Walt Disney’s childhood home has opened to the public for the first time, but at just 1,200 square feet, it’s no Cinderella Castle.
The modest two-story home, in Chicago’s Hermosa neighborhood, was the focus of a decade-long restoration project.
Organizers hope that seeing the great Disney founder’s humble beginnings will inspire young people to follow their dreams and ‘change the world’.
Last weekend, the house finally opened its doors to the public, welcoming hundreds of visitors inside.
The house has been carefully restored after a ten-year fundraising campaign
The house was built by Walt Disney’s father Elias and designed by his mother Flora
Walt Disney poses for a scene with his signature creation Mickey Mouse in Anaheim, California, in 1950
There is a colored photo of Walt Disney and his sister Ruth in the house
Visitors toured the house and saw the historic furnishings, washboard, butter churn and carpet beater. The house even had a built-in toilet, which organizers said was “innovative” for the time.
Walt Disney’s father, Elias, purchased the land where the small house sits at 2156 N. Tripp Ave. in 1891.
The following year he obtained a permit to build the two-story wooden cottage for $800, and Flora, Walt’s mother, drew up the architectural plans.
Walt Disney was born in the house on December 5, 1901, in a second-floor bedroom, and the family lived there for another five years until Elias sold the property and they moved to Missouri.
The house was neglected for years and was almost demolished when an earlier attempt to designate it as a historic monument failed.
But after a decade of fundraising, the house has been restored to its 1901 condition to give visitors an idea of how the Disney founder spent his early years.
Organizers hope Walt Disney’s “humble beginnings” will “inspire” visitors.
“Walt Disney was an example that if you come from humble beginnings, work hard and follow your dreams, you can change the world,” said Rey Colon, project director of Walt Disney Birthplace. ABC7.
Angel Reyes, an ambassador for the house and Miss Illinois USA 2022, told the Chicago Tribune: ‘We’re in downtown Chicago, so understanding dreaming and doing and achieving, because you really never know who you’re going to become.’
Walt shared a small bedroom in the house with one of his other brothers
The house has been renovated to look as it did when the family lived there in 1901
The organizers paid a lot of attention to historical details, in keeping with the style of that time
Walt Disney (1901 – 1966) sits at his drawing table in his studio and draws a sketch of his character Mickey Mouse
The stairs in the family home lead to two bedrooms on the top floor
The living room of the house has been carefully restored with antique furniture
Visitors could see the rooms where Walt Disney was born and grew up with his family
The two-story wooden cottage in Hermosa was built by Elias Disney, Walt’s father, with architectural plans designed by his mother, Flora.
Hundreds of visitors and fans lined up this weekend to see the house for the first time
A Mickey Mouse character posed outside Disney’s childhood home
The home opening comes as Disney is embroiled in a culture war and ongoing legal dispute with presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The fight began when Florida passed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which restricted the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.
Disney opposed the legislation and the governor fired back at the company, accusing them of being “woke.”
The Walt Disney Company’s federal lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been reduced to a single lawsuit alleging it was targeted for criticism of the governor’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Pictured: Disney Chairman Bob Iger
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accused the company of “woke” practices after criticizing the bill
Disney and Florida are now embroiled in battles in federal and state courts following DeSantis’ attempt to take control of the Orlando theme park tax district
Governor DeSantis passed another bill to dissolve a government-like entity, which Disney has controlled and used to exercise its government-like powers.
Disney then sued DeSantis, but was forced to drop much of its federal lawsuit, leaving only a fight if the media giant’s First Amendment rights were violated.
The claim alleges that the House of Mouse has been retaliated against for criticizing the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
Disney CEO Bob Iger then announced that the company will “quiet the noise around cultural issues,” as it has proven to be bad for business.
A report from Needham investment analyst Laura Martin on the investor meeting found that Iger wants to create content that is entertaining and not issue-focused – after The House of Mouse faced backlash for pushing a “woke agenda.”
Iger’s comments about focusing on entertainment rather than “issues” come after a spate of recent box office successes.