12174 Euclid Street, Garden Grove, California, 92840
Please step this way, as we explore what some have called “Walt Disney’s first West-coast animation studio”. It may not look like much from the outside, but this historic structure is linked to the production of Walt Disney’s first animated short film. In just a moment we’ll take a closer look at Uncle Robert’s Kingswell Avenue Garage!
Disneyland owes much to its animated stars, and they all owe their existence to a very special artifact preserved at Stanley Ware Ranch & Garden Grove Historical Society (just a fifteen-minute drive from Walt Disney’s magic kingdom in Anaheim, California).
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious, and curiosity leads us down new paths."
Walt Disney was certainly headed down a new path once he stepped off the Santa Fe California Limited and through the doors of his Uncle Robert's home in July of 1923! Renting a room there, he would "curiously" go on to search for work with the local studios. Certain doors seemed shut tight to the young artist from Kansas City, but one particular set of doors would lead Walt Disney to become the most renowned showman the world has ever seen!
After moving to Los Angeles in 1923 (before selling his very first Alice reel), Walt spoke of producing local theatre advertisement reels from his uncle’s Kingswell Avenue garage. In July/August of 1923, Walt (desirous to establish a new cartoon studio in Hollywood) would create an animation stand (with Roy’s assistance) behind the doors of their Uncle Robert's "Holly-mont" garage. Based on an interview with Walt Disney, it can be assumed that his first Los Angeles animation studio was in this building.
During 1923, Walt moved from Kansas City and signed what Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith describes as “the most important document in the history of The Walt Disney Company” - a contract for a series of Alice Comedies, the start of the Disney Studio!
Rigging a table and camera rig out of "milk crates and other pieces of lumber", he and Roy would ambitiously prepare to finish Walt's incomplete Alice reel. This took place just before his successful contract with Margaret Winkler, and establishing Disney Bros. Studio about a half-mile down Kingswell Avenue later that year.
“A BRIEF HISTORY”
For this reason, Uncle Robert's garage is recognized by many as Walt's first studio. Despite the historic nature of this structure, the garage was once scheduled for demolition. The book “Walt Disney's Garage of Dreams”(by Arthur C. "Buddy" Adler, Bob Bowman, Bob McLain, and Jim Korkis), chronicles this rescue and restoration of the historic structure! Aurthur C. Adler (the first Chairman and Founder of The Friends of Walt Disney recounts :
“In March of 1982, there was an auction in Los Angeles at 4406 Kingswell Ave. which was the former home of Robert Disney, the uncle of Walt and Roy Disney. There were many Disney memorabilia items of interest but, the old garage which still stood in its original location in which, Walt Disney began his career in California by constructing his first animation device in it, was truly the plum which caught the eye of the people in attendance.
Alas, no one made an opening mandatory bid of $10,000. At that moment in time practically everyone started to leave the auction. A few of us felt that the old garage was doomed to destruction in what was now a changed neighborhood and so we convinced perfect strangers to make a counter offer and try to purchase Walt’s first studio for good.
We made an offer of $8,500.00 and it was accepted by the owner. Shares were then sold to other interested parties and we formed a group known as “The Friends of Walt Disney”. We met and worked very hard for over two years investigating various institutions, societies, and other organizations who might be interested in accepting our outright donation of Walt Disney’s first studio. We found that it was a very difficult task we had taken on.
Finally on September 15, 1983, we were informed by the Garden Grove Historical Society, AKA Heritage Park, that they would accept our donation within the conditions stipulated by “The Friends of Walt Disney”. Walt Disney’s first studio in California is as you can see, alive and well at its new as it stands shining and proud and a monument to a great genius whose name is known around the world because of the legacy left by Walt Disney to the children of all ages.”
Today, the garage is filled with many donated pieces representing Walt Disney’s work. Please be sure to schedule your field trip ahead of time so that a museum curator may show around the artifacts inside!
Many of the artifacts were donated by patrons and friends of the museum, and former Disney Park employees.
We look to the former Robert Disney garage as a symbol of humble beginnings. The garage also serves as a reminder that big ideas can come from the least likeliest of places. Last of all, we recall the great deal of effort and endurance that a couple of young men expended here (in this uncomfortable, small wooden structure), which culminated in perhaps the world’s most recognized and beloved entertainment “brand”!
TOURS DEPART THE FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH, at 1:30p.m.!
…and don’t forget that you can purchase your copy of
Walt Disney’s Garage of Dreams by Aurthur C. “Buddy” Adler
inside the museum gift shop!