The Millennium Falcon: arguably the most famous ship in sci-fi history. — Photo courtesy of © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Orlando and "Star Wars" are old friends. Kids who visit Disney's Hollywood Studios rejoice in the force daily, donning Jedi garb and battling the likes of the Sith, lightsabers in hand as their delighted (and perhaps moderately jealous) parents and grandparents snap photos. But few Lucas-infused attractions meld the fiction and the science as brilliantly as Orlando Science Center's new limited-engagement exhibit: Star Wars®: Where Science Meets Imagination, open now through April 7, 2013.*
Life on Hoth: have tauntaun, will travel. — Photo courtesy of © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Will sci-fi geeks love it? Unquestionably. Why? It's comprised of 10,000 square feet of costumes and props, the first-ever collection to display items from all six films. And the plain, old science geeks? They're taken care of, as well. The exhibit covers the imaginary technology depicted in the franchise, then dissects the real science behind the fiction, along with ongoing research that may one day see the genuine articles come to fruition. In fact, you might think of it as something of a mini-con. Just more educational. And without the 40somethings dressed as Han Solo.
OSC's limited-run exhibit features droids for all seasons. — Photo courtesy of © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Not unlike "Star Wars," Legos are an enduring reminder of childhood. The two merged long ago in creating kits for burgeoning Death Star engineers, and with the opening of Legoland Florida's new Star Wars Miniland, classic scenes and characters from the franchise have been recreated: brick by tiny brick. From Tatooine to Hoth and beyond, fans of the films, the toys or both will enjoy the tiny stormtroopers, droids, spaceships and more.
Darth Maul in Legos? Still pretty scary. — Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND® Florida
With Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilm for a reported $4.05 billion, the Star Wars franchise is not only certified to endure, but persist (a "Star Wars Episode 7" film is targeted for release in 2015). Some fans are grumbling about it, but our guess is that they'll be among the first on line if Disney's Imagineers are charged with creating new rides and attractions around this latest addition to their very genuine entertainment empire.
*Exhibit admission is $27 for non-member adults; $20 for non-member youths. OSC member admission is $12/$9.
