Updated
Updated · Time Out · Sep 19
Lucas Museum Opens Free Library and Gardens on Sept. 22 as $25 Galleries Stay Ticketed
Updated
Updated · Time Out · Sep 19

Lucas Museum Opens Free Library and Gardens on Sept. 22 as $25 Galleries Stay Ticketed

3 articles · Updated · Time Out · Sep 19

Summary

  • Sept. 22 will bring free public access to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s library and surrounding gardens, even as general gallery admission remains $25 for adults and free for visitors 17 and under.
  • The museum is pitching the spaces as everyday community assets: separate garden entrances lead into paths, lawns and an amphitheater, while the library lets visitors browse first-floor books without buying a museum ticket.
  • Star Wars appears prominently outdoors despite making up only 7% of museum displays, with sculptures including Jabba the Hutt, Leia, Yoda and Grogu alongside works such as Rosie the Riveter and Terracotta Daughters.
  • Three floors of shelves anchor the library, though only the first floor is open to the public; upper levels hold research collections from George Lucas and Mellody Hobson’s Skywalker Ranch library and donations from Steve Martin.
  • Monthly amphitheater activations are expected on some late-open Fridays or Saturdays, underscoring the museum’s broader aim to fold storytelling, reading and green space into daily life around Exposition Park.

Insights

How did a massive asphalt parking lot suddenly transform into an urban oasis featuring Yoda, Grogu, and 300 trees?
With the museum opening in just three days, is its massive free park a civic gift or a clever funnel for ticketed galleries?
What hidden secrets lie within the 30,000 comic books and Joseph Campbell's library that anyone can browse for free starting this week?