I recently had the opportunity to visit San Francisco for a work related conference. I had arrived the day before the conference and was more than happy to explore the city. One of my stops was the Walt Disney Family Museum. The museum was founded by Walt’s late daughter, Diane Disney Miller, and contains both professional and personal artifacts.
The museum is located in the historic Presidio area of San Francisco, part of the beautiful Golden Gate National Recreation Area, in former Army barracks.
Cost:
Adults: $25
Seniors: $20
Youth (6-17): $15
Children (5 and under): FREE
Website: https://waltdisney.org
The first thing you notice when entering the impressive lobby is the display of Walt Disney’s numerous awards (248 in this exhibit).
Inside the 40,000 square foot space are Walt Disney’s life achievements in the form of drawings, animations, movies, music, listening stations and a 12-foot diameter model of Disneyland.
One of my favorite pieces was the earliest known drawing of Mickey Mouse. It really illustrates Walt’s famous quote “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-That is was all started with a mouse.”
The wall of drawings for the animated picture “Steamboat Willie” was very interesting. Looking at each individual image, you could see each little movement the characters in the film were making.
Amazing view from back window of museum.
After a long tour through the Walt Disney Family Museum, you will definitely be ready for a good meal and adult beverage. As luck would have it, I happen to visit during the “Presidio Picnic”; a picnic that features a rotating lineup of 25 international food trucks. This festival runs most Sundays, March through October. (check here for specific dates)
The food trucks lined up all around The Presidio are worth the wait!
Enjoy the view from The Presidio while eating delicious food.
If you are ever in or around San Francisco, the museum is definitely worth your time. Allow yourself at least 3 hours, ideally more to take it all in. There is a cafe as well as well as a gift shop. In addition, there are special exhibits that change on occasion, so there is always something new to explore. It is a delight for a true Disney fan, but be forewarned about bringing younger children. They are obviously welcome, but it is not a “Disneyland” experience. Older children, especially those interested in Disney history would probably enjoy.