New Museum Celebrating Walt Disney Opening in San Francisco

Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and his grandson Walter E.D. Miller have co-founded a new museum dedicated to teaching the public about the man behind the now-ubiquitous brand name. Scheduled to open on October 1, The Walt Disney Family Museum will be housed in three redesigned and upgraded buildings in the Presidio in San Francisco.

The museum will be comprised of 10 galleries that explore Disney's humble beginnings on a Missouri farm and continue through his success with his revolutionary animation studio in Burbank, California.  The galleries will include numerous personal items including the Academy Award for Snow White (which actually consists of one normal Oscar and seven dwarf-size Oscar statues), listening stations, more than 200 video monitors and interactive displays.

One stand-out part of the museum is born of Disney's love of trains.  When walking down a spiral ramp, visitors will see a train track suspended from the roof that supports the "Lilly Belle," the 1/8 scale-model train that used to run around Disney's home.

While the Walt Disney Co. is collaborating with the Disney family, the museum is an independent project funded by the Walt Disney Family Foundation. The museum is neither owned or run by the Walt Disney Co. [San Francisco Chronicle][The Walt Disney Family Museum]