Three Thoughtful Things About Visiting the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened on September 22, 2026 in Los Angeles. It boasts over 300,000 square feet of art, statues, theaters, restaurants, and pure imagination, all inside (and around) one gorgeous building.

The first thing you notice when you walk up is how futuristic the outside of the Museum looks. Specifically, how the building looks like it was plucked directly from the mind of George Lucas himself (which, in a way, it was). From one angle, it honestly looks like the Senate building on Coruscant. Even at check-in, when an attendant zaps your ticket, the noise it makes sounds exactly like a blaster from Star Wars.

There is plenty to discover and lots of Easter eggs from the Galaxy Far, Far Away, but also well beyond that Galaxy, so here are my three thoughtful things after spending a day at the Lucas Museum.

1. There is enough Star Wars to enjoy
While planning my visit, I saw that one of the main criticisms of the museum was that there "wasn't more Star Wars stuff". I would guess about 7-10% of the museum is dedicated to the galaxy far, far away. The overarching theme is a celebration of narrative art, built from George Lucas's private collection and the things he loves (more on that in a little bit). But if you're a Star Wars fan, you're probably going to want to visit at least once, simply because the Maker made it, but for many more reasons.

The Star Wars experience really starts in the gardens, which you can visit two hours before the doors to the museum itself open. There you will find statues of Padmé fighting in the Geonosis arena, Princess Leia battling Jabba the Hutt, and an iconic Yoda fountain, this time with Grogu beside him. Visiting these statues is not part of the price of admission, so you can see them anytime when the grounds are open.

When you do get inside, on the main gallery floor (the fourth floor), there is a section dedicated specifically to everything Star Wars. That's where you get the greatest hits: Darth Vader, stormtroopers, R2-D2 and C-3PO, young Anakin in a podracer, Mace Windu, and plenty of art from across the different movies. As you would expect, this was the busiest portion of the museum throughout the entire day, with people happily taking selfies and admiring the pieces on the wall.

But throughout the museum, you will find other Star Wars-centric things. In the graphic novel section, you'll see some early Star Wars comic book covers. The library features Star Wars books, and a cute Yoda sign reminding you to leave your books at the return and not putting them away yourself.

The gift shop is particularly dangerous (it's a trap, some would say), because there is no shortage of Star Wars merch you can buy. I'm a big pin enthusiast, and there were some great options available. I loved the Anakin license plate that read "Tatooine," some funny script lines ("R2 beeps cheerily"), and other iconic characters and phrases. There were plenty of books, shirts, tumblers, and other things that a diehard Star Wars fan could easily drop hundreds of dollars on, and smile doing it.

Perhaps the biggest draw for a Star Wars fan, though, is in the theater, where they play episodes of Star Wars Detours, the never-released comedic spin on the galaxy far, far away created by George Lucas and Seth Green. Think Star Wars meets Robot Chicken, and if you love the humorous vibe of LEGO Star Wars, this is definitely a show you can sit in on and enjoy.

It airs throughout the day without a set schedule, with several episodes scattered across the day. As I understand it, this is only available at the Lucas Museum, so that is a special treat. All in all, it is enough of a Star Wars experience that it's worth the pilgrimage if you are such a fan, even once.

2. George Lucas the collector

The collection itself is very impressive. Norman Rockwell has a dedicated section. There are different genres represented, like comic books,
love, and sports. The sci-fi section in particular was very impressive to me. The pieces were striking. Banksy, one of the most famous artists working today, has a whole installation on the fifth floor, and it's powerful. Dogs Playing Poker is there.

If the overall collection is a glimpse into the things that George Lucas and Mellody Hobson love, then I feel we would have a lot in common. A lot of cars, architecture, impressive buildings, history, and random things like Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, as well as MAD's Alfred E. Neuman. What, me worry?

The Turkish-Canadian in me was very proud to see two particular displays. Two identical condominiums in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, where I used to live, that Torontonians affectionately call the Marilyn Monroe buildings due to their unique shape. A photo was on display in the architecture section. Then, in the history area, the beautiful Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, a large, striking display that caught me off guard and gave me goosebumps.

It's fun to walk through the museum and be immersed, while also learning the things that George Lucas loves.

3. The food

Yes, there is a café and a Starbucks, but the main event is definitely Skywalker Grill. When you get up there, it looks like the interior of a ship in the galaxy far, far away. There are no corners to be found. The menu is fun: George's favorite item is the salad that's named after him. I tried the Skywalker Ranch Wagyu beef burger, because I loved visiting Skywalker Ranch so much, and the burger did not disappoint. Neither did the cheesecake.

A little hack for you: if you ask for food to go, they will give you a green Skywalker Grill bag that can serve not only as another keepsake but can also be used to hold all your other keepsakes. It's definitely worth a reservation at Skywalker Grill. If you sit on the terrace, or even if you just walk around during lunch or dinner, you will also see a beautiful view of the Los Angeles skyline.

All in all, in my opinion, Lucas Museum is definitely worth visiting, and I can't wait to go again. I imagine they have so much that the public is still not aware of, stored in warehouses, just ready to be seen across the next several years, and I'm very excited about that possibility. The Force is strong!