Starfighter in the lobby: Lucas Museum opens in Los Angeles

A life-size Naboo N-1 Starfighter hangs over the lobby of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. It can be seen from outside.

The museum, founded by filmmaker George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, opens to the public on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 in Exposition Park in South Los Angeles. It calls itself a first-of-its-kind institution devoted to narrative art, meaning images and objects that tell stories.

The timing is sharp. The Art Newspaper published its Big Review of the museum on 21 September 2026. It gave 3.5 stars in total, with 4 stars for the works and 5 stars for the show.

The headline sums up the verdict. The swooping building is impressive and easy to navigate. The collection is patchy and the displays are at times "bizarre".

The building is hard to miss. It is a swooping figure-eight shape designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. The review puts its price tag at a billion dollars.

Inside, the Star Wars presence is direct. A gallery holds original artefacts including Darth Vader's armour and General Grievous's wheel bike. More than 90% of the material on display comes from Lucas's own art collection, according to the review.

Hollywood got an early look. The museum held an opening-night party for entertainment figures before the public opening, as reported by The New York Times. Co-founder Mellody Hobson gave remarks at the opening events.

Hobson said Lucas had been worried about A-listers turning up, according to Deadline. They came.

For visitors, the practical details are simple. The address is One Lucas Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Tickets are available for purchase, and the museum has admission and membership fees, with the park and gardens open from 8am to sunset.

What makes this stand out is the mix. Comic pages, film props and paintings sit side by side. Fans will find familiar machines. Newcomers will find a very large building asking them to take storytelling pictures seriously.