Learning & Education

On the last Friday of every month, a Visual Description Tour within the museum’s Stories of Cinema exhibition, or additional galleries, will be offered at 2pm to align with our ongoing Stories of Cinema Drop-In Tours, which are offered every Friday from 1pm to 3pm.  

An educator will provide a verbal overview for visitors who are blind or low vision. Visual Description is a way of using words to represent the visual world, of helping people form mental images of what they cannot see. All are welcome to join this gallery conversation. 

American Sign Language (ASL) tours are always offered on the same day as our monthly Calm Morning program and accommodative Family Matinee film screening. Stories of Cinema galleries will be featured on tours at noon. Join a museum educator and ASL interpreter to experience cinema’s wide-ranging contributions to the world.

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by our accessible screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by the new Studio Ghibli’s PONYO exhibition.

Filmmaker Stephen Scarlata (Sharksploitation, 2023) and producer Paul Bales (Sharknado film series, 2013–2018) reveal how the success of Jaws (1975) spawned a new cinema feeding frenzy.

Casting director and Academy member Richard Hicks reveals how casting is key to creating an authentic onscreen atmosphere, using Jaws: The Exhibition as a backdrop.

Join us for a stop-motion animation workshop inspired by the film Ponyo in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.

Join museum educators as they highlight Studio Ghibli's PONYO exhibition for visitors of all ages.

You don't even need to reserve a ticket. Simply show up and let us welcome you.

Join us for a special edition of our Tactile Filmmaking Workshop in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Experience our Oscars-themed galleries with Vice President of Curatorial Affairs Doris Berger. Join Berger in examining the glamorous and sometimes complicated stories of the Academy Awards. Enjoy a deep dive into a unique collection of significant Oscars; see our illustrated timeline of awards history; and take in an iconic lineup of speeches and fashions. 

About Curator’s View Tours

On select days, explore the Academy Museum with a curatorial team member and dive behind the scenes of our exhibitions. Don’t miss these rare chances to hear our curators’ perspectives on featured films, filmmakers and other key contributors to the arts and sciences of cinema.  

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

Teens are invited to join our educators for a workshop on the art of cinematography.

Filmmaker Stephen Scarlata (Sharksploitation, 2023) and producer Paul Bales (Sharknado film series, 2013–2018) reveal how the success of Jaws (1975) spawned a new cinema feeding frenzy.

In person: director Regina King. writer/producer Kemp Powers, and moderator Ellen C. Scott

Composer, lyricist, and music producer Marc Shaiman will sign copies of his book, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, followed by a lively conversation between him and the iconic Bette Midler.

The two will cap off this unforgettable evening with a screening of The First Wives Club—a comedy that showcases both of their talents to maximum effect, and a bona fide box office smash when it premiered in 1996.

The First Wives Club (1996)

Elise, Brenda, and Annie (a powerhouse assemblage of Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton), are three former college roommates who find their marriages in shambles by their mid-40s. Ultimately empowering each other and restoring their dignity—after making brutal jabs at each other—this indelible trifecta serves as a restorative balm for scorned women everywhere. Buoyed by an Oscar-nominated score by Marc Shaiman, Midler captivates as the witty Brenda and offers her Tony-winning pipes for a cult-favorite rendition of Leslie Gore’s doo-wop hit “You Don’t Own Me.”

About our guests

Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park; on television with SNL, and on his recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist, Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theater sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal.

As one of the world’s best-loved and most versatile entertainers, Bette Midler has garnered accolades across all facets of show business. The Divine Miss M’s expansive body of work has been recognized with four Grammy Awards, two Academy Award nominations, three Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and nine American Comedy Awards. In December 2021, Midler was inducted as part of the 44th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. One of the bestselling female singers, her albums have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

On screen, some of her iconic films include The Rose, Beaches, two Hocus Pocus films, The First Wives Club, and The Stepford Wives, amongst others. On Broadway, she starred in one of the most celebrated musicals in theater history as “Dolly Gallagher Levin” in Hello Dolly! for which she won a Tony.

Midler founded the New York Restoration Project in 1995, an open space conservancy and New York City’s largest private land trust. NYRP is dedicated to protecting and preserving community gardens and other green spaces throughout all five boroughs. NYRP owns and manages 52 community gardens, maintains over 80 acres of parkland, and in collaboration with the New York City Parks Department, has planted over 1 million trees in New York City.

