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.

Join us for a hands-on droid construction workshop in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.

Join Academy member Terilyn A. Shropshire in Jaws: The Exhibition, where she will discuss the art of film editing.

Explore the pre-production of the 1975 film Jaws and how a young Steven Spielberg and a determined production team planned and produced a film whose legacy still stands 50 years later. Learn more about the adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel, Joe Alves’s location scouting, and the producers behind the film with Assistant Curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez. 

About Curator’s View Tours

On select days, explore the Academy Museum with a curatorial team member and dive into the intentions and processes behind select galleries. Each tour will highlight curators’ perspectives while celebrating featured films and filmmakers.

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

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.

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.

Join us for a teen workshop on acting in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.

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

Go under the surface with sound mixer Peter Devlin for a chat about the audio elements of Jaws. 

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.

Join the Academy Museum for a conversation with production designer Kendal Cronkhite, moderated by Academy Governor and animator Jinko Gotoh.

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.

Mingle with your fellow movie buffs and show off your knowledge of comedies, rom-coms, and dramas. For museum members only.

Go under the surface with sound mixer Peter Devlin for a chat about the audio elements of Jaws. 

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 the Academy Museum for a conversation with production designer Kendal Cronkhite, moderated by Academy Governor and animator Jinko Gotoh.

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 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.

Join Academy member Terilyn A. Shropshire in Jaws: The Exhibition, where she will discuss the art of film editing.

Explore the pre-production of the 1975 film Jaws and how a young Steven Spielberg and a determined production team planned and produced a film whose legacy still stands 50 years later. Learn more about the adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel, Joe Alves’s location scouting, and the producers behind the film with Assistant Curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez. 

About Curator’s View Tours

On select days, explore the Academy Museum with a curatorial team member and dive into the intentions and processes behind select galleries. Each tour will highlight curators’ perspectives while celebrating featured films and filmmakers.

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 our accessible screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

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 us for a teen workshop on acting in the Shirley Temple Education Studio.

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.

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

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

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

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.