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Laugh-O-Gram was founded by Walt Disney in 1921 and represents one of his earliest ventures into animation. Laugh-O-Gram Studios was a hub for innovation in animation during its short existence, employing talented animators who would go on to become pioneers in the fi eld and contributing to the early development of animation as an art form. The small studio served as a crucial catalyst in Disney’s career, laying the groundwork for the immense contributions he would make to the entertainment industry as he experimented with storytelling and animation techniques that would change entertainment forever. It was in this small space that Disney dreamed up iconic characters that we still love today, including the one and only Mickey Mouse. Disney once told interviewers that the inspiration to draw Mickey came from a tame mouse at his desk at Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City.
Multistudio, along with Thank You, Walt Disney, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Disney, are currently working to preserve and renovate the building, and Laugh-O-Gram Studios will soon become Kansas City’s premiere immersive museum and center for innovation in digital media entrepreneurship and education. In 1978 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and today the space is being reimagined for future creators and dreamers. The building’s legacy goes beyond even the famed Disney. The McConahay Building occupied by Disney and Laugh- O-Gram Studios was designed by female architect Nelle Peters, who would eventually lead her architectural firm and create several Kansas City landmarks.
