This May the 4th feels especially packed, even by Star Wars Day standards.
A new Star Wars movie is arriving in theaters in a matter of weeks. New merchandise drops are happening here, there, and just about everywhere across the globe. A hit Disney+ animated series is closing out its season on Star Wars Day itself. And fans are already counting the hours until tickets go on sale for Star Wars Celebration Los Angeles 2027.
So yes, the galaxy is busy.
But this story asks us to slow down a little.
In celebration of Star Wars Day, Rancho Obi-Wan welcomed four bereaved families from George Mark Children’s House for a private tour of its museum in Petaluma, California. For the families who attended, the visit was more than a chance to step inside the Guinness World Records largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia. It was an afternoon to be together, to wonder, to remember, and to make new memories
in a place built from fandom and heart.
Care beyond the bedside
Founded in 2004 in San Leandro, California, George Mark Children’s House provides pediatric palliative care, respite care, transitional care, end of life support, and bereavement support in a homelike, family centered setting. It was the first residential pediatric palliative care facility in the United States.
Since 2022, George Mark has celebrated Star Wars Day with character visits, themed surprises, and moments of imagination for patients and families.
This year, that celebration also reached beyond the House.
Along with the Star Wars characters visiting George Mark for May the 4th, Rancho Obi-Wan invited George Mark families into its own corner of the galaxy.
A galaxy inside a hen house
Rancho Obi-Wan is tucked inside a former hen house in Petaluma. From the outside, it looks quiet, almost ordinary. For Kianna, who joined the visit as one of George Mark’s bereaved siblings, that contrast was part of the charm.
“I really get a kick out of the appearance of this museum,” she said. “From the outside, this looks like a lovely, ordinary chicken farm house. But inside, it sort of looks like a home, except there are Star Wars museum displays everywhere. They even have Star Wars items inside the bathroom, which I thought was really cool.”
That is part of Rancho Obi-Wan’s magic. Inside is a full galaxy of Star Wars history, from action figures, helmets, posters, books, costumes, and props to fan creations, oddities, and collectibles from nearly every era of the saga. It feels like a museum, a memory bank, and a fan’s dream attic all at once.
This is how the fun began
The visit grew from a friendship that began during last year’s May the 4th celebration at George Mark, when Rancho Obi-Wan brought part of its collection to the House.
“We brought a little bit of the collection and shared it with the families there that day,” said Rancho Obi-Wan docent Dwayne Smith (who happened to be celebrating his 10th year of touring guests that day). “This was a day to be able to bring George Mark families to Rancho Obi-Wan to get the full experience of the museum.”
For Dwayne, the connection was immediate.
“I knew right away that this is an organization that needed support,” he shared. “We’re happy to be involved with George Mark and George Mark families and share our passion for Star Wars with them.”
On the tour, Dwayne was joined by another wonderful Rancho Obi-Wan docent, Jon Nagel. Together, they guided families through the collection with the ease of people who know the shelves well, but still enjoy watching guests discover them for the first time. They pointed out favorite pieces, told stories, answered questions, and gave the children room to gravitate toward whatever caught their eyes.
These are the stories we are looking for
For the children on the tour, the magic was immediate.
Aurora had her own Star Wars Day moment. Dressed in her Mandalorian costume, she beamed with excitement seeing Grogu inside the pram. When asked about her favorite Star Wars character, her answer made perfect sense: Mando.
George knew his favorite character right away: Boba Fett. He loved the action figures, especially the smaller ones, and pointed out a Hoth trooper in snow gear as one of his favorites.
For Kianna, the miniature sets stood out most.
“Miniature sets are a way of telling stories,” she said. “When people put their creativity in that, I just really admire that.”
And then there was the Tantive IV inspired hallway.
George was taken by the bright white corridor built to feel like a Star Wars set. Asked what it felt like to be in that space, he answered simply: “Fun and really exciting.”
For Kianna, that same hallway had a transporting effect.
“I feel like I’m almost there, in the movie,” she said. “Like we just walked through that room which was designed to look like a set from Star Wars. That really made me feel like I was actually in the movie.”
The hallway became one of the day’s favorite photo stops. George posed with a glowing lightsaber. Aurora crossed sabers with her dad. Kianna and her mom stepped into the corridor, sabers in hand. David posed with his mom and dad. In that space, the afternoon seemed to shift from tour to adventure.
Help me, Rancho Obi-Wan
There is a special kind of care in letting families simply enjoy something together.
Not every act of support has to happen in a care room. Sometimes respite looks like a child holding a lightsaber, a parent taking one more photo, or a family smiling together in front of a favorite Star Wars display.
For Evan Lutz, LMFT, who provides individual and family therapy sessions and support at George Mark, experiences like this offer something deeply meaningful for families.
“It can be a unique opportunity for bereaved families to continue to build memories and a life forward together, while knowing that their child’s memory is welcome, their loss is still seen and held with care, and that this experience is shared with other families,” Lutz said.
Rancho Obi-Wan President and CEO Anne Neumann described the decision to welcome George Mark families in the most direct and heartfelt way.
“There are no thoughts,” Anne said. “It’s just yes. That’s all.”
She explained that Rancho Obi-Wan often opens its doors for schools and charity groups when docents are able to donate their time. For George Mark families, the purpose felt especially meaningful.
“We’re happy to do it because Star Wars brings a lot of joy,” Anne said. “Especially for the families of George Mark, they’re grieving and they just need a little respite from what they’re going through. And that’s what we do.”
The collector behind the collection
Rancho Obi-Wan founder Steve Sansweet also joined the families during the visit, spending time with guests, answering questions, and sharing stories from his decades of collecting.
“Hope you had some fun today and saw something that might have interested you,” Steve told the families.
In one sweet moment, Steve signed a Star Wars book for one of the young guests, turning the museum visit into something even more personal.
He also shared a glimpse of the larger dream still ahead for Rancho Obi-Wan and the future Saga Museum.
“We’re talking about doing a new museum that combines four collections,” Steve said. “That’s some ways in the future.”
For Anne, that future carries the same spirit that guided this visit: opening the doors wider and letting more people find their way into the galaxy.
“Everything you saw today, double it, triple it, make it open seven days a week, twelve hours a day,” Anne said.
Found family in a not so far galaxy
Toward the end of the visit, Anne reflected on what Rancho Obi-Wan can mean for people who come through its doors.
“How many people will come away with some kind of sense of happiness, joy, positive feelings, a feeling of being belonged,” she said.
“With their people, like you found your people.”
Then she added: “And that’s how we make this world a better place.”
That may be the simplest way to understand why this Star Wars Day story matters. At its best, fandom makes room. It gathers people together, gives families a little lightness in the middle of heavy things, and sometimes makes a whole galaxy feel like it is saying: you belong here.