Walt Disney Family Museum facts for kids
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Walt Disney Family Museum by Joy of Museums
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| Established | October 1, 2009 |
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| Location | Presidio of San Francisco |
| Architect | Page & Turnbull, Inc. |
The Walt Disney Family Museum (often called WDFM) is a special place in the United States. It teaches visitors all about the life and amazing work of Walt Disney. You can find this museum in the Presidio of San Francisco, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, California.
The museum opened its doors on October 1, 2009. It was created by fixing up and adding to three old buildings in the Presidio. The main building is at 104 Montgomery Street. Other offices and places for special art shows are in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is a non-profit organization. This means it's not trying to make money. It was started by Walt Disney's family, especially his daughter, Diane Disney Miller. She wanted to honor her father's memory.
Even though it's about Walt Disney, this museum is completely separate from The Walt Disney Company. However, the museum often works with the company. They borrow items or make copies of things to show in the museum. This includes items from the Walt Disney Archives and the Animation Research Library.
Contents
How the Museum Started
A Daughter's Dream
The idea for the museum came from Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller. Her son, Walter E.D. Miller, shared that his mom worked for over ten years to honor her father. She helped create a documentary film called Walt: The Man Behind the Myth in 2001. She also helped with the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Many people told Diane to write a book about her father. But she decided that an interactive museum would be the best way to tell his story. She looked at different places for the museum. She chose the Presidio because some of its old buildings were available.
What You Can See at the Museum
Exploring Walt's World
The main museum building is very large, about 40,000 square feet. It uses new technology and old items to show Walt Disney's achievements. You can explore interactive galleries. These galleries show his early drawings and animations. They also feature movies, music, and listening stations. There is even a huge 12-foot model of Disneyland.
Awards and Honors
In the museum's lobby, you can see 248 awards that Walt Disney won. These include the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also won many Academy Awards, also known as Oscars. One special Oscar award was for the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It has one regular-sized Oscar and seven tiny ones. These small Oscars represent the Seven Dwarfs.
Movies and Trains
The museum has a modern digital theater on its lower level. It is inspired by the movie Fantasia. This theater shows Disney films every day.
There are ten main galleries in the museum. They start by showing Walt Disney's family history. They end with the story of his passing on December 15, 1966.
You can also see parts of Walt Disney's miniature train set. He built this train, called the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, in his own backyard. His favorite train, the Lilly Belle locomotive, is on display at the museum.
See also
- Rail transport in Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
- Walt Disney Hometown Museum
