A diehard Star Wars fan’s guide to the George Lucas museum in LA…
The larger Los Angeles space boasts more museums than any metropolis in the world — over 800, with 100 in LA correct alone — however none of them supply a $210 R2D2 cookie jar, until now.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened last week, including a sprawling $1 billion campus to Exposition Park, already dwelling to USC’s famed Coliseum, BMO Stadium, the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum and the California African American Museum.
After more than a decade in development — including failed potential websites such as Chicago and San Francisco — the museum lastly opened to the public last Tuesday.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened its doorways to the public on September 22, 2026. VCG by way of Getty Images
George Lucas himself and his spouse, Melody Hobson, personally welcomed the first 100 visitors by way of the doorways.
While tickets had been just about inconceivable to score during the first few days, I used to be fortunate sufficient to safe a $25 ticket for Monday morning, and I used to be totally blown away throughout the day.
As a 49-year-old male who has been a Star Wars fan for virtually my total life, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art was every part I had hoped it could be — and far, a lot more.
The Exterior
All the drone footage you could have seen of this outstanding facility merely doesn’t do it justice. You have to see it in individual.
Standing inside, I used to be reminded of a line from the movie that fairly actually made this museum attainable: Lucas’ 1977 blockbuster Star Wars, later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
R2 D2 and CP30 are displayed with concept artwork inside the Lucas Museum on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
In one scene, younger Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) method what Luke calls “that small moon” aboard the Millennium Falcon.
“That’s no moon. That’s a space station,” Kenobi replies, which Solo scoffs at, including, “It’s too big to be a space station.”
That small moon was truly the space station generally known as the Death Star, and Solo’s line is just as apt for the Death Star as it’s for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
It’s simply the largest museum I’ve ever visited. I attempted photographing the exterior from the floor with my telephone, however no angle may seize the sheer scale of the place.
The 300,000-square-foot museum, designed by Ma Yansong in a particular figure-eight form, sits on a 13-acre website between Vermont Avenue and Bill Robertson Lane. The campus also options lush gardens dotted with placing bronze sculptures.
The Park and Gardens, designed by Studio-MLA’s Mia Lehrer, reworked what was as soon as a vacant parking zone into a powerful public house with an amphitheater, hanging backyard and more than 300 new bushes.
The 300,000-square-foot museum itself was designed by Ma Yangsong. VCG by way of Getty Images
This free public house options 10 statues, including two depicting iconic Star Wars heroines: Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman).
Mark Newman and Giovanni Nakpil’s Princess Leia Frees Herself from Jabba the Hutt (2025) depicts a strong scene from 1982’s Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, the place the gold-bikini clad Leia used her shackled chains against her captor, Jabba the Hutt, choking him to demise (spoiler alert…)
Newman’s Padmé Fights Off Nexu (2026) depicts Padmé utilizing a pillar and chain to fend off the vicious creature in the Petranaki Arena in Attack of the Clones.
Near the southern entrance, The Introduction (2025) by Lawrence Noble options another beloved duo: Yoda and Grogu, a.ok.a. Baby Yoda.
All three are beautiful tributes to iconic Star Wars characters and scenes, and like the museum itself, they’re even more spectacular in individual.
Mark Newman & Giovanni Nakpil’s Princess Leia Frees Herself from Jabba the Hutt (2025). Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
The Star Wars Exhibit
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is just not solely a Star Wars museum, however many of its largest highlights might be discovered in the cinema exhibit, which options an unimaginable assortment of treasures from the franchise.
The item that struck me most was the full-scale podracer younger Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) used in 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
Lucas’ first directorial effort since the unique 1977 Star Wars, the prequel chronicles Anakin’s early life on Tatooine and divulges him as the only human able to competing in the harmful podraces ubiquitous throughout the galaxy.
Crafted by Doug Chiang with a scale mannequin of Anakin in the cockpit, the bodily prop was constructed alongside a number of miniature podracers used to create the movie’s digitally rendered race. Seeing the large car in individual, surrounded by those tiny fashions, was significantly spectacular.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is just not solely a Star Wars museum, however many highlights of the facility might be discovered in the cinema exhibit. Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
The item that struck me most was younger Anakin Skywalker’s (Jake Lloyd) full-scale podracer from 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
Miniatures of the sand skiff and Jabba’s sail barge from Return of the Jedi
There are also full-scale variations of the airspeeder Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) use to monitor down bounty hunter Zam Wesell (Leeanna Walsman) in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, together with Zam’s personal airspeeder.
For Gen Xers who grew up on the unique trilogy, the show that includes the speeder bikes utilized by Princess Leia and an unnamed Imperial Scout Trooper will definitely maintain a particular place in the coronary heart.
“The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has something for everyone: Star Wars fanatics, traditional art lovers, comic book aficionados and even admirers of bold, boundary-pushing architecture.”
Brian Gallagher
The exhibit also options Luke’s unique landspeeder from the first movie, General Grievous’ wheel bike from Revenge of the Sith, Darth Maul’s speeder and unique costumes worn by a variety of characters, from Luke Skywalker to Darth Maul (Ray Park).
There’s also a treasure trove of concept artwork by Ralph McQuarrie, including early designs for C-3PO and R2-D2.
And at the fringe of the exhibit sits a bronze statue of another beloved Lucas creation: Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones.
Luke and Leia on Speeders from Return of the Jedi are displayed inside the Lucas Museum on Monday, September 28, 2026. Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
The exhibit also options Luke’s unique landspeeder, General Grievous’ wheel bike from Revenge of the Sith, Darth Maul’s speeder and unique costumes worn by characters starting from Luke Skywalker to Darth Maul. Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
The ‘real’ artwork
If you had been heading to the Lucas Museum anticipating 300,000 sq. toes of wall-to-wall Star Wars and Indiana Jones displays, you’ll be fairly disenchanted. But admirers of conventional art work will probably be thrilled by the sheer range of its assortment.
