Along with many a Star Wars fan, I’ve been tracking the news about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and couldn’t wait to finally get in the doors. I made arrangements to go on my first free day after the September 22 grand opening, which happened to be my birthday. There was a heat wave and it was over 100 degrees, but I braved LA traffic on a Friday to spend the day in my R2-D2 dress and a tiara – and had an amazing time! Everyone should make plans to get there next time they’re in Southern California and I expect tickets for around Star Wars Celebration to get snapped up as soon as they go on sale.
I didn’t realize in advance just how much of human history the museum covers. There’s an exhibit near the entrance that covers everything from cave paintings to the Sistine Chapel, though neither of those examples are actually physically present. Many of the paintings, sculptures, and other works of art in this area are high-resolution videos and projections. I actually really loved the experience, it feels like the future of museums and a more ethical way to view artifacts from around the world. I suggest starting your first visit in this gallery for a little context, a brief history of narrative art. Especially if, like me, you’re not quite sure what that term means. I’ve been describing “narrative art” to people as “the history of storytelling” and the museum’s printed map brochure calls it “visual culture.”
Of course I loved the Star Wars section, but the galleries that made the most impact on me were Norman Rockwell and the Murals area on the hard-to-find 5th floor. I knew a little about Rockwell’s Americana art but loved seeing the studies on display here. In addition to original, well-known paintings, there were also some trial runs where the artist decides on the perspective, facial expressions, and other details. And there were Rockwells I’d never seen before and really loved as well as pieces by other artists that were inspired by some of his best known paintings. I really liked the inclusion of those, including two pop culture versions of the famous “Triple Self-Portrait.”
As for the Murals gallery, the name is a wild undersell of what’s up there. There are actual Banksys, still on the walls they were painted on. I really want to know more about the places these were removed from, did someone just carve out this chunk of brick wall and sell it to George Lucas? Also included are stencils Banksy used as well as practice versions done on random pieces of cardboard. As in the history exhibit, some of the displays are videos that slowly pan along the length of murals that are still out in the world. There are also smaller versions of much larger murals, studies painted as part of the artistic process to decide on sizing, colors, and other elements of the final piece.
There are dozens of galleries, each with a focus. Some are themes like Romance, Adventure, and Childhood. Others are famous artists like Rockwell or Maxfield Parrish. The Architecture gallery has a miniature of the museum (which helped us figure out where the various sculptures were outside) plus designs from the original location intended for San Francisco and the alternate on Treasure Island that are fun to see.
Hours could easily be spent wandering in and out of these galleries. The pop culture areas were especially fun for me, with one dedicated to comics (the newspaper kind) and another for graphic novels. Seeing original Far Side, Garfield, and Peanuts layouts is very fun, though I did overhear at least one kid ask their parent “what’s a newspaper?” In the Children’s Stories gallery, I audibly gasped at the original Winnie-the-Pooh artwork by E.H. Shepard and there’s also Beatrix Potter and Maurice Sendak illustrations straight from my childhood. I have always found the movie The Wizard of Oz slightly disconcerting, but seeing the Cowardly Lion’s costume in person is honestly chilling because it’s obvious that it’s an actual lion pelt sewn into a human-shaped suit, complete with loafers and gloves made out of the paws.
I was of course eager to visit the Star Wars exhibit and made that a priority early on in the visit. I read every label and spent as much time as I wanted with every painting, miniature, and costume as I wanted. It begins with Doug Chiang production art, which I’ve long admired but never seen in person. I had no idea they had huge versions of these stunning pieces! There are also many from Ralph McQuarrie (original trilogy) and Ryan Church (also from the prequel era). For those who love the end credit artwork on The Mandalorian, it was amazing to see production art on the walls of a museum. And there’s always interesting details that didn’t make it into the movies. One from McQuarrie that I’d never seen before particularly caught my eye. It shows our heroes arriving at Cloud City and I’m not sure what was weirder to see, Leia wearing a matching outfit with Han Solo or C-3PO carrying their luggage.
Getting up close and personal with costumes and props led to more fun finds. I’ve never noticed the little spurs on the toes of Boba Fett’s boots. Little jets to help when he takes off with his jetpack, perhaps? A few of the miniature ships and vehicles had action figures for scale. Though I wanted to know more about how the different sizes are used in the filmmaking process, I assume some are used in different shots or for other purposes but there weren’t any details on the signage.
Blurred backgrounds behind the larger vehicles give the illusion of movement and make for fun photos. Some costumes come with mannequins and the facial expression of Obi-Wan Kenobi when Anakin is pursuing the assassin from Attack of the Clones is a real treat to see in person. That basically sums up the entire exhibit – it’s a treat for fans. But it’s also a little disappointing and feels a bit like they did it out of obligation rather than joy. Considering George Lucas retained the archives with all the models and props from the first six movies, we know there’s a treasure trove that could fill the entire museum. I’m not advocating for that, but I am hoping the museum will use this Cinema gallery, and maybe some of the underused spaces (like entirely blank hallways), to share more Lucasfilm goodies with us fans.
