Photos/Videos: Forest Lawn's Brilliant California Visionaries Exhibit Explores the Enduring Impact of Walt Disney and Hubert Eaton

Laughing Place had the chance to check out a new exhibition at Forest Lawn Museum that explores the decades-long friendship and shared creative vision of Walt Disney and Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks founder Hubert Eaton.

Starting today, September 19th, the Forest Lawn Museum will present California Visionaries: The Lives and Legacies of Walt Disney and Hubert Eaton. This is the first exhibition to explore the personal and creative relationship between Walt Disney and Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks founder Hubert Eaton. The exhibition showcases the parallels between Disney and Eaton, who both traveled from Missouri to California before creating organizations and destinations that became integral in American culture.

Laughing Place was invited out for an opening day peak at the new California Visionaries exhibit. Exploring the history of their personal relationship, Disney and Eaton met in the 1930s and maintained a relationship for decades, keeping in touch with one another, visiting each other's parks, and serving together on the board of Saint Joseph's Hospital.

Disney served as an honorary pallbearer at Eaton's funeral in 1966. Disney died several months later, and both men are interred at Forest Lawn-Glendale.

The exhibition commemorates the 60th anniversary of their deaths while exploring their shared artistic interests and approaches to creating their respective parks. 

Disney and Eaton worked with some of the same artists, including Herbert Ryman, the Imagineer responsible for the first sketch of Disneyland as well as the first sketch for Forest Lawn's massive painting, The Resurrection. Both men drew inspiration from medieval castles and cathedrals, incorporating elements of that architecture into destinations that brought those styles to Southern California. They also shared an appreciation for Americana, with both celebrating historical and literary figures including Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain through attractions and artistic works. 

California Visionaries features newly discovered archival photographs, sculptures, illustrations, animatronic figures, maps, and other artifacts documenting the connections between Disney and Eaton. Disneyland artifacts on display included a former Dumbo ride vehicle and Matterhorn bobsled (signed by Bob Gurr), while colorful maps compared the development and aesthetics of Disneyland and Forest Lawn during the mid-20th century.

Musical artifacts will include sheet music from Disney classics such as "it's a small world" and "The Skeleton Dance," along with the original master score book for Cinderella featuring handwritten annotations from the film's creators.

Items featured in the exhibition come from Forest Lawn Museum, The Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Music Legacy Library, Garner Holt Productions, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, and private collections.

Exploring behind their lives, EPCOT fans will find several pieces of memorabilia while exploring the legacy of Walt Disney!

The Museum’s gift shop is also hosting some exciting retro-inspired Disneyland merchandise and literature you’ll want to shop. 

California Visionaries is a delightful exploration of Disney, Los Angeles, and American history. Beyond getting the privilege to spend time on the gorgeous grounds of Forest Lawn in Glendale, the collection of artifacts is an amazing journey through the lives of Walt Disney and Hubert Eaton. There’s no doubt that Disney fans will have a lot of fun checking out a new side of Walt Disney told through his relationship with Hubert Eaton and see where they inspired each other and their parks along the way. We had the opportunity to speak to co-curators James Fishburne and Harrison Foreman about their work on the collection, which you can check out below! 

California Visionaries runs now through February 7th, 2027. For more information, visit the official Forest Lawn Museum website!