The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in Los Angeles on September 22, 2026. It will add a major cultural destination to Exposition Park.
This Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opening guide covers the details you need before visiting. You will find information about tickets, hours, transportation, galleries, films, gardens, and nearby activities.
The museum focuses on visual storytelling. Its collection includes painting, illustration, comics, photography, cinema, and other forms of narrative art.
Visitors can also explore the surrounding gardens and public spaces. As a result, the museum can easily fill several hours of your day.
If you are visiting Los Angeles in September, this is one of the most important new attractions to consider.
What to Know About the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Why the Museum Opening Matters for Los Angeles
George Lucas and Mellody Hobson created the museum around a simple idea. Images have always helped people tell stories.
The museum brings many types of visual art together. For example, visitors may see paintings, illustrations, comics, photographs, and cinema-related works during one visit.
This approach makes the museum different from many traditional art institutions. It does not divide popular culture and fine art into completely separate worlds.
The building itself is also a major part of the experience. It covers about 300,000 square feet and includes more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space.
More than 30 galleries will present works from different periods and artistic traditions. Therefore, visitors should not expect to see everything quickly.
The museum’s curved design also stands out within Exposition Park. Its futuristic form creates a strong contrast with the surrounding landscape.
If you want to build a full day around the visit, read our guide to things to do in Los Angeles in September 2026.
You can also explore more ideas in our things to do in Los Angeles section.
Tickets and Admission Before You Go
The Lucas Museum uses timed-entry tickets. Every visitor needs a reservation, including children and members.
Because of this system, it is better to book before you arrive. Opening week may be especially busy.
Current general admission is $25 for adults. Visitors age 65 and older pay $21.
Children age 17 and under can enter for free. Members and active-duty military members also receive free admission.
However, free admission does not remove the reservation requirement. You still need a timed ticket.
General admission includes access to the museum galleries, exhibitions, and theaters.
The park, gardens, museum store, café, and Skywalker Grill do not require museum admission. Therefore, you can still enjoy part of the campus without an exhibition ticket.
Before traveling, check the official Lucas Museum visitor information page. Ticket prices, entry rules, and availability can change.
What You Can See Inside the Lucas Museum
The opening exhibitions are expected to include more than 1,300 works. These pieces explore storytelling across different cultures and time periods.
The galleries will cover themes such as family, community, adventure, fantasy, work, romance, and recreation.
Visitors may also see works linked to major artists and illustrators. The opening exhibitions include names such as Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Diego Rivera, Gordon Parks, and Charles Schulz.
Comic books and graphic novels also have an important place in the museum. Manga, murals, illustration, and photography receive attention as well.
This mix makes the museum accessible to a wide range of visitors. You do not need to be an art expert to enjoy it.
In fact, fans of film, comics, illustration, and visual culture may find the museum especially interesting.
Star Wars, Cinema and Film Experiences
George Lucas is closely connected with cinema, so film plays an important role here.
However, the Lucas Museum is not simply a Star Wars museum. Its collection covers a much wider range of visual storytelling.
Still, Star Wars fans will have something special to see. The opening program includes Star Wars in Motion.
This exhibition focuses on vehicles from the first six Star Wars films. It includes production material connected with their design and development.
The museum has also announced concept designs, props, costumes, and other cinema-related items.
Two theaters will provide additional film programming. Visitors can watch films and then return to the galleries afterward.
This creates a more flexible experience than a traditional movie screening.
For more culture and entertainment ideas, browse our Los Angeles local guides.
Architecture, Gardens and Outdoor Spaces
The museum experience continues outside the galleries.
The campus includes about 13 acres of new park and garden space. Mia Lehrer and Studio-MLA designed the landscape.
The project transformed areas that once contained large amounts of asphalt and parking space.
Now, visitors can walk through landscaped paths, open spaces, and planted gardens.
The grounds include drought-tolerant plants and more than 300 newly planted trees.
You can also find a meadow, an amphitheater, a hanging garden, and a large fountain.
Outdoor sculptures add another visual element to the campus.
Best of all, the park and gardens are free to enter. Therefore, you can visit the outdoor areas even without a museum ticket.
Give Yourself Time to Explore Outside
Do not leave immediately after seeing the galleries. The outdoor areas deserve time too.
Morning and late afternoon may be especially comfortable for walking through the gardens.
The changing Los Angeles light can also make the building more interesting to photograph.
Walk around the structure from different angles if you have time. Its curved architecture looks very different depending on your position.
If you want to continue exploring afterward, browse our Los Angeles neighborhood guides.
How to Plan Your Lucas Museum Visit
Hours, Transportation and a Simple Museum-Day Plan
The Lucas Museum is located at One Lucas Plaza in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California 90037.
The regular schedule lists Monday hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is normally closed on Tuesday.
It opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday hours run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
On Saturday, the museum opens from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last entry is scheduled 45 minutes before closing.
There is one important exception during opening week. The museum opens to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Therefore, always follow the date and time shown on your ticket. Do not rely only on the normal weekly schedule.
The park and gardens are expected to open at 8 a.m. and close at sunset.
This gives early visitors time to explore the outdoor spaces before entering the museum.
Paid parking will be available in and around Exposition Park. However, public transportation may be easier on busy days.
The Expo/Vermont rail station is nearby. Several bus routes also serve the area.
Check current routes through LA Metro before leaving. Service conditions may change.
A simple itinerary works best for this visit. Arrive early and walk through the gardens first.
Next, enter the museum at your reserved time. Start with the galleries that interest you most.
Then, take a break for food or a film. Afterward, return to any areas you skipped.
Trying to see every gallery in one visit may feel rushed. The museum is large, and the film program adds more to explore.
Comfortable shoes are also a good idea. You may walk through galleries, theaters, gardens, and nearby parts of Exposition Park.
If you want dinner after the museum, browse our Los Angeles food and drink guide.
You can also use the Driving Down Sunset local directory to find restaurants and services nearby.
The Lucas Museum gives Los Angeles a new type of cultural destination. It combines art, popular culture, film, architecture, and outdoor spaces in one place.
For the best experience, reserve your ticket early and check the latest visitor information before leaving home.
Most importantly, avoid rushing. Give yourself enough time to enjoy both the museum and its surrounding gardens.
After your visit, explore more ideas through our Los Angeles local guides and discover more of the city at your own pace.