Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Announces September 2026 Opening Date
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a new cultural institution celebrating the art of visual storytelling, will open to the public on September 22, 2026, after years of planning and delays.
Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum will be located in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park and will house a collection of over 40,000 works spanning illustration, comic art, and photography. “This is a museum of the people’s art. The images are illustrations of beliefs we live with every day,” Hobson said in a statement released today. The museum’s 35 galleries, totaling 100,000 square feet, will be organized around themes reflecting the human experience, such as love, family, and community.
The collection will feature iconic works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, and Jack Kirby, alongside pieces like Frank Frazetta’s cover for A Princess of Mars and an unpublished drawing by Beatrix Potter. The museum will also showcase the Lucas Archives, containing props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career – offering fans a unique look behind the scenes of his legendary films. This project represents a significant investment in Los Angeles’s cultural landscape, potentially drawing substantial tourism to the area.
Lucas emphasized the power of illustrated storytelling, stating, “Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life.” Construction on the $1 billion museum began in 2018, following earlier attempts to locate the project in San Francisco and Chicago. Museum officials stated they will continue to prepare for the opening and unveil further details about exhibits and programming in the coming months. You can learn more about narrative art at the Smithsonian Magazine.