Peek behind the curtain of animated worlds with production designer Kendal Cronkhite, including her work as an art director on films such as James and the Giant Peach (1996) and her continued work on DreamWorks films like Trolls World Tour (2020).

Join us in conversation with Women in Film Deputy Director Maikiko James and Alliance of Women Directors board member and Events Director Sacha Smith as they reflect on the history of women nominees and winners at the Oscars. The wide-ranging talk covers the significance of women being recognized in male-dominated categories; milestone moments for women at the ceremony; what changes need to be made as the Academy approaches its 100th Oscars ceremony; and more.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the Stories of Cinema: Oscars gallery before or after the program.

Academy Museum invites you to celebrate the achievements of diverse communities at the Academy Awards. 

Join us for a conversation with this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film category. 

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Short Film category with screenings and a special showcase.

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Documentary Short Film category. 

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Live Action Short Film category.

Celebrate this year's nominees in the Best Picture category alongside their producers.

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the International Feature Film category. 

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Makeup and Hairstyling category. 

Without careful preservation, many precious and enlightening objects from the film industry would be lost to time. Across all 19 of our branches, ranging from acting to writing to artist representation, the Academy strives to preserve and document rare photographs, one-of-a-kind objects, iconic costumes, props and more. Join us as we share the Academy's efforts to preserve and nurture the legacy of film history.

About Gallery Spotlights

Gallery Spotlights feature special guests who bring fresh insights to our exhibitions. Join us for revealing monthly conversations connecting the objects in our galleries to the art and history of moviemaking.

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

Spend your evenings with us at the Academy Museum. Visit after 4:30pm and get a discount on museum admission for the last 90 minutes.

Filmmaker Stephen Scarlata (Sharksploitation, 2023) and producer Paul Bales (Sharknado film series, 2013–2018) reveal how the success of Jaws (1975) spawned a new cinema feeding frenzy.

In person: director Regina King. writer/producer Kemp Powers, and moderator Ellen C. Scott

Join us for Member Appreciation Days on the first Sunday of every month from 5:30–8pm.

Leading Hollywood costume historian and archivist Larry McQueen and co-author Coleen Scott sign copies of their book celebrating some of the most memorable looks in cinema.

Members get an exclusive preview of Studio Ghibli's PONYO on Friday, February 13 from 11am to 6pm.

Peek behind the curtain of animated worlds with production designer Kendal Cronkhite, including her work as an art director on films such as James and the Giant Peach (1996) and her continued work on DreamWorks films like Trolls World Tour (2020).

You don't even need to reserve a ticket. Simply show up and let us welcome you.

Join us in conversation with Women in Film Deputy Director Maikiko James and Alliance of Women Directors board member and Events Director Sacha Smith as they reflect on the history of women nominees and winners at the Oscars. The wide-ranging talk covers the significance of women being recognized in male-dominated categories; milestone moments for women at the ceremony; what changes need to be made as the Academy approaches its 100th Oscars ceremony; and more.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the Stories of Cinema: Oscars gallery before or after the program.

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Short Film category with screenings and a special showcase.

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Documentary Short Film category. 

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Live Action Short Film category.

Celebrate this year's nominees in the Best Picture category alongside their producers.

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the International Feature Film category. 

Join us in celebrating this year’s nominees in the Makeup and Hairstyling category. 

Join us on Sunday, March 15 from 3-8pm for the Official Oscars® Watch Party at the Academy Museum celebrating the 98th Academy Awards.

Schedule

3pm | Doors open 

3–4pm | Welcome reception

3–7pm | Photo opportunities on the Walt Disney Company Piazza

4–7:30pm | The Oscars® Live on ABC

Dress code

Creative cocktail attire is encouraged.

Tickets

Museum member and Academy member: $100

Non-member: $125

Note: This event is open to all ages. IDs are required for alcohol purchase and consumption.

Fanny’s Restaurant: $255 (additional information below)

Food and beverage

• Light hors d'oeuvres (included with GA ticket) | 3–4:30 pm

• Wine from Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon, the official wines of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (two drink tickets included with admission) | 3–7pm

• Additional snacks and beverages available for purchase | 3–8pm

Reservations at Fanny’s Restaurant must be booked separately (please see link below).

