Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the first large-scale museum in the United States dedicated entirely to the history, science, and art of filmmaking. Opened in September 2021 on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile district, it houses part of the Academy Collection — the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million objects from notable productions spanning over a century of cinema.
At a glance
- Type
- Film museum
- Period
- Opened 30 September 2021
- Style
- Adaptive reuse + contemporary addition (Renzo Piano)
- Location
- 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA
- Coordinates
- 34.0638° N, 118.3608° W
- Function
- Public museum dedicated to the arts, history, science, and artists of filmmaking
Overview
The Academy Museum occupies a two-building campus: the historic May Company Building (1939), a Streamline Moderne landmark by Albert C. Martin, and a new spherical glass-and-concrete pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. The two structures are connected by a series of bridges and terraces. The museum’s permanent galleries trace the full arc of cinema, from silent-era props and costumes to contemporary digital production technology, with rotating temporary exhibitions on major filmmakers, studios, and movements.
History
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had discussed a permanent museum for decades, but the project was formally launched in 2012 following a $388 million capital campaign. Renzo Piano was selected as architect and ground preparation began on the May Company Building in 2015. Construction was completed in 2020 but the opening was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the museum finally welcomed the public on 30 September 2021. Within its first year of operation it attracted over one million visitors.
What you see
Permanent galleries include “Stories of Cinema,” which offers an immersive chronological survey of film history with iconic artefacts — among them the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, the shark model from Jaws, and Darth Vader’s helmet from the original Star Wars. The 1,000-seat David Geffen Theatre and the smaller Ted Mann Theatre host regular film screenings. The Dolby Family Terrace on the roof of the spherical pavilion provides panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills and the Griffith Observatory.
Cultural significance
As the institutional museum of the Academy — the organisation behind the Oscars — the museum holds an unparalleled archive that documents the global impact of Hollywood filmmaking. Its opening addressed a long-recognised gap: Los Angeles, the capital of world cinema, had no dedicated film museum of international standing. The building itself, with its Renzo Piano pavilion, has quickly become a new architectural landmark on the Miracle Mile museum corridor.
Practical information
The museum is open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays). Timed-entry tickets are recommended and available online. A virtual 360° tour of selected galleries is accessible via the museum’s official website for remote visitors. On-site amenities include the Fanny’s restaurant and a museum shop. Check the official website for current admission prices, exhibition schedules, and screening programmes.
Getting there
The museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits. It is accessible via Metro Bus lines 20 and 720 (Wilshire corridor). The nearest Metro Rail stations are Wilshire/Western (Purple Line) and Wilshire/Vermont (Purple Line), each about a 15-minute walk. Limited paid parking is available on-site and in the surrounding Miracle Mile neighbourhood. Rideshare drop-off is available at the front entrance on Wilshire.