San Francisco Walt Disney Family Museum: A Must See For Every Disney Fan! #MonstersUEvent

I attended an all-expense paid press trip courtesy of Pixar/Disney. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Every Disney fan needs to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum located in the Presidio of San Francisco. I toured the museum for the first time in April with my Monsters University classmates. The two building museum is privately owned by Walt’s family and pays homage to the legendary man behind the magic of Disney.

Ten wonderful exhibits showcase the beginning days of Walt Disney and his family  through his passing in 1966.  Did you know that Walt was born in Chicago and between 1906 and 1917 lived in Missouri? The Disney family eventually moved back to Chicago where he took classes at the Art Institute. He moved to California when he was 21 and only had $40 to his name. $40 wouldn’t get you very far these days! The exhibits are beautifully curated as each gallery chronicles Walt’s life displaying his early drawings, original Disney artwork as well as highlighting the early features created by Walt Disney Studio. Visitors will revel over the mini Disneyland model in the 1950s & 1960s gallery. I spent a generous amount of time admiring the display and yearning for a visit to Its A Small World. I have to admit that I teared up in the Remembering Walt Disney gallery. Walt passed on December 15, 1966. He was 65. Walt Disney has made so many happy with his dreams, creativity and imagination.  He is  the pioneer of animation and continues to inspire people of all ages.

Photography (no flash please!) was not allowed until recently and I am grateful that the museum changed their rule! I’d like to share the rest of my experience through the pictures I took that day especially for those who might not have a chance to visit the museum.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The admission is $20 and the museum offers dining at  The Museum Cafè and a gift shop with really cool items. The upcoming Camille Rose Garcia: Down the Rabbit Hole exhibit sounds fantastic! It runs through May 9 – Nov. 3. Visit http://www.waltdisney.org for more information.