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5 Rare Artifacts You Can See During ‘Disney100: The Exhibition’

The Walt Disney Company will partner with an established Pennsylvania museum to display these rare artifacts during Disney100: The Exhibition as part of their “100 Years of Wonder” offerings announced at the D23 Expo.

Specifically, in a Twitter thread posted today, D23 revealed five artifacts that will feature in Disney100: The Exhibition’s world premiere at the Franklin Institute. The Franklin Institute, located in Philadelphia and founded in 1824, has the honor to display this magical exhibition. Of course, each artifact is a Disney treasure with special significance to the company’s history.

disney100 exhibition

Credit: D23, the Official Disney Fan Club

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In fact, the pieces themselves are all on loan from within the carefully curated collection of the Walt Disney Archives, created by Dave Smith in 1970 to preserve the Walt Disney Company legacy. Let’s break down each item from the announcement, shown here with Archive Director Becky Cline:

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Credit: Disney

The original Disneyland Resort Employee Badge

First, Walt Disney himself owned the original issue of the Cast Member name tag, a golden pin complete with a Sleeping Beauty Castle design made in 1955.

Steamboat Willie Whistle

Next, this vintage steamboat whistle inspired the classic cartoon, Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie (1928), which utilized the revolutionary inclusion of sound in an animated cartoon, putting the Walt Disney Animation Studios on the map.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Lightsaber Hilt

Third, the prop piece featured in the final installment of the most recent Star Wars trilogy as a weapon belonging to the famous Skywalker family.

disney100 exhibition

Credit: Disney

The Shaggy Dog (1959) Magic Ring

Plus, Lucrezia Borgia’s bejeweled piece, as worn by Tommy Kirk in the film, possesses the power to transform someone from human to dog.

Enchanted Storybook from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 

Finally, a shot of this elaborately gilt prop book opened Walt Disney’s feature-length animated film, the first of its kind in Hollywood and a massive success for the Studio.

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Credit: Disney

Are you excited to see any of these pieces of Disney’s history? Additionally, the Disney exhibition and Disney Parks have much more magic in store, so check back for updates from DisneyTips!

Tickets are on sale now for Disney100: The Exhibition, which opens on February 18, 2023. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets for their 100th-anniversary exhibition.

About Spencer Beck

Spencer is a lifelong lover of theme parks, princesses, and Disney history that recently relocated to Northern California. She completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA, where she was the founder and first president of the campus Disney Club. A former Cast Member still mourning the loss of the Disney Store, she now haunts the halls of the Walt Disney Family Museum, and shares her opinions with anyone who will listen @pinknpurble everywhere.