LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is preparing to open its doors to the public on September 22, bringing a new cultural destination to Los Angeles’ Exposition Park.
Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and investor and business leader Mellody Hobson, the museum is dedicated to visual storytelling across centuries and cultures. Its collection brings together traditional fine art with comics, illustration, photography and cinema.
A New Museum Built Around Storytelling
The museum occupies a roughly 300,000-square-foot building designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec. More than 100,000 square feet of gallery space is spread across more than 30 galleries.
Rather than focusing on one artistic medium, the museum presents different forms of visual storytelling side by side. Visitors can see works connected to mythology, fantasy, everyday life, comics, film and popular culture.
The opening collection includes more than 1,300 works, giving visitors a broad look at how artists have used images to tell stories and communicate ideas.
Star Wars Gets a Place in the Opening Exhibits
For movie fans, one of the museum’s biggest attractions is its connection to the work of George Lucas.
The opening exhibitions include concept designs, costumes and props associated with the Star Wars films. Among the displayed material are vehicles connected to the franchise, including Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder from A New Hope and the physical build of General Grievous’ Wheel Bike from Revenge of the Sith.
The museum’s cinema program also explores the history and technology of filmmaking through two dedicated theaters.
Art From Rockwell to Kahlo and Comics
The collection goes well beyond Hollywood.
Opening exhibitions feature artists including Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Robert Colescott, Frank Frazetta and Robert Crumb. The museum also features photography, murals, illustration and other forms of visual art.
A major focus is showing how different forms of storytelling have developed across time. Comics and cinema are presented alongside more traditional forms of art, giving popular culture a prominent place within the museum.
A New Destination in Exposition Park
The museum is part of a 13-acre campus in Exposition Park that includes newly designed park and garden areas.
The outdoor space includes more than 300 newly planted trees, a meadow, an amphitheater, a hanging garden and a fountain. The project also transforms what had previously been an asphalt parking area into new public green space for South Los Angeles.
The combination of galleries, gardens and public spaces is intended to make the museum more than an indoor attraction.
Visitors Can Also Explore Film and Research Collections
The museum will offer visitors access to a free research library containing books, archives and other materials connected to art, cinema, illustration, comics, folklore and popular culture.
The library includes more than 30,000 comic books, along with materials from the former Lucasfilm Research Library and thousands of art books donated by Steve Martin and Ann Martin.
The museum also includes a destination restaurant called Skywalker Grill, adding another entertainment and dining option for visitors.
Public Opening Set for September 22
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will officially open to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
The opening comes after years of planning and construction and gives Los Angeles a major new institution focused on the connection between art, movies, comics and visual storytelling.
For Los Angeles residents and visitors, the museum offers an unusual combination of fine art, Hollywood history, comic art, movie memorabilia and outdoor public space under one roof.