George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Opens in Los Angeles After 17 Years

George Lucas's Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open to the public on Tuesday in Los Angeles, 17 years after the project was first envisioned. The $1 billion institution is located in Exposition Park near the University of Southern California, Lucas's alma mater.

The 82-year-old filmmaker described the museum as a "temple to the people's art" and a project that "almost broke my will." The museum was previously planned for San Francisco and Chicago before Lucas said he was "kicked out" of both cities during the design phase.

“"temple to the people's art" and a project that "almost broke my will."”

The galleries are filled almost entirely with the personal collections of Lucas and his wife, co-founder Mellody Hobson. The museum mixes works by populist painters, commercial illustrators, and comic artists with fine artists typically associated with major museums.

Outdoor grounds feature a commissioned sculpture titled "The Hutt Slayer" depicting Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia choking Jabba the Hutt. Statues of Yoda, Grogu, and Padmé Amidala are also displayed along the paths.

Inside, the inaugural "Star Wars in Motion" exhibit displays vehicles from the original trilogy and prequels. A Naboo starfighter hangs in the library lobby. A fifth-floor gallery houses two walls of stenciled murals by British street artist Banksy.