Academy Museum of Motion Pictures: Everything to Know Before You Visit

There's no better time to visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Whether you’re viewing groundbreaking exhibitions and attending diverse film screenings, or even enjoying a stunning bar and cafe, a day at the Academy Museum is a must for any movie lover. Museum hours are Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.

If you're looking for more perks, click here to become an Academy Museum member and receive exciting benefits including complimentary general admission for one year, members-only expedited check-in, invitations to members-only events and film screenings, discounts at the Academy Museum Store, and more.

Advanced Reservations

Timed admission tickets to the Academy Museum are on sale. Advance reservations must be made online and a ticket will be required to visit the Academy Museum’s exhibitions. The public may also visit the Academy Museum Store and Fanny’s restaurant and Café.

Exhibitions

There are multiple ongoing exhibitions currently on view at the Academy Museum. Stories of Cinema is a three-floor exhibition presenting the diverse, international and complex stories of moviemakers, the works they create, and the impact their art has on the world. Additional ongoing exhibitions are The Path to Cinema: Highlights from the Richard Balzer Collection and Backdrop: An Invisible Art.

Another exciting exhibition is Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971. A first of its kind, the exhibition explores the visual culture of Black cinema, from its early days to just after the Civil Rights Movement.

MORE: Everything to Know About the Academy Museum Exhibition 'Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 - 1971'

Photo by Joshua White, JW Pictures/ © Academy Museum Foundation

Programs

The Academy Museum offers the public a robust schedule of screenings, discussions, and programs for film lovers of all ages in the museum’s state-of-the-art David Geffen Theater and Ted Mann Theater. In addition to ongoing series such as Family Matinees, Oscar® Sundays, Available Space, and Branch Selects, the museum also features limited series and spotlight screenings that explore specific exhibitions, film artists, genres, and more.

The museum also features ongoing education and family programs, including youth programs, family studio activities, family matinee screenings, and school tours. These activities will take place through the museum in exhibition galleries, theaters, and the Shirley Temple Education Studio. Accommodative tours for our hard of hearing and deaf communities, and low vision and blind communities, will be offered monthly as well as accommodative family film screenings for neurodivergent viewers.

Guidelines

COVID-19 Policy: Face masks are required for all visitors ages 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status. Masks must be worn at all times in the museum’s public spaces, including galleries, theaters, restrooms, and the Academy Museum Store. Masks must cover the nose and mouth completely, and must not have any exhalation valves, vents, or holes of any kind. For more Health and Safety protocols please click here. Masks are not required while dining at Fanny’s Restaurant and Café.

Cameras and Photography: Visitor photography for personal, non-commercial use is allowed inside the Academy Museum during public hours, except in galleries where indicated. Please note that audio and video recording and photography is prohibited in the theaters. Feel free to share your photos with us on social media @academymuseum and #AcademyMuseum!

Food and Drinks: No food or drinks are allowed in the museum galleries or theaters. Please keep your mask on at all times.

Backpacks, Bags, and Large Items: In order to help ensure a safe and less crowded environment, we encourage visitors to leave large bags at home whenever possible.

Please note that backpacks of any size may not be worn on the back; they must be carried by hand, worn on the front of the body at all times.

Wheeled Mobility Devices: Manual and electric wheelchairs and manual strollers can be used in all galleries. Manual wheelchairs are available to rent at no charge. Please visit the Winkler Welcome Center in the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby to request a wheelchair.

Electric personal mobility devices (EPMDs), such as Segways and mobility scooters used because of a disability, must be driven on the lowest speed (at a pace similar to walking). EPMDs may not be used for any other reason than to assist with a mobility disability.

Other wheeled mobility devices such as bicycles, skateboards, scooters, inline/roller skates, or hoverboards are not permitted in the museum.

For a full list of policies and procedures, click here.

Academy Museum Store

The Academy Museum Store features merchandise designed and produced by Academy Members, artists based across California, Los Angeles-based artists specifically, designers, and creatives. Shoppers can find Oscars® memorabilia, clothing, furniture, accessories, vinyl records, items for the office and for the home, posters, maps, illustrations, toys, games, and other movie-related collectibles. The Academy Museum Store also offers one of the most comprehensive collections of cinema books and catalogues in Los Angeles.

Fanny's Restaurant and Café

Fanny’s is the museum’s restaurant and café, and is named after Fanny Brice – the legendary movie, vaudeville, theater, and radio star portrayed by Barbra Streisand in her Oscar®-winning role in 1968's Funny Girl. The striking two-story, 10,000-square-foot space was conceptualized by the late architect Osvaldo Maiozzi, and features a chef-designed open kitchen, elegant bar, and captain-based service style that nods to a bygone era. The cuisine and cocktails are by Chef Raphael Francois and Julian Cox, respectively.

Fanny's cafe and bar is open Sunday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meanwhile, Fanny's restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information about Fanny's menu and operating hours, please click here.

Click here to join the Academy Museum's newsletter to discover complete stories and experience history from the largest institution in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking.

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