The Walt Disney Family Museum sits at 104 Montgomery St. on the Presidio's Main Post, facing the Parade Ground. It opened on Oct. 1, 2009. The museum says the building was built in 1897 as an Army barracks. Rotating major exhibitions are in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall at 122 Riley Ave.
A daughter's project
Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter, founded the museum with her son Walt E. Disney Miller. He has said it was the culmination of more than a decade of her efforts to honor her father. She was often urged to write a book but decided a museum would tell his story best. She considered sites including Los Angeles's Griffith Park and chose the Presidio after learning some of its old buildings were available for lease.
The museum is a nonprofit and isn't formally affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. It has often worked with company units such as the Walt Disney Archives and Walt Disney Imagineering to borrow items or make authorized reproductions.
What's inside
- Ten permanent galleries that start with Disney's ancestral history and end with his death on Dec. 15, 1966.
- The lobby holds 248 awards Disney won, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the honorary Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: one full-size statuette and seven miniatures.
- A 12-foot-diameter model of Disneyland.
- Pieces from Walt's backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad, including his Lilly Belle locomotive.
- A Fantasia-inspired digital theater on the lower level that screens Disney films daily.
Visiting
The museum has a cafe with grab-and-go snacks and a store with Disney-themed gifts, books and pins. Check its website for current hours and ticket prices. The Presidio is reachable by car, bus or bicycle. Nearby: Halloween at the Palace of Fine Arts.