“It all began with a mouse, and a dream.” Originally from Missouri, Walt Disney returns to our state again with an exhibition like you’ve never seen before, presented by Bank of America.
Tickets to this Kansas City event include a self-paced tour inside of Union Station with over 250+ magical artifacts to see, 100 years of history to delve into, and 14 interactive installations to join in on the fun with. While exploring the exhibit, visitors can “celebrate a century of the stories, characters, and experiences that Disney has given to the world,” says Paula Sigman-Lowery, Curator of the Disney100 Exhibit, on the Disney100 Exhibition website. In addition to viewing props and costumes, visitors can also view stories through the eyes of Disney writers and artists. On display are original character sketches, movie scripts, and sculpted animator models of beloved Disney characters.

“My thought has always been that there is no point in having archives unless you share the material and the wonderful assets that are in it,” says Becky Klein, director of the Walt Disney archives in her Disney100 website interview. To date, this exhibition is the largest that the staff has ever curated, according to Becky. “It’s kind of the pinnacle of what we’ve been working towards. We’re really excited to launch this brand new exhibition to share 250 assets from our collection and lots of interactives and really beautiful media and art. We didn’t set out to create the biggest exhibition that Disney’s ever done, but the fact that we were doing a major traveling exhibition, and this is such a big important anniversary for the Disney company— it had to be spectacular. Plus, I needed every inch of space to tell this story,” says Becky.
The Disney100 Exhibition is a unique experience that guests can’t find anywhere else. Visitors get a behind-the-scenes look into how some of the most beloved Disney characters, films, shows and attractions were created. The displays include not only traditional Disney films, but Pixar, Star Wars, and MARVEL stories as well.
See a rare view of production props such as the following:
- Cinderella’s Glass Slipper
- The Skywalker Lightsaber Hilt
- Captain America’s Shield
- Original costumes from several different Disney stories
The Disney100: The Exhibition event will run through October 18th, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri at Union Station before it moves to Seol, Korea. Click here to purchase your tickets!
All photos courtesy of Disney100: The Exhibition.
For hundreds more events, visit Missouri Life’s Event Calendar.