The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by filmmaker George Lucas, is set to open next Tuesday in Los Angeles, culminating nearly two decades of development. Situated on 11 acres of Exposition Park in South Los Angeles, the museum offers a unique blend of striking architecture, extensive narrative art collections, and immersive tributes to Lucas’s creative legacy.

Designed by renowned Chinese architect Ma Yansong, the building features a futuristic design that some have likened to a spaceship hovering over its surroundings. The 300,000-square-foot structure is enveloped by curated public gardens with a variety of sculptures, several referencing Lucas’s famed Star Wars franchise. Among these are statues of Yoda by a waterfall and a dramatic depiction of Princess Leia in her iconic gold bikini, depicted in the act of throttling Jabba the Hutt.

The museum’s interior similarly draws inspiration from science fiction, with a pearlescent main atrium, glass “turbolifts,” and technologically advanced features like hands-free restroom doors. Visitors stepping inside might recognize echoes of Star Wars environments, although the museum’s collection extends well beyond the franchise.

The collection comprises approximately 1,200 pieces, nearly all owned by Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, and celebrates the broader field of narrative art—art that tells complete stories within a single frame. The exhibits span from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary comics and storyboard art, organized thematically into galleries such as Adventure, Fantasy, Childhood, Romance, and Science Fiction.

Lucas’s influence is most visible in the museum’s dedicated Star Wars gallery, which showcases vehicles, props, and costumes from the original six films, including speeder bikes, pod racers, and Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder. However, this room represents just one part of the wider narrative focus.

The museum emphasizes a diverse range of artists, including those often regarded as “unsung,” such as comic innovators Frank Frazetta, George Herriman, and Jack Kirby, alongside illustrators like Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Norman Rockwell—figures Lucas credits as key inspirations. These works are displayed alongside those of better-known artists including Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, and contemporary street artist Banksy, who contributed ten murals to the museum.

Tracey Bates, the museum’s chief executive, emphasized the institution’s inclusive approach to storytelling, noting that no individual piece or artist is deemed more important than another. “This is about telling stories—and we’re not putting any rules on that storytelling,” she said.

Lucas himself was reportedly deeply involved throughout the museum’s eight-year construction process, with his influence visible not only in curatorial decisions but also in design elements such as the research library’s handcrafted wooden tables and merchandise offerings in the gift shop.

The $741 million museum aims to bridge fine art, illustration, comics, and film, creating what Lucas describes as a “next-generation cathedral” of narrative art that honors both the history and evolving forms of visual storytelling.