Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Complete Visitor Guide & FAQs

Walk into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and you’re surrounded by Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the Jaws shark mold, and R2-D2 — but the real story behind the exhibits is the institution that created them. Opened in 2021, the 300,000-square-foot complex on Wilshire Boulevard is the largest museum in the United States devoted to the art and science of filmmaking.

Opened: 2021 ·
Total floor space: 300,000 sq ft ·
Floors: 7 across two buildings ·
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The museum’s key details are summarized below.

How long to spend at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures?

Recommended visit duration

A typical visit takes 2–4 hours, depending on how deeply you explore the interactive exhibits and rotating galleries. Timed tickets are required for entry, so you’ll need to pick a specific arrival slot (Academy Museum Visit Page). Visitors under 17 always get free admission (available only at the box office), which makes it easier for families to justify a longer stay (Academy Museum Visit Page).

What to see on each floor

The museum’s seven floors span two connected buildings — the historic Saban Building (once the May Company department store) and a new spherical addition designed by Renzo Piano (Matador Network travel media outlet). Here’s a quick floor-by-floor layout:

• Ground floor (Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby): Free access to the Spielberg Family Gallery and the museum store. Check-in and ticketing here.
• Level 2: Temporary exhibition space (currently Jaws: The Exhibition). Also houses the Oscars Experience, where you can walk the red carpet.
• Level 3: Start of the permanent “Stories of Cinema” exhibition — costume displays, props, and interactive stations.
• Level 7 (Sphere building): Dolby Terrace with panoramic city views and the “Stories of Cinema” gallery continues here.

All ticketed floors are accessible from the central lobby (TripAdvisor visitor reviews platform).

“The largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking.”

— Academy Museum official site (Academy Museum Homepage)

The implication: visitors can tailor their experience based on available time and interests, with timed ticketing ensuring crowd control.

How does one get into the Academy of Motion Pictures?

Membership categories

Membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is by invitation only. There are 17 branches representing different film crafts — actors, directors, writers, producers, animators, and more (Academy Museum Homepage). Each branch has its own eligibility criteria, but the common path requires a proven career in the field and sponsorship by two current members from the same branch.

Sponsorship process

Candidates cannot apply directly. The process follows these steps:

1. An Academy member from the relevant branch proposes the candidate and submits a formal letter of support.
2. The branch’s executive committee reviews the application.
3. If approved, the candidate is presented to the full membership for a vote.

This process typically takes months (Oscars.org (official Academy site)).

Application steps

The Academy issues invitations once a year, usually in the spring. As of 2023, the Academy had 7,258 voting members (Oscars.org official Academy site). While the museum is a separate entity, it is owned and operated by the Academy, so visiting the museum also means supporting the organization behind the Oscars.

The pattern: membership remains an exclusive peer-review process, deliberately closed to self-application.

Who is in the Academy of Motion Pictures?

Current member count

In 2023 the Academy reported 7,258 members worldwide. The largest branches are Actors (over 1,300), Directors (over 600), and Producers (over 500). The organization has made concerted efforts to diversify its membership in recent years, adding more women and international filmmakers (Oscars.org official Academy site).

Diversity initiatives

Since 2016, the Academy has committed to doubling the number of women and underrepresented communities in its membership by 2025. Invitation cycles now actively seek candidates from a broader range of backgrounds (Oscars.org official Academy site).

Notable members

Membership reads like a who’s who of film history: Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Martin Scorsese, Cate Blanchett, and many more. The museum’s “Stories of Cinema” gallery highlights the contributions of many of them through props, costumes, and interviews (Academy Museum Homepage).

How old is the Academy of Motion Pictures?

Founding year and early history

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927 (Academy Museum Homepage). Its founding members included 36 prominent film industry figures such as Louis B. Mayer, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. The organization’s original purpose was to mediate labor disputes and promote the industry’s positive image.

First Academy Awards

The first Oscars ceremony took place on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Only 15 statuettes were awarded, and the ceremony lasted 15 minutes (Oscars.org official Academy site).

Connection to the Academy Museum

After nearly a century, the Academy opened its physical museum in 2021 — a $482 million project that brings its film archive (13 million objects) to the public (TripAdvisor visitor reviews platform). The museum is the first permanent home for the Academy’s collection and serves as a bridge between the organization’s past and its future.

Is the Museum of Moving Images worth it?

Comparison with Academy Museum

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York City focuses on the technology and history of moving images, including early cinema, television, and digital media. It is smaller (about 60,000 square feet) than the Academy Museum but offers deep hands-on exhibits like a working TV studio and interactive animation stations (Museum of the Moving Image official site).

Exhibits at Museum of the Moving Image

MoMI’s permanent collection includes rare artifacts such as an Edison Kinetoscope and a 1930s Moviola. Its special exhibitions often spotlight individual directors or media art. While the Academy Museum leans on Hollywood glamour and Oscar history, MoMI is more focused on the craft behind the camera (Museum of the Moving Image official site).

Travel considerations

If you’re planning a trip to Los Angeles, the Academy Museum is the obvious choice — it’s large, central to film history, and currently showing blockbuster exhibitions like Jaws and Ponyo. For a New York visit, MoMI is a more intimate experience and far less crowded. Both are worth seeing for film enthusiasts, but they serve different tastes: glamour vs. geekery.

What this means: the choice between the two museums depends on whether you want Hollywood glamour or technical craft.

Timeline: Academy Museum & the Academy

• 1927 – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founded (Academy Museum Homepage)
• 1929 – First Academy Awards ceremony (Oscars.org official Academy site)
• 2021 – Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens to the public (TripAdvisor visitor reviews platform)

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Quotes from the museum

“The Academy Museum is the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking.”

— Academy Museum official site (Academy Museum Homepage)

“The museum spans 300,000 square feet across two buildings, seven floors, and features iconic items like Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the Jaws shark mold, and R2-D2.”

— Matador Network travel guide (Matador Network travel media outlet)

The Academy Museum isn’t just a warehouse of movie props — it’s a living archive that connects the glitz of the Oscars to the craft behind them. For a film enthusiast visiting Los Angeles, the choice is clear: block at least half a day, and be sure to check the special exhibition calendar before you book, or you might miss the one thing you came to see.

Frequently asked questions