Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" exhibition originally opened at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum on October 29, 1997, and welcomed more than one million visitors through January 31, 1999. The show's popularity led the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service to collaborate with Lucasfilm and bring the exhibition to some of the top museums.

Here is the planned tour schedule:

The San Diego Museum of Art
September 25, 1999 through January 2, 2000

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
February 27, 2000 through June 4, 2000

The Field Museum, Chicago
July 15, 2000 through January 7, 2001

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
March 11, 2001, through June 24, 2001

The Toledo Museum of Art
August 5, 2001 through January 5, 2002

The Brooklyn Museum of Art
February 16, 2002 through June 9, 2002

The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia September 2002 through January 2003*

* exact dates to be determined.

The Star Wars exhibition has been credited with helping Washington record a banner year for tourism in 1997, according to the Washington Post. And the press also credits NASM's gift shop as the most successful museum shop in history.

George Lucas Attends Opening Ceremonies

George Lucas attended the exhibition's formal opening ceremonies on October 29, 1997, at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum, together with some of the key creative figures who have made the Star Wars movies possible: Ralph McQuarrie, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Frank Oz.

"I am pleased that the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is honoring the artists of Star Wars with this exhibition," Lucas said. "Film making is a collaborative effort and the creation of art work, models, costumes, and creatures plays a major role in my movies. The artists who worked on Star Wars are among the best in the world. I'm thrilled that the public now has the opportunity to examine their artistry in a museum setting."

Like the other exhibitions on view at the Air and Space Museum, STAR WARS: The Magic of Myth is not only about history, but about the future and the visitors who may create that future. Lucas said he hopes the exhibit "will inspire young people who are interested in art, science, and computer technology to use their skills and imagination to create new worlds and pursue their dreams."

The Exhibition Gallery

The Star Wars gallery presents the artifacts in approximately the same order as they appeared in the movie trilogy, organizing them into themed cases. Check here for more details.

The Exhibition's Companion Book

In the Smithsonian's Star Wars exhibition gallery, descriptive plaques reveal the classical mythology themes and motifs that are woven throughout the Star Wars Trilogy.You can read all of these plaques at the Smithsonian's Web site feature on the exhibition. The companion book to STAR WARS: The Magic of Myth carries these comparisons further and provides illustrations that demonstrate the technical and philosophical influences of mythology in the Star Wars Trilogy. Swords, sorcery, and chivalry combine with space flight, laser weapons, and droids to create the Star Wars world we know. Our own web site gallery feature offers excerpts from one section of this book, revealing the origins of props and costumes that help define the look of Star Wars.

Tickets Required - For ticket information, please contact the museums themselves. Prices may vary from one museum to another.