Lucas has lengthy been considered one of the world’s most outstanding collectors of Norman Rockwell’s work, and the museum incorporates a substantial assortment of his work and illustrations.
The Rockwell gallery not only options plenty of his Saturday Evening Post artwork items, however other pivotal items such as the 1964 portray The Problem We All Live With, depicting Ruby Bridges being escorted to an all-white college in New Orleans.
Lucas is considered one of the world’s most outstanding collectors of Norman Rockwell art work, and the museum incorporates a substantial assortment of his work.
One of the most memorable items in the gallery is Rockwell’s 1958 The Runaway, displayed in each its graphite-on-paper research and final oil-on-canvas version.
The portray depicts a Fifties soda counter, the place a police officer seems to be treating a younger boy to a meal. On the ground beside him sits the boy’s small bindle, suggesting he has run away from dwelling.
But the work turns into even more placing when considered alongside Richard Williams’ 2014-15 portray The Militarization of the Police Department — Deadly Farce. Williams recreates the same basic setting, however instead reveals a police officer in full riot gear looming over a younger Black boy who recoils from him.
The museum also homes Frida Kahlo’s well-known self-portrait, comedian art work by Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, John Romita Jr. and Robert Crumb, in addition to a treasure trove of items from the Lucas Archives.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art contains two theaters that incorporates a prolonged rotation of movies being shown from open to shut.
The theaters
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art options two theaters with a rotating lineup of movies screened throughout the day.
The Robert Flaherty Theater screens documentaries, while the Slava Vorkapich Theater options quick movies, including the long-awaited public debut of Star Wars Detours, a 2012 animated collection created by George Lucas with Robot Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich.
Although 39 episodes had been produced, the collection was shelved after Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. In July 2026, Green announced at San Diego Comic-Con that the Lucas Museum would lastly display a number of the episodes.
When I arrived at 10 a.m., I checked the theater’s movie guide and was stunned to see the second episode of Star Wars Detours listed as the first screening of the day.
I settled in with a large crowd and watched the episode, set between the prequel trilogy and the unique trilogy, providing a comedic glimpse into this franchise in a galaxy far, far-off.
The episode was hilarious, weaving together a number of storylines, including a Gamorrean Guard hoping to grow to be a bounty hunter to impress a lady, diner proprietor Dex getting a doubtful enterprise proposition from musician-turned-restaurateur Max Rebo, and a glimpse at a bratty younger Princess Leia and her many decoys.
Library and murals wing full with Banksy items
The second constructing in the museum’s figure-eight design homes a sprawling library and the Murals gallery, which options a number of placing works by Banksy.
The library isn’t a conventional lending library, however guests can browse its cabinets and settle in with a e book at considered one of the many tables. Its assortment ranges from Star Wars and science fiction to historical past and kids’s books, unfold across a number of ranges with views overlooking the sculpture backyard.
Upstairs on the fifth ground, the murals gallery options monumental works that stretch across total partitions.
Once you’re finished in the library you possibly can head upstairs to the fifth ground to test out the Murals exhibit, which options some monumental items that span total partitions.
The wing also options plenty of works by the enigmatic Banksy in numerous mediums, from work and wall murals to maquettes.
One standout is Don’t Forget Your Scarf, a 2008 stencil on canvas depicting a mom fussing over the scarf of a mohawk-wearing anarchist.
The gallery also contains numbered stencils and a take a look at piece for Mobile Lovers, Banksy’s 2014 avenue work depicting a pair embracing while secretly checking their telephones behind each other’s backs.
The wing also options plenty of items from the enigmatic Banksy in a number of different mediums from work to wall murals to maquettes.
One piece – a 2008 stencil on canvas entitled Don’t Forget Your Scarf – that includes a mom fussing over the scarf of a mohawk-adorning anarchist – got here from the assortment of actor Woody Harrelson and his spouse Laura.
Actor Woody Harrelson and his spouse Laura donated the Banksy piece Don’t Forget Your Scarf to the Lucas Museum
The retailer and its extravagant objects
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art retailer has the typical museum-shop fare — books, branded pencils and pens, pins and postcards — together with some more extravagant souvenirs.
There’s a small store on the fourth ground, however the main retailer is on the first ground, the place considered one of the centerpieces is a $210 R2D2 cookie jar.
There is a small store on the fourth ground, however the main retailer is on the first ground, which incorporates a centerpiece of some fairly high-priced objects… including a $210 R2D2 cookie jar. Brian Gallagher for the CA Post
I definitely wasn’t anticipating to discover that on the cabinets. According to the museum’s web site, the porcelain jars are hand-painted and feature detachable dome tops for storing cookies.
They also had a show of Swarovski crystal collectible figurines that includes a number of Star Wars characters. There had been no costs on show, however the store’s web site lists them for anyplace from $350 to $600.
Looking again on my day at The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
It’s phenomenal. Full cease.
While it’s unlucky that we had to wait more than a decade for the museum to lastly come to fruition, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has one thing for everybody: Star Wars fanatics, conventional artwork lovers, comedian e book aficionados and even admirers of daring, boundary-pushing structure.
It has rapidly grow to be a must-see vacation spot in Los Angeles, and I’m glad I had the likelihood to experience it early.
There had been only a few dozen early birds ready at the doorways with me, however by the time I left at 1:30 p.m., the museum was packed — and that was on a Monday.
At $25, it’s properly price the value of admission for hours of artwork, tradition and storytelling under one spectacular roof.
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