Additional details

• Your ticket includes access to the Walt Disney Company Piazza, Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby and David Geffen Theater featuring the live Oscars telecast on ABC.

• The book Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, documenting Renzo Piano's remarkable vision for the museum and including never-before-seen images, is included with your ticket (available at departures, while supplies last, one per ticket holder).

• Seating note: This ticket does not include reserved seating. Seat saving and standing in theaters is not permitted.

• Academy Museum Store access (3–8pm) is included with your ticket.

• Our coat check is located in the Ted Mann Lobby located on the Lower Level of the museum. Bags smaller than 16” x 16” are permitted within the museum and must be carried by hand or checked. Guests are kindly asked to leave large bags and backpacks at home.

• Parking information will be available the week of the event.

Questions? Please email oscarswatchparty@oscars.org or consult our FAQ. Accessibility accommodations are available.

Dinner reservations at Fanny's restaurant

You may also celebrate the Oscars with a separate, Governors Ball-inspired dinner at Fanny's, the Academy Museum restaurant.

• The $255 ticket includes a welcome glass of bubbles, passed hors d'oeuvres during the red carpet, and access to curated savory and dessert stations throughout the broadcast—all inspired by the elevated hospitality of the Governors Ball.

• Oscar-themed cocktails will be available for purchase at the bar to toast the night's winners.

• A reservation is required. Book your table in advance, as capacity is limited.

Oscars® Season at the Academy Museum

Join Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in celebrating the 98th Oscars®. Hear from the nominees themselves in our state-of-the-art theaters and immerse yourself in Academy Awards history through rich and expansive one-of-a-kind events, activities, showcases and more.

Our 2026 Oscars Season programming runs through March 22 and has something for everyone, from family-friendly workshops to insightful tours.

Catch screenings of Oscar-nominated short films and attend Oscar Nominee Spotlights with filmmakers under consideration in the Makeup and Hairstyling, Animated Feature Film, Animated Short Film, Documentary Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Best Picture, and International Feature Film categories. And be sure to join us to celebrate the winners during the Official Oscars® Watch Party on Sunday, March 15, 2025.

Without careful preservation, many precious and enlightening objects from the film industry would be lost to time. Across all 19 of our branches, ranging from acting to writing to artist representation, the Academy strives to preserve and document rare photographs, one-of-a-kind objects, iconic costumes, props and more. Join us as we share the Academy's efforts to preserve and nurture the legacy of film history.

About Gallery Spotlights

Gallery Spotlights feature special guests who bring fresh insights to our exhibitions. Join us for revealing monthly conversations connecting the objects in our galleries to the art and history of moviemaking.

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

On the last Friday of every month, a Visual Description Tour within the museum’s Stories of Cinema exhibition, or additional galleries, will be offered at 2pm to align with our ongoing Stories of Cinema Drop-In Tours, which are offered every Friday from 1pm to 3pm.  

An educator will provide a verbal overview for visitors who are blind or low vision. Visual Description is a way of using words to represent the visual world, of helping people form mental images of what they cannot see. All are welcome to join this gallery conversation. 

American Sign Language (ASL) tours are always offered on the same day as our monthly Calm Morning program and accommodative Family Matinee film screening. Stories of Cinema galleries will be featured on tours at noon. Join a museum educator and ASL interpreter to experience cinema’s wide-ranging contributions to the world.

Join educators as they highlight the Barbie to Anna Karenina exhibition.  

Join museum educators Thursdays through Sundays for 30-minute guided tours of the Jaws: The Exhibition.

Join museum educators on the first Saturday of the month for a 30-minute guided Spanish-language tour of the Jaws: The Exhibition.

Filmmaker Stephen Scarlata (Sharksploitation, 2023) and producer Paul Bales (Sharknado film series, 2013–2018) reveal how the success of Jaws (1975) spawned a new cinema feeding frenzy.

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by our accessible screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

Join museum educators as they highlight Afrofuturistic elements in the exhibition Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema.

Casting director and Academy member Richard Hicks reveals how casting is key to creating an authentic onscreen atmosphere, using Jaws: The Exhibition as a backdrop.

Join museum educators as they highlight Studio Ghibli's PONYO exhibition for visitors of all ages.

