Here’s How to Get Free Tickets to George Lucas’ New Museum

Mark your calendars: after years of anticipation, the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has slated its opening for September 26. Ticket sales for the long-awaited museum go on sale July 22. 

The project was pushed back by the pandemic and a major relocation, but has now solidified its opening date to the public. Originally the museum was to be housed in San Francisco’s Presidio, where Lucasfilm studio is based at One Letterman. Now, the 300,000 square foot museum found its home in Los Angeles at Exposition Park, also home to the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, California African American Museum, the historic Coliseum, and BMO Stadium. 

Yes, there will be Star Wars and Indiana Jones paraphernalia on display. But the collection takes a much broader scope spanning the history of human storytelling. Some 40,000 pieces will be divided into galleries with themes like everyday life (with subcategories of love, family, play, childhood, motherhood, etc.) and narrative form (romance, fantasy, adventure and science fiction). The museum’s first installation includes everything from prehistoric cave paintings and ancient sculptures of gods and goddesses all the way to pieces by Norman Rockwell, Beatrix Potter, N.C. Wyeth, and a robust comic book and anime archive, all installed throughout some 30 distinct galleries.

The futuristic building is an architectural phenomenon, complete with an oversize oculus and curved gallery walls, which appears as if it’s a hovercraft levitating over the city. It was designed by Ma Yansong of Beijing studio MAD Architects (which has an office in L.A.), with Stantec as executive architect. The gardens are also of note. Mia Lehrer and her team at Studio-MLA transformed what were formerly parking lots into a living landscape, lush with native and drought-tolerant plantings and more than 200 trees. She also integrated walking paths and shaded gathering areas, providing much-needed green space in South L.A. The landscaping captures rainwater for irrigation, a waterfall-like fountain contributes to renewable cooling during the sweltering summer months, and solar panels on the roof supply energy.

In a nod to Los Angeles locals residing in the surrounding area, who no doubt bore traffic delays and disruptions during the construction of the massive facility, Lucas will be offering free lifetime admission to the surrounding zip code of 90037 through their LM37 program. After decades of dreaming, the galaxy has finally landed, adding another cultural landmark for a city gearing up to welcome the world to the 2028 Olympics.