The Walt Disney Family Museum is an institution honoring Walt Disney, the man who raised animation to an art, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a distinctly American legacy that transformed the entertainment world. Located in the scenic Presidio of San Francisco, the museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that features contemporary, interactive galleries with state-of-the-art exhibits narrated in Walt’s own voice alongside early drawings, cartoons, films, music, a spectacular model of Disneyland, and more. Mariano Desmaras was head exhibit designer at the Rockwell group for the design of the this museum. He lead this effort for a design team without prior exhibit design experience.
Immersive Design Each gallery was designed around a Big Idea. In the Postwar Rebuilding gallery (left) an undulating soffit in the shape of a film strip envelops the visitor in a 3D cinematic experience. 3D video mapping was used to project on the curved surface.
Interior Design Custom designed wall paper and tin ceiling create an interior evocative of the early 20th century.
Designing Surprise Disneyland is designed around curved paths to reveal something new to the visitor as they progress through the park. We employed the same strategy at the museum carefully planning sightlines to unveil the next Wow.
Protecting the Collection Micro-climate cases were used to protect the invaluable collections of artifacts.
Museum Design Each gallery room was an environment on to itself. The style and content were chapters in the incredible life of Walt Disney.
