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.

Two unforgettable costume gowns

Follow the yellow brick road just a bit farther into the museum, and you’ll come across an eye-catching selection of original costumes, including the dress worn by Mabel Smith in Sidney Lumet’s . The gallery allows you to take in the details and baroque whimsy of the garment the helped earn Tony Walton a Best Costume Design Oscar nomination in 1979. Its intricacies are perhaps only rivaled by its exhibit neighbor: ’s May Queen dress, an instantly recognizable look created with 10,000 silk flowers by designer Andrea Flesch. Sure, there are other costumes to ogle (Taron Egerton’s winged get-up and ’s trusty bathrobe among them), but these two really are the belles of the ball.