The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open in LA’s Exposition Park next autumn, offering a sweeping exploration of illustrated storytelling across 40,000 works. Olivia Palamountain reports

The long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has confirmed it will open to the public on September 22, 2026, unveiling one of the world’s most expansive collections devoted to the art of storytelling.

Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and business leader Mellody Hobson, the museum occupies a striking new building in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park, designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with landscape architecture by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA.

The role of narrative as a universal connector sits at the heart of the project. Lucas describes stories as a form of mythology that helps people navigate life’s mysteries, while Hobson frames the institution as a place where audiences should feel reflected and included. The founders’ shared belief is that illustrated storytelling – in all its forms – is a democratic art that speaks across age, culture and background.The museum’s permanent collection comprises more than 40,000 works spanning centuries and genres. Within the 100,000 square feet of gallery space, each room is named after aspects of the human experience, from love and childhood to adventure and community.

Visitors will encounter everything from murals and children’s book illustrations to comic art, science-fiction imagery and the dreamlike visions that shaped 20th-century popular culture. Cinematic history features prominently too, with artefacts such as movie posters, as well as documentaries profiling artists and filmmakers.

Designed as a major cultural campus, the 300,000-square-foot building sits within 11 acres of landscaped parkland and will house two theatres, a library, restaurant, café, retail spaces and dedicated areas for community programming. Alongside its exhibition spaces, the museum will also serve as the new home of the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career.

With its blend of imaginative design, academic ambition and deep cultural resonance, the Lucas Museum aims to establish itself as a new civic landmark for Los Angeles – and a global hub for anyone interested in how stories shape the way we see the world.