Beam Me Up Scotty! 'Star Trek: The Exhibition' Hits Louisville Science Center
The Louisville Science Center’s new Star Trek: The Exhibition, which reaches maximum warp through May 22, uses a strange array of creative, Emmy-award winning memorabilia from the popular science fiction TV and film series to teach kids about space-age science. Youngsters planning that future career as a Starfleet officer won’t want to miss this exhibit in downtown Louisville.
Star Trek debuted as a TV series on September 8, 1966, arguably become the most successful franchise in world television and motion picture history. Despite its stated "five-year mission," the first series ran only three year, but after a total of six series, including an animated version, and a total of 726 TV episodes and 11 motion pictures (with a reported 12th on the way in mid-2012), the franchise, albeit without a current TV series, seems to have once again been reborn with the 2009 "reboot" by producer/director JJ Abrams. While kids may not remember Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Spock, Dr. Leonard McCoy ("Bones"), Chief Enginner Montgomery Scott ("Scotty") or the Federation Starship Enterprise NCC-1701, their parents certainly will. Or they might get to know the new crew in the new movie series, of which there should be three.
Presented locally by AT&T, the exhibit shows off memorabilia that any Trekkie/Trekker would recognize, like sets from the TV show, authentic costumes, and props used in the TV series and each movie. Kids can even sit in Captain Kirk’s legendary chair. (Don’t worry, dads. You’ll get your turn, too!)
This entertaining exhibit is organized into galleries by topics, such as exploration, health innovation, communications and space travel, which reflect some of the actual science upon which this series will be based. There’s a detailed timeline of the Star Trek story, a full reproduction of the Transporter Room that kids can explore, and models of a wide variety Federation, Vulcan and Klingon ships.
A few extras: tickets include general admission to the other Science Center exhibits. There’s a special sci-fi animated film, Quantum Quest, and kids can ride on a two-person MaxFlight simulator, which each costs an additional $5.
One bummer: You can’t take photos in the exhibit. (But there are photo opportunities for a fee.)
But even without the extras, kids will enter a temporal causality loop (they'll have a great time) with Captain Kirk Captain Picard, and their crews. So definitely check this one out, and in the immortal words of Mr. Spock: Peace, and long life -- live long and prosper. Or as the Klingons say, Kah-PLAH! (Success!)
Posted on Apr 6, 2011 by Jenn McGuire
