Disney Legacy Explored in Forest Lawn's California Visionaries Exhibit

Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale has opened a new exhibition called California Visionaries: The Lives and Legacies of Walt Disney and Hubert Eaton. This is the first show to explore the personal and creative relationship between the two men, who both traveled from Missouri to California before creating organizations that became integral in American culture.

Disney and Eaton met in the 1930s and maintained a decades-long friendship. They shared artistic interests and approaches to creating their respective parks, including an appreciation for medieval castles and cathedrals, which they incorporated into Disneyland and Forest Lawn-Glendale. The exhibition commemorates the 60th anniversary of their deaths.

California Visionaries features newly discovered archival photographs, sculptures, illustrations, animatronic figures, maps, and other artifacts documenting the connections between Disney and Eaton. Items on display come from various sources, including the Walt Disney Archives, Forest Lawn Museum, and private collections.