Lucas Museum Opens in Los Angeles September 22: Visitor Guide

The long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, adding a major new cultural destination to Los Angeles. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and business leader Mellody Hobson, the museum explores how people tell stories through images—from paintings and illustration to comics, photography, murals, and cinema.

The opening is especially significant for movie fans, but the Lucas Museum is not simply a Star Wars museum. Its inaugural presentation places film art beside centuries of visual storytelling and works by artists including Frida Kahlo, Norman Rockwell, Artemisia Gentileschi, Robert Colescott, Charles White, and Judith F. Baca.

Here is what visitors need to know about the grand opening, tickets, exhibitions, location, and transportation.

When does the Lucas Museum open?

The official public opening date is September 22, 2026. The museum has also announced several events before opening day:

• Member preview days: September 5–11
• Neighborhood Preview Day: September 13
• Opening Night celebration: September 19
• Public opening: September 22

The opening date and event schedule were confirmed in the museum’s official September 2026 announcement.

Where is the Lucas Museum?

The museum is at:

One Lucas Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90037

It sits in Exposition Park in South Los Angeles, near the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California Science Center, California African American Museum, USC, and BMO Stadium.

Although visitors sometimes describe the site as Downtown LA, the museum is not in Downtown proper. Exposition Park is a short distance south of Downtown and is connected to it by Metro’s E Line.

Lucas Museum tickets and admission prices

Timed-entry reservations are required, including for members. The museum lists the following general admission prices:

• Adults: $25
• Seniors age 65 and over: $21
• Children age 17 and under: Free
• Founding Members: Free
• Active-duty military: Free
• Personal aides or attendants: Free
• EBT cardholders: Free

Residents of the surrounding 90037 ZIP code can learn about the free LM37 pass. Availability and policies may change, so reserve through the official Lucas Museum website before traveling.

Lucas Museum opening hours

The museum currently lists these regular public hours:

• Monday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Opening-week operations can differ from regular hours. Confirm your timed entry and the daily schedule before visiting.

What will be inside the Lucas Museum?

The sculptural five-story building was designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with Stantec. It encompasses approximately 300,000 square feet, with more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space across over 30 galleries. A surrounding 13-acre landscape designed by Mia Lehrer and Studio-MLA adds gardens and public green space.

The museum says its opening exhibitions will present more than 1,300 works. Rather than arranging everything as a conventional timeline, galleries explore the stories people tell about subjects such as heroes, myths, family, community, work, play, love, danger, and adventure.

Art, illustration, comics, and murals

The galleries give popular visual culture the same serious attention as painting, sculpture, and photography. Visitors can expect illustration, children’s-book art, comics, manga, graphic novels, photographs, and murals alongside works traditionally found in fine-art museums.

The monumental-art gallery includes material from Judith F. Baca’s The Great Wall of Los Angeles, as well as works or studies connected to Diego Rivera, JR, and Banksy.

Star Wars in Motion and the Lucas Archives

Film fans will want to see Star Wars in Motion, the inaugural Cinema gallery exhibition drawn from the Lucas Archives. It focuses on land vehicles from the first six Star Wars films, including concept art, props, and costumes associated with vehicles such as Luke’s Landspeeder and General Grievous’s Wheel Bike.

The complete Lucas Archives represented at the museum span 1971–2012, but visitors should not assume that every archive object will be displayed at once.

Two theaters with continuous film programs

The Robert Flaherty Theater and Slavko Vorkapich Theater will show continuous, drop-in film programs. One explores documentary cinema and artists’ creative processes; the other focuses on the visual mechanics of motion, light, sound, color, and editing.

A free research library

The Lucas Museum’s Research Library will be open free of charge. Its holdings include more than 30,000 comic books, rare books and archives, material from the Skywalker Ranch Library, approximately 3,000 art books donated by Steve Martin and his wife, and more than 2,900 volumes from mythologist Joseph Campbell’s personal library.

Skywalker Grill and visitor amenities

The campus also includes the Skywalker Grill destination restaurant, a café, a museum shop, classrooms, studios, and outdoor gathering areas. Restaurant access and reservations should be checked directly with the museum.

How to get to the Lucas Museum by Metro

LA Metro recommends several public-transit options:

• Take the E Line to Expo/Vermont Station.
• Take Metro Bus 204 or 754 to Vermont Avenue and 39th Street.
• Take the J Line to 37th Street/USC and walk through Exposition Park.

Metro can be especially practical when the Coliseum, BMO Stadium, USC, or another Exposition Park institution has a major event. Check live service information and plan the full trip through LA Metro’s Lucas Museum guidance.

Planning an Exposition Park museum day

The Lucas Museum’s location makes it possible to pair a timed visit with another major attraction. Nearby choices include the Natural History Museum, California Science Center, California African American Museum, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Avoid scheduling too tightly during the first weeks. A new institution of this scale will attract substantial interest, and timed admission does not eliminate lines for security, food, shops, or individual exhibitions.

Travelers who want to connect Exposition Park with Hollywood, Downtown, Beverly Hills, or the coast can include the area in a customized private Los Angeles city tour. Movie-focused visitors may also enjoy a private Hollywood tour or the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Hollywood highlights experience.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lucas Museum open now?

The public opening is September 22, 2026. Before that date, access is limited to announced previews and opening events.

Is the Lucas Museum in Downtown Los Angeles?

No. It is in Exposition Park in South Los Angeles, a short distance south of Downtown LA.

Is the Lucas Museum only about Star Wars?

No. The Lucas Archives and Star Wars material are important parts of the collection, but the museum covers narrative art across cultures, centuries, and media.

Do children enter free?

The museum currently lists free admission for children age 17 and under, although a timed-entry reservation is still required.

What is the closest Metro station?

LA Metro recommends Expo/Vermont Station on the E Line for the museum. Follow current wayfinding and service notices on the day of your visit.

Published September 14, 2026. Opening information, admission policies, hours, exhibitions, and transit service can change. Confirm final details with the Lucas Museum and LA Metro before your visit.