Walt Disney’s Trains

Posted by Jessica Pettyjohn on

This family-friendly exhibition, organized with San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum, explores the influence that railroad trains had on Walt Disney‘s life and work. It also tells the story of how his railroading legacy lives on to this day in Disney films and theme parks around the world. The exhibit includes a wide variety of artifacts, firsthand accounts, archival videos, images of Walt and his trains, and one-of-a kind items, including Walt Disney’s own Carolwood gondola railroad car, an illuminated model of Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A, and a custom model train created in partnership with the Napa Valley Wine Train by the Napa Valley Model Railroad Historical Society. We learn how Walt’s passion for trains inspired Disney studio short cartoons and feature films, and influenced his personal life at home. Guest curator Michael Campbell, President Emeritus of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society, constructed the exhibition to reflect Walt’s railroad journey from his early years to the creation of Disneyland and beyond, and reminds us that, over a century later, Walt’s railroading influence remains a vibrant and relevant force. Includes an exclusive audio tour created by exhibit curator Michael Campbell, narrated by longtime Disney announcer Bill Rogers, and Disney train-themed merchandise in our Museum Store.

Image above: Walt Disney, 1951; Collection of LOOK Magazine, photo by Earl Theisen; courtesy of the Library of Congress; © Disney

About The Walt Disney Family Museum: Find animation, innovation, and inspiration in the remarkable life story of Walt Disney, the man who raised animation to an art, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a distinctly American legacy that transformed the entertainment world. Located in the scenic Presidio of San Francisco, the museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that features contemporary, interactive galleries with state-of-the-art exhibits narrated in Walt’s own voice alongside early drawings, cartoons, films, music, a spectacular model of Disneyland, and more. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with Home for the Holidays at Carolwood on view at The Walt Disney Family Museum from November 14, 2018 to January 7, 2019. Visit www.waltdisney.org for more information.

Please note: NARMS free admission does not apply to this special exhibition. BofA Museums on Us cardholders receive discount admission on the first weekend of the month. Support for this exhibition provided by the Napa County Tourism Improvement District – Yountville and the Napa County Arts & Culture Advisory Committee, and by the Patrons and Members of the Napa Valley Museum Yountville, with the generous assistance of the Walt Disney Family Museum

Sponsors

Previous Exhibitions

RSS
Naomie Kremer: Seer

Naomie Kremer: Seer

The MAC’s new video wall launches with “SEER”, an original work by award-winning video artist Naomie Kremer UnbiddenOnce beheldOne is beholdenIn the blink of an...

Read more
Treasures from the GAIA Foundation and the Museum’s Permanent Collection

Treasures from the GAIA Foundation and the Museum’s Permanent Collection

On exhibition through January 4, 2026 In the History Gallery: Works by Matisse, Pissarro, Picasso, Chagall and other fine artists on long-term loan to the...

Read more

Explore more Newsworthy Reads @ Napa Valley Museum of Art

THE MAC WELCOMES “THE WYETHS: THREE GENERATIONS | WORKS FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA COLLECTION”
newsworthy press

THE MAC WELCOMES “THE WYETHS: THREE GENERATIONS | WORKS FROM THE BANK OF AMERICA COLLECTION”

Comprehensive Collection on View in California for First Time Ever  April 11 - September 13, 2026 St. Helena, CA – March 10, 2026 –The Napa...

Read more
Napa Valley Museum Yountville Announces Mary Blair: Mid-Century Magic
newsworthy press

Napa Valley Museum Yountville Announces Mary Blair: Mid-Century Magic

A new retrospective of the visionary artist’s celebrated contributions to Disney animation, attraction design, and American modern art   Exhibition on View: March 22-October 25,...

Read more
New Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture opens April 18, 2025 with an Exploration of the Life of an American Culinary Pioneer
newsworthy press

New Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture opens April 18, 2025 with an Exploration of the Life of an American Culinary Pioneer

 Julia Child: A Recipe for Life to be the inaugural exhibition of The Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture (“the MAC”)   (St Helena,...

Read more
Veterans Home History Case

Veterans Home History Case

Our permanent history case dedicated to the California Veterans Home Yountvilleplus a rotating exhibition of art and artifacts from the Veterans Home collection This permanent...

Read more