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The museum and IMAX cinema are temporarily closed. Pictureville and Cubby Broccoli cinemas are open. 

Find out about our major transformation.

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Animation Gallery

The Animation gallery is now closed as we begin to transform the museum through our Sound and Vision project.


Explore the history of animation and animated images—including animation produced right here in the UK. See some favourite characters, look back at animation through the ages, and discover how animators work their magic.

Animation on the small screen

Come face-to-face with the Smash Martians, and see artwork, storyboards and sets from the likes of The Wombles and The Wrong Trousers. Follow the development of animation for an adult audience by Channel 4 and the BBC.

Moving pictures

What did the earliest forms of animation look like? Discover the answers with traditional optical toys, then get hands-on with our interactive display to understand how these devices work.

100 years of animation

Get comfy in our viewing booth and watch animated clips from 1897 to the present day. Learn about animation techniques from cut-outs to CGI, and explore the history of famous animators including Walt Disney and Lotte Reiniger.

Animation in Britain

Find out all about animators and studios based in the UK, from 1940s pioneers to the ever-popular Aardman, creators of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Watch clips and see original artwork, puppet models and sets.

Now you try!

Get to grips with the process of animation, from original idea to final film. Before you go, why not have a go at making your own simple animation? It’s not as easy as it looks!