Since 2009 the Walt Disney Family Museum has been in residence among the old brick barracks in the city's Presidio.Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt and a founder of the museum, lives in Northern California and liked the idea of a museum up there.
The Disney Family Museum sets out to chronicle the life and achievements of Walt Disney. It doesn't present a history of the corporation or provide a Disney-style place of entertainment. In fact, gocalifornia.about.com says that the museum is entirely separate from the company that bears the Disney logo.
The Disney Family Museum is not a "Disney" museum full of cartoons and rides. Instead, it tells the story of a man who was first and foremost a storyteller himself. If you don't want to hear about Walt Disney all day and learn about his life, this place isn't for you.
The museum's ten permanent galleries are in chronological order. There are moments of "wow" when you realize a few among that wall full of apparently still drawing a few are moving. Or you might be looking at camera effects technician Herman Schulties' 1939-1939 notebook (which is cool enough) and realize that the screen next to it lets you browse through every page, digitized and augmented with matching film clips, according to latimes.com.
The Walt Disney Family Museum is open from Wednesday through Monday but closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 2. Allow at least half a day, longer if you love Walt Disney and his creations. You can visit anytime, but weekdays are less crowded. It's a well-appointed museum, and it tells well the authorized story of Walt and his empire. Adult admission: $20. Children ages 6-17, $12.
By automobile from other locations in San Francisco, the Presidio is near the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio public transit center is very near the museum entrance as well. Transit 511 will help you figure out how to get there from wherever you start in the San Francisco area.
