Past Exhibition

Hollywood Customs

Modified for the Movies

Since the advent of the motion picture, automobiles have been prominently featured on screen, serving not just to transport characters from one place to another but also to reveal aspects...

2nd FloorThrough Mar 1, 2026

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Location 2nd Floor

Dates Through March 01, 2026

Included With Museum Admission

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About the Exhibit

Hollywood Customs

Since the advent of the motion picture, automobiles have been prominently featured on screen, serving not just to transport characters from one place to another but also to reveal aspects of the characters’ personalities and serve as important plot devices.

Adult + Vault

Full museum access to all galleries and exhibitions

Ages 18-61

$51

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Senior + Vault

Full museum access to all galleries and exhibitions

Ages 62+

$49

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Youth + Vault

Full museum access to all galleries and exhibitions

Ages 12-17

$42

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Child + Vault

Full museum access. Children under 4 are free!

Ages 4-11

$25

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Lights. Camera. Action.

In many cases, a stock model is suitable for a movie or television series, but sometimes modifications to production vehicles are needed to create a memorable automotive costar. The modifications can be as simple as a decorative paint job that gives a vehicle a distinctive look to suit its role or more extreme, such as customizing one model to appear to be another car entirely. Sometimes, on-screen automobiles are modified for better performance. Action movie cars can have weapons added, and sci-fi vehicles often feature futuristic elements that anchor them in another time. Whatever the level of customization, the alterations made to movie and television cars help create the automotive characters that serve alongside the human actors and aid in establishing the world in which the story takes place.