Special Exhibition
the walt disney studios and world war II
Step behind the magic and into history with The Walt Disney Studios and World War II. Discover how Disney transformed its studio into a wartime operation producing original artwork, as well as training and public-service films, and how artists, employees, and Walt Disney himself contributed to the war effort. With more than 500 rare artifacts, film clips, and stories of innovation and sacrifice, this family-friendly exhibit explores how one of America’s most beloved entertainment companies helped achieve the Allied victory.
When Walt Disney received word that The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, had been converted into an Army anti-aircraft base after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he and his staff pledged to support the war effort without hesitation, and without profit. Walt knew that cartoons would be an ideal method for communicating with the American people. This exhibition showcases how The Walt Disney Studios educated the civilian public in an amusing, uncomplicated manner about the war, while simultaneously boosting the spirits of troops deployed abroad. In addition to the short films and military insignia produced, Disney characters appeared in a variety of home-front initiatives, from advertisements, magazines, and stamp books, to government posters promoting food recycling, rationing, war bond sales, and farm production.
The Walt Disney Studios and World War II is organized by The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, California.
Special Exhibition
the walt disney studios and world war II
Dates
March 13 – September 10, 2026
Open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
Tickets
Members: Free | Adults: $19 | Students: $12
Discounted Tickets for Select Groups: $17
The Animated Life of Willie Ito
Join us for an evening with Willie Katsutoshi Ito, Jr., a legendary Japanese American cartoonist and animator. As a young child, Ito learned to draw on the pages of Sears catalogs while incarcerated with his family at the Japanese internment camp in Topaz, Utah, during World War II.
RegisterStep behind the magic and into history with The Walt Disney Studios and World War II. Discover how Disney transformed its studio into a wartime operation producing original artwork, as well as training and public-service films, and how artists, employees, and Walt Disney himself contributed to the war effort. With more than 500 rare artifacts, film clips, and stories of innovation and sacrifice, this family-friendly exhibit explores how one of America’s most beloved entertainment companies helped achieve the Allied victory.
When Walt Disney received word that The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, had been converted into an Army anti-aircraft base after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he and his staff pledged to support the war effort without hesitation, and without profit. Walt knew that cartoons would be an ideal method for communicating with the American people. This exhibition showcases how The Walt Disney Studios educated the civilian public in an amusing, uncomplicated manner about the war, while simultaneously boosting the spirits of troops deployed abroad. In addition to the short films and military insignia produced, Disney characters appeared in a variety of home-front initiatives, from advertisements, magazines, and stamp books, to government posters promoting food recycling, rationing, war bond sales, and farm production.
The Walt Disney Studios and World War II is organized by The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, California.
"It gives us the satisfaction of knowing that we are helping in a measure, despite the fact that we are at home." - Walt Disney
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Past Special Exhibitions
History lives here. With special exhibitions changing regularly, there’s always something new to explore at the Museum.
See Past exhibitions