Los Angeles, CA

Ok, there are probably many reasons to visit the city of angels. But for now, let’s leave Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame for another day because we have another reason for you to geek out!

After a few false beginnings, the Academy finally opened its museum doors in 2021. So pack your bags and head out towards your next summer destination!

The galleries at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures fill a Streamline Moderne former department store with six stories of exhibitions and event spaces crowned by a panoramic rooftop terrace.

It even includes a tacked-on theatre in a massive Renzo Piano-designed orb. The chance to see Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard Of Oz or Jack’s corduroy jacket from The Shining is reason enough to visit.

Still, the opening exhibition is a beauty: a Hayao Miyazaki retrospective that includes images and production cels on display for the first time outside Studio Ghibli’s Japanese offices.