The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is launching “Star Wars: The Experience,” the official exhibition marking Star Wars’ 50th anniversary, on February 13, 2027, the museum announced this Tuesday.
Billed as the world premiere exhibition for the franchise’s milestone year, the exhibit was created in collaboration with MDSX, Lucasfilm and Disney Consumer Products. It spans 18,000 square feet across a series of interconnected galleries and is described as the largest and most comprehensive behind-the-scenes exhibition built around the franchise to date.
The exhibition will feature more than 70 artifacts, many of them screen-used pieces from Lucasfilm’s archives being shown publicly for the first time. Confirmed items include Darth Maul’s lightsaber, Darth Vader’s costume, a speeder bike and original props from Andor. Visitors will also get close-up views of characters and droids, including Grogu, R2-D2 and C-3PO. The galleries will use RFID technology, allowing for what organizers describe as a personalized and interactive path through the exhibition.
Beyond the props and costumes, the exhibition is structured around the making of Star Wars itself, covering areas such as sound design, costume creation, fan art and gaming. According to the announcement, it traces the franchise’s evolution “from analog ingenuity to digital reinvention” and highlights both the original creative team behind the 1977 film and the global fan community that has grown around it since.
“Star Wars created a cultural landscape that spans decades and delivers massive, undeniable global appeal,” Franklin Institute president and CEO Larry Dubinski said in a statement. “Its influence extends far beyond cinema — shaping entertainment, culture, technology, and business, while redefining how stories are created, experienced, and shared across generations.” Dubinski added that the museum is “excited to put Philadelphia once again at the center of a major cultural moment with another blockbuster world premiere exhibition in 2027.”
Abby Bysshe, the Franklin Institute’s chief experience and strategy officer, said the exhibition is the product of more than four years of work across the partnership. “Bringing an experience of this scale to life takes an extraordinary amount of dedication and expertise,” she said, “and together this team has created something we believe will captivate audiences and celebrate the extraordinary and lasting impact of Star Wars.”
Dan Picard, owner and creative director at MDSX, framed the exhibition as a tribute to the franchise’s origins as much as its scale. “This exhibition is an authentic celebration of the ingenuity and pioneering spirit of Star Wars and its cultural impact across decades,” Picard said, calling it a project that “places fans inside unique aspects of the Star Wars saga — blending unforgettable moments, behind-the-scenes creativity, and the fandom that continues to shape the galaxy today.”
More details, along with the exhibition’s first gallery renderings, are expected July 24 at San Diego Comic-Con, where a panel titled “The Making of Star Wars™: The Experience” will go behind the scenes on the exhibition’s design. Panelists include Lucasfilm’s Matt Martin, senior creative executive of franchise content and strategy, and Portia Fontes, manager of physical assets, alongside Bysshe, Picard and MDSX art director Dave Edmonds. The panel will be moderated by Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka Tano across multiple animated Star Wars series.
Tickets for “Star Wars™: The Experience” go on sale in November. The exhibition runs from February 13 through September 6, 2027, in Philadelphia before launching a five-year North American tour to additional cities.