The 10 best things we saw at the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures

Laura Dern can take off that hardhat, kick her feet up, and relax because construction is finally complete on the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures, which is set to open its doors in Los Angeles to film fans around the globe on September 30.

An endeavor nearly a century in the making—the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences had plans for the museum dating back to 1929—the space is said to be the largest in North America “devoted to exploring films and film culture.” Indeed, the Academy Museum is massive; designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, the 300,000-square-foot campus is composed of two main buildings, including a spherical theater and rooftop terrace (Piano has jokingly asked that the public not dub it “The Death Star”). The other, seven-story structure houses galleries and rotating exhibits that encompasses the earliest days of movies through to modern-day cinema, with immersive tributes to filmmakers, actors and artists who’ve had an impact on the industry, and the Oscars themselves.

With an invite to a press preview day, The A.V. Club decided to check out the Academy Museum for ourselves, and what we encountered was a robust and thoughtfully curated ode to movie magic filled with props, costumes, film gadgetry, and more—like a much fancier Planet Hollywood, minus the soggy french fries.

For prospective museum-goers and others curious about what the Academy’s been cooking up, we’ve created a guide to 10 of the most notable pieces on display in its inaugural galleries. The museum has plans to cycle in new exhibits regularly, so some—like the tribute to Hayao Miyazaki—are only on display for a limited time. The good news is, that leaves things wide open for plenty of exciting features in the future (including—we hope—an ode to Marisa Tomei’s 1992 “Best Supporting Actress” win for My Cousin Vinny).

For museum general admission ticketing, you can find more information on the Academy Museum website here. A note that, for the time being, ticket reservations are required, but the facility plans to open itself up to walk-up admission in the future. Tickets are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for students, and free for people age 17 and younger. A calendar of additional screenings, events, and programming information can be found here.

The view from the Dolby Family Terrace

Okay, so this is a bit of a cheat, but one of the Academy Museum’s most unmissable sights is actually on top of it: the view from the Dolby Family Terrace. If you watched the 2021 Oscars ceremony, you might remember it as the venue where ., , and others performed their nominated original songs. In person, it offers a pretty stunning panorama of Los Angeles’ sprawl, from the Pacific Ocean to the Hollywood sign, smog and all. For now it’s just a viewing deck, but the museum plans to host dinners, cocktail parties, and other special events there. It’s worth noting you can access the terrace via a chic glass bridge named in honor of EGOT winner Barbra Streisand—hello, gorgeous!