Hollywood began handing out Oscars nearly a century ago, but not until 2021 was there a museum to celebrate all facets of the movie industry, including famous props and costumes. From technical wizardry to the Wizard of Oz, take a trip with us to Los Angeles for the best things to see at the Academy Museum.

If you have taken a movie studio tour, such as Warner Bros., you know the emphasis is on sound stages and backlots. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures takes a closer, more intimate look at the movies. Whether you fancy costumes that are fancy, technical explanations from the technicians, or accepting your own Oscar, there is something for fans of all ages.

Check out the Academy Museum website for the current details on parking, admission, the layout of all 5 floors, and special limited-time exhibitions. Don’t trust other sites for that important information.

What you will receive here is a quick guide to help you decide if you should go and what not to miss if you want to experience the highlights in a couple of hours. Complete with visuals, think of this article as the trailer to the movie. Hopefully, it will encourage you to see it!

With that said, here are the best things to see at the Academy Museum:

The ruby slippers and other Oz favorites

Head to the “Stories of Cinema” upon your arrival, and you will be greeted by some amazing memorabilia. Here are the one and only red shoes that were used in close-ups for Dorothy’s heel clicks, plus her gingham dresses. The gallery for the Wizard of Oz has delights that surround you, such as the mane worn by Burt Lahr’s Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man’s oil can. According to the actor, Jack Haley, the oil squirted at him by his costars was actually chocolate syrup.

Mount Rushmore backdrop

Of course, Hollywood saves money by creating famous scenes instead of transporting actors and crew to the actual location. Still, their work is impressive. This massive, two-story painting will allow you to pretend you are Cary Grant or Eva Marie Saint in Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.

Hall of costumes

Choose your favorite. It might be the 10,000-flower May Queen gown from Midsommar. Equally unforgettable is the devil costume from Elton John’s Rocketman. With 140,000 hand-sewn crystals, that outfit was designed to represent his bad-boy era. There is also Okoye’s elaborate costume from Black Panther. Not everything memorable is a spectacle – also on display is the Dude’s robe from The Big Lebowski and Emma Stone’s yellow dress from La La Land.

E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial

I can remember seeing lines in Westwood wrapped around the block as theatre-goers waited to see Steven Spielberg’s creation. Now, decades later, E.T. still inspires awe and wonder. It’s really him! PS. I’m still mad Gandhi beat him out for best picture.

R2-D2 and C-3PO

These are the droids you are looking for, right up close and personal. I challenge you not to take a photo with at least one of these George Lucas creations.

Edward Scissorhands

Fans of this Johnny Depp movie will enjoy viewing this display and wonder how he managed to act with this contraption. Tip: All these creations, from E.T. to the amphibian from The Shape of Water, are housed on the third floor at the end. I suggest you get to the museum early and head down the hall to enter there. In doing so, we have the room to ourselves (well, share it with these guys) to shoot pictures and videos.

Animator’s notes

A motion picture museum wouldn’t be complete without a section devoted to animation. There is nothing extraordinary, but it is interesting to see their work, from pencil drawings to storyboards to clay models. The desk from Frank Thomas, one of Walt Disney’s “nine old men” of animation, completes the experience.

Bruce, the shark from Jaws

Supposedly, only one shark model remains from the movie, and here it is, teeth intact. You can’t miss it. Suspending it above the third-floor escalators was a clever idea. Try filming it as you come down from the fourth floor.

Special exhibitions

The first year at the Academy Museum features the incomparable work of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. The entire fourth floor is devoted to special exhibitions, and Miyazaki is a fitting way to commence this feature. Known for his hand-drawn characters and painted canvas, the exhibition brings alive once more the world of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, and more. Much of the work has never been seen outside of Studio Ghibli in Japan.

The Oscars Experience

Everything up to this point is included in a reasonable admission price. The Oscars Experience is an option for an additional fee. I include it here because it is unique. You are ushered into a private room, through the curtain onto a small stage. With the magic of Hollywood, you are transported to the Dolby Theatre where you, as the winner, can lift up that real statuette. The whole multi-cam event is filmed, and you get the short video emailed to you minutes later.

It’s fun, but hopefully will be augmented in the future. For one thing, you can’t give a speech – no audio from you, the winner (sorry, I can’t thank you, Mom). You are on stage for nearly a minute, but the actual recording is only 15 seconds long! These are easy fixes. So, is it worth the extra fee? Maybe. I think they should raise the price of admission and include this experience as part of the package. Everybody is a winner.

Tip: Tell the attendant you want to shoot your own video, and they will escort someone in your party to a spot to video the full three-camera experience (see my YouTube video above).

Dolby Family Terrace

Don’t go looking for a house-elf here – that would be Dobby! This area, reached by a see-through bridge on the fifth floor, is where you will probably end your tour. Here you will walk under a stunning glass dome to gaze out at Los Angeles. On a clear day, it is fitting that you are treated to a picturesque view of the Hollywood sign off in the distance.

But isn’t there a lot more?

I won’t be shocked if you visit the museum and say, “Stephen, how could your list not include a whole room of Spike Lee stuff, including a guitar from Prince?” Or maybe the collection of screen tests and scripts with handwritten notes, like Citizen Kane (not to mention ‘rosebud’). Or a room full of real Oscars and the story behind each. How about screenings in the 1,000-seat David Geffen theater?

The point is, there is much to be viewed in a short period of time. Sort of like watching a movie that came from a book. Be your own critic. Make your own list of best things to see. Just visit. You should give it a thumbs up.

Want to visit another unique museum in Los Angeles? Check out my article on the Broad Museum. Torn between Disneyland and Universal Studios? I help you decide which one to attend.

Do you have any questions? Do you have your own Academy list or suggestions to help others? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post.