Join educators as they highlight the Academy Awards History gallery.   

Experience our Oscars-themed galleries with Vice President of Curatorial Affairs Doris Berger. Join Berger in examining the glamorous and sometimes complicated stories of the Academy Awards. Enjoy a deep dive into a unique collection of significant Oscars; see our illustrated timeline of awards history; and take in an iconic lineup of speeches and fashions. 

About Curator’s View Tours

On select days, explore the Academy Museum with a curatorial team member and dive behind the scenes of our exhibitions. Don’t miss these rare chances to hear our curators’ perspectives on featured films, filmmakers and other key contributors to the arts and sciences of cinema.  

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by the new Studio Ghibli’s PONYO exhibition.

 Join our museum educators as they highlight the best of the Academy Awards History gallery.   

Without careful preservation, many precious and enlightening objects from the film industry would be lost to time. Across all 19 of our branches, ranging from acting to writing to artist representation, the Academy strives to preserve and document rare photographs, one-of-a-kind objects, iconic costumes, props and more. Join us as we share the Academy's efforts to preserve and nurture the legacy of film history.

About Gallery Spotlights

Gallery Spotlights feature special guests who bring fresh insights to our exhibitions. Join us for revealing monthly conversations connecting the objects in our galleries to the art and history of moviemaking.

If you have any questions or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.

Join us for a professional development workshop for high school educators on how to teach about the Holocaust.

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by our accessible screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

Learn about the art of dialogue editing. Then see it in practice during a screening of The Towering Inferno.

Join us for a stop-motion animation workshop inspired by the film Ponyo in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.

Learn about the art of sound effects editing. Then listen to what great editing sounds like during a screening of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Learn about the art of sound effects editing. Then hear it in practice during a screening of The Hunt for Red October.

Teens are invited to join our educators for a workshop on the art of cinematography.

Join us for a special edition of our Tactile Filmmaking Workshop in honor of Valentine’s Day.

We’ll prepare to listen deeply to Sound of Metal by learning just how inventive sound recording and remixing can be.

Join us for sensory-friendly gallery exploration and a family workshop inspired by the new Studio Ghibli’s PONYO exhibition.

Leading Hollywood costume historian and archivist Larry McQueen and co-author Coleen Scott sign copies of their book celebrating some of the most memorable looks in cinema.

Composer, lyricist, and music producer Marc Shaiman will sign copies of his book, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, followed by a lively conversation between him and the iconic Bette Midler.

The two will cap off this unforgettable evening with a screening of The First Wives Club—a comedy that showcases both of their talents to maximum effect, and a bona fide box office smash when it premiered in 1996.

The First Wives Club (1996)

Elise, Brenda, and Annie (a powerhouse assemblage of Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton), are three former college roommates who find their marriages in shambles by their mid-40s. Ultimately empowering each other and restoring their dignity—after making brutal jabs at each other—this indelible trifecta serves as a restorative balm for scorned women everywhere. Buoyed by an Oscar-nominated score by Marc Shaiman, Midler captivates as the witty Brenda and offers her Tony-winning pipes for a cult-favorite rendition of Leslie Gore’s doo-wop hit “You Don’t Own Me.”

About our guests

Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park; on television with SNL, and on his recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist, Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theater sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal.

As one of the world’s best-loved and most versatile entertainers, Bette Midler has garnered accolades across all facets of show business. The Divine Miss M’s expansive body of work has been recognized with four Grammy Awards, two Academy Award nominations, three Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and nine American Comedy Awards. In December 2021, Midler was inducted as part of the 44th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. One of the bestselling female singers, her albums have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

On screen, some of her iconic films include The Rose, Beaches, two Hocus Pocus films, The First Wives Club, and The Stepford Wives, amongst others. On Broadway, she starred in one of the most celebrated musicals in theater history as “Dolly Gallagher Levin” in Hello Dolly! for which she won a Tony.

Midler founded the New York Restoration Project in 1995, an open space conservancy and New York City’s largest private land trust. NYRP is dedicated to protecting and preserving community gardens and other green spaces throughout all five boroughs. NYRP owns and manages 52 community gardens, maintains over 80 acres of parkland, and in collaboration with the New York City Parks Department, has planted over 1 million trees in New York City.