George Lucas’s $1 billion Los Angeles museum sets 2026 opening date — what’s inside?

First unveiled in 2014, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art looks set to become a must-visit bucket-list attraction

The futuristic museum that looks like it’s from a galaxy far, far away now has an opening date.

The starship-like Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, a $1 billion passion project envisioned by Star Wars creator George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, will open to the public on September 22, 2026, it has been announced.

First unveiled in 2014, the Exposition Park institution appears poised to become a must-visit, bucket-list attraction, judging by the photos.

The structure 'floats' above the ground — and there’s not a right angle in sight (Photo courtesy of Hathaway Dinwiddie/Pedro Ramirez)

The structure has been designed to “float” above the ground, according to Mad Architects, the studio behind the building, and there’s not a right angle in sight.

The 300,000-square-foot building sits in a landscape consisting of trees, gardens and walkways, and will house what’s claimed to be “one of the world’s most significant collections of narrative art,” curated by 81-year-old Lucas himself.

The five-storey museum, dedicated to illustrated storytelling, will house more than 10,000 pieces from his personal collection, including comics, illustrations, paintings, photographs, moving images, sculptures, and film memorabilia.

On display will be works by illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, N. C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, and Kadir Nelson; comic artists such as Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby, and Robert Crumb; muralists such as Judith F. Baca and Diego Rivera; photographers including Dorothea Lange and Carrie Mae Weems; chroniclers of African American life including Jacob Lawrence and Charles White; and seminal works by artists including Frida Kahlo, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Robert Colescott.

The 300,000-square-foot building sits in a landscape consisting of trees, gardens and walkways, and will house what’s claimed to be 'one of the world’s most significant collections of narrative art' (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art)

The interior will comprise gallery spaces; two cinemas, including a 299-seat theater; glass elevators; a library; a cafe and restaurants; and visitors will be able to ascend to a rooftop terrace for panoramic city views (Lucas Museum of Narrative Art)

The collection also includes cinematic archives, including the Separate Cinema Archive and the entire Historic Lucasfilm Archive (1971–2012).

The interior will comprise gallery spaces, two cinemas, including a 299-seat theater, glass elevators, a library, a café, and restaurants. Visitors will also be able to ascend to a rooftop terrace for panoramic city views.

“This is a museum of the people’s art — the images are illustrations of beliefs we live with every day. For that reason, this art belongs to everyone,” said Lucas Museum co-founder Hobson.

“Our hope is that as people move through the galleries, they will see themselves, and their humanity, reflected back.”