100 Wilshire Blvd): Discounted $10 weekend parking with a general admission ticket, $50 retail purchase, or film programming ticket
What other museums are near the Academy Museum?
The Petersen Automotive Museum and LACMA are both within walking distance on Wilshire Boulevard, making them easy to combine with a visit to the Academy Museum. The La Brea Tar Pits are closed for renovations until 2028.
For Your Consideration…
Out of all the museums in Los Angeles, the Academy Museum is the one I keep coming back to. And I think that says a lot coming from someone who doesn’t watch a lot of movies. So if you’re looking for a museum to add to your Los Angeles itinerary, or you need somewhere to take family and friends who are visiting, I’d nominate the Academy Museum every time.
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