As if all of that isn’t enough to fill an entire day, there’s other things to do and see at the Lucas Museum. I made a quick visit to the stunning research library, which is available to the public. I always love a museum gift shop and this was no exception. I did notice the large number of smaller, relatively cheap items like pens and pencils but didn’t think much of it until I read an article a few days later talking about the directive from co-founder Mellody Hobson (also George Lucas’s wife) that field trips remain affordable for kids. Along with a $2 grilled cheese in the cafe, a 25 cent pencil means that everyone can enjoy the full experience.
I walked out with only a couple of pins and a tote bag with Ralph McQuarrie art on it (they sold me the display because it was the last one in stock!). But if you come with money, there’s a lot of fun finds, including Swarovski crystal statues the size of Star Wars action figures.
I was able to secure a reservation for Skywalker Grill, the restaurant on the top floor that books well in advance through an online system. I’d refreshed the page and signed up for notifications in the weeks leading up to my visit, with no success. On the day of, the host told me to refresh the reservation portal often and indeed, on a few occasions openings appeared. You have to be instantaneous in booking them, but after a few tries I finally got my group a table. We enjoyed a round of cocktails and appetizers, plus wine and a free birthday dessert. It was all pretty good and came out to $55 per person. We had already eaten a late lunch in the cafe on the entrance floor, where tacos, burgers, pizza, and salads were all priced at more like $10-15. I’ll probably do that on purpose for my future visits – eat the perfectly good cheaper food downstairs but enjoy at least a drink and small bite at Skywalker Grill if I can get a reservation. The restaurant’s windows angle towards downtown LA, which on the day I went really played along with the theme of stunning imagery. The skyline was lit by golden hour on a remarkably clear day, with the usually-hazy San Gabriel Mountains rising crisply behind it.
Despite the heat, I had to get outside and see the sculptures. I had heard about the Hutt-Slayer Leia one in advance, but there’s also one of Padme fighting off the Nexu in Attack of the Clones (just before her shirt is ripped). The silhouettes of both are amazing and I’d say there’s not a bad time to visit them. We did wander farther into the gardens to see the Yoda and Grogu fountain, which was nice but would have photographed better in the morning light.
There’s also two theaters showing programs all day, but I didn’t make it into either one on this first visit. Next time, I’ll at least dabble, though the program options are so good I’d love to be able to spend a full day in each! One theater shows documentaries so you can deep dive into some of the subjects of the galleries upstairs – Charlie Brown, Norman Rockwell, and Jim Lee just to name a few. The other theater shows an amazing variety of animated and live action shorts. From the oldest, dating back to 1894, to the most recent – a Star Wars Visions episode from 2021 – it’s a history of the medium and includes Steamboat Willie, Betty Boop, Cowboy Bebop, and even a few shorts from George Lucas’s film school days. There’s also Star Wars Detours episodes, which is an unaired parody series like Robot Chicken that essentially died with the Disney deal. I will prioritize seeing those next time I’m back! There’s no screening times posted but I was able to get a “Film Program” booklet from the information desk (and it’s also on the website here) which shows the order and includes a little more information about each.
My main complaint about the museum is the lack of guidance throughout. There’s a QR code in the lobby to bring up the digital guide. I don’t want to be looking at my phone all day but that’s the only place you can find the usual introductory information for each gallery. What’s the unifying theme, who is this apparently important artist? You won’t know unless you’re willing to read it on your phone. I sound old (full disclosure, I turned 44 on the day of my visit) but I also needed to save my phone battery to take pictures of all the amazing stuff! You can ask for a paper map at the information desk but it only has very basic information.
The labels for each piece of art also have very few details. For the Star Wars exhibit, this was borderline infuriating because I wanted to know whether models were for reference or filming, if costumes were screen-used, and more about all the production art. Apparently the digital guide also has a feature where you can take a picture of any piece and it will tell you more about the art and artist. I will (begrudgingly) use this when I go again since it doesn’t seem like there’s any other way to get that information.
Speaking of the Star Wars exhibit, which is allegedly temporary, it is in the “Cinema” gallery. I had to google where it was because we could find no indication on the signage or online guide. I get it, it’s not a Star Wars museum. But also, let’s be realistic about why a certain number of people attend and make it easier for the staff and volunteers who must get constantly asked how to find it. There is a capacity limit for that gallery so they’ve got one-way traffic set up and it’s possible you’d have to wait to get in if you go at a busy time.
The museum is massive and there’s too much to see in one day, so visits will require some planning about how to spend your time. We were on site for nearly eight hours and left much undone! Getting tickets also takes some advance planning and I expect it will be that way for at least the first year or so. The museum has timed entry tickets, with more availability for members than for non-members. Right now, you can get good options about 10 days in advance for weekdays, but if you’re going on a weekend you’ll need to plan more like six weeks in advance. I ended up signing up for a membership before going because the price is pretty reasonable and I know I’ll be back a few times. The lowest level membership is $140 and gets two free tickets (usually $25 each) on every visit and I admit I like the idea of being a “founding member” even if I don’t renew it every year. I’m excited to go back, bring more friends and family, see the galleries I didn’t get to, and watch some films in the theaters. And of course visit the Star Wars gallery every single time!