No flashing cameras. No orchestra swell. Just me, standing inside the very institution that decides who takes home Hollywood’s most coveted prize.
Weeks before millions tune in to watch the Oscars, I step inside the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum in Los Angeles and discover something unexpected. For a few quiet moments, it feels like the Oscar could go to me — or to any of the movie lovers wandering through this remarkable place.
Photos: Will Springer & Steve Geiger
I make an afternoon visit with longtime college friends after brunch at Canter’s Delicatessen, an iconic Jewish deli near CBS Studio City and The Grove.
It’s the perfect place to fuel up with towering pastrami sandwiches, hand-carved corned beef, and pillowy blintzes. From Canter’s, it’s about a 30-minute walk to the museum — just enough time to digest and build anticipation.
The sprawling, multi-story complex occupies an entire city block. Sleek, modern, and architecturally striking, the building feels worthy of the industry it represents. Admission is reasonably priced, making Hollywood history surprisingly accessible.
Escalators ascend to multiple exhibition levels, many thoughtfully themed. A major highlight during my visit is the 50th-anniversary celebration of Jaws, one of my all-time favorite films. The exhibit features iconic characters, including the menacing mechanical shark, Bruce, suspended overhead and looking as fierce as ever. Seeing original props — from Quint’s boat to vintage arcade games — adds an immersive layer of nostalgia. Walking through the exhibit feels like stepping into Amity, the fictional seaside village on Cape Cod.
Photos: Steve Geiger
Another standout moment: the recreation of Don Corleone’s office from The Godfather. The dark wood paneling, the imposing desk — it’s all there. Visitors can even sit behind the desk — an offer I can’t refuse — and channel their inner Marlon Brando. Classic Hollywood at its finest.
Photos: Steve Geiger
Throughout the museum, you can take a deep dive into the art and craft of moviemaking. Interactive displays spotlight the behind-the-scenes specialists who bring stories to life. You explore the precision of sound design and audio effects, discover how film editors shape pacing and narrative tension, and listen to screenwriters explain how characters and scenes evolve from imagination to screenplay. A sweeping costume design gallery showcases wardrobes worn by some of cinema’s most beloved characters. The magic of the movies comes alive before your eyes.
Barbie Movie Set Model Video
For a breathtaking view of the Hollywood Hills and the iconic Hollywood Sign, make your way to the top floor and step onto the Barbra Streisand Bridge — named for the legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand.
Cross the glass-enclosed bridge and enter the museum’s soaring spherical theater, where floor-to-ceiling views reveal Hollywood’s sprawling cityscape. Step outside onto the terrace, and suddenly you’re eye level with the hills, the palm trees, and that famous white-lettered sign.
For a moment, you don’t just feel like a visitor — you feel like a Hollywood mogul on top of the world.
And then, just when you think the experience can’t rise any higher, you come face to face with the industry’s ultimate symbol of achievement.
That golden statuette — the prize filmmakers dream about and audiences celebrate — appears throughout the museum. The symbol of excellence the film industry covets most is closer than you think. In one unforgettable moment, you can even hold a statuette — carefully, it’s heavier than it looks — and deliver your own acceptance speech.
If you love movies, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences offers more than a museum visit. It delivers a chance to step inside Hollywood’s most exclusive circle — if only for an afternoon.
