For Film Enthusiasts: 6 Must-See Museums and Exhibitions This Spring

This spring, museums nationwide are offering captivating exhibits, featuring behind-the-scenes insights into some of cinema’s most beloved characters, tributes to acclaimed directors, an impressive showcase of posters, and much more. While the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is an obvious highlight, along with venues hosting film series like NYC’s Museum of the Moving Image, the true stars of the show await you at a science museum.

1. Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago

007 Science: Creating the World of James Bond opens on March 7 (as the museum humorously notes) and runs through October 27 at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry (MSI). The museum's formal architecture, complete with Ionic columns and rotundas, may not hint at the groundbreaking exhibit centered on a pop culture icon. (It’s the last surviving building from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.) Yet, as the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere, it covers a multitude of subjects.

007 Science offers a unique first-time glimpse into the extraordinary world of the legendary spy. A standout feature is his Aston Martin, equipped with hidden machine guns, an ejector seat, and rotating license plates. Visitors can view thirteen vehicles, including the Parahawk, a hybrid paraglider/snowmobile from The World Is Not Enough (1999). Early Bond films showcased futuristic technology: guests can see various artifacts like the jetpack prototype from Thunderball (1965), today’s Gravity Industries Jet Suit, and the suction cup climbers (precursors to Gecko Gloves) from 1967’s You Only Live Twice. An interactive lab inspired by “Q” allows guests to design stunts and test their strength hanging from steel beams.

2. Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

At the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, the exhibit Hidden Worlds: The Films of Laika will run until August 11, 2024. Since its debut with Coraline in 2009, Laika has pioneered stop-motion animation, garnering five Oscar nominations and winning a Scientific and Technical Oscar in 2016. This exhibition explores the filmmaking techniques behind five of its movies, including The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings, and previews the upcoming animated feature, Wildwood. Visitors can engage with immersive displays and experience Laika's sets from a puppet's perspective, even creating their own stop-motion animations. Founded in 2000 by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, MoPOP initially focused on music and features Gehry's distinctive architectural design.

3. Eastman Museum located in Rochester, New York

The main exhibit at the Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York is titled Crashing into the 60s: Film Posters from the Collection. If the name Eastman rings a bell, it’s linked to Eastman Kodak, the pioneering photography and film company established in the late 19th century by George Eastman, inventor of the first user-friendly camera, the Kodak.

This exhibit, which opened in February, runs until September 8, 2024. It showcases Hollywood hits from the 1960s such as My Fair Lady, The Manchurian Candidate, In the Heat of the Night, and Cotton Comes to Harlem. Iconic pop culture films include a Bond feature, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and the Beatles’ Help!. The collection also features international posters for films like Zazie Dans le Metro and Un Homme et Une Femme, alongside Eastern European and Scandinavian cinema such as Persona, as well as U.S. films like The Miracle Worker (titled Sous un autre Soleil in France). The array includes low-brow gems like Clambake starring Elvis. Regardless of the film, each poster serves as a vibrant reminder of a unique decade in pop art.

During the exhibit, the museum will also feature screenings of several classic 1960s films, including three Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns (beginning with A Fistful of Dollars), the Disney animated feature Sword in the Stone, and the Billy Wilder comedy One, Two, Three, set in Berlin and emblematic of its era in 1961.

4. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures located in Los Angeles

With its extensive collection of millions of artifacts, a vibrant screening program, and two theaters, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles caters to every film enthusiast. Current exhibitions include John Waters: Pope of Trash, celebrating the distinctive independent filmmaker known for Hairspray, and Shifting Perspectives: Vertical Cinema, spotlighting three emerging Southern California filmmakers. (Both exhibitions will run until August 4, 2024.) Additionally, two presentations honor directors Lourdes Portillo and Agnès Varda. Ongoing showings in the Significant Movies and Moviemakers series currently feature Boyz n the Hood and Casablanca. A new exhibition, Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital, will debut on May 19, providing a historical perspective on Los Angeles's evolution as a cinematic hub.

5. Museum of the Moving Image situated in Astoria, New York

The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York features a variety of ongoing exhibits that appeal to movie enthusiasts, including showcases on Jim Henson (the Muppet master), director Todd Haynes, and The Exorcist. The centerpiece exhibit, Behind the Screen, highlights both the technical and creative processes involved in filmmaking, offering interactive experiences alongside four hours of film clips and special videos.

6. Design Museum located in London

In case you missed it: The World of Tim Burton is currently at the Design Museum in London. This exhibition, honoring the acclaimed director, will run from October 25, 2024, to April 21, 2025, marking its final stop after successful showings in cities like Tokyo, Mexico City, São Paulo, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Seoul, and more.