# Lucas Museum opening and legal challenges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/lucas-museum-free-admission-program > Updated: 2026-09-09T01:10:38.000Z. Sources: 63. Developments: 11. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, is scheduled to open to the public on September 22, 2026. Co-founded by filmmaker George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the $1-billion, 300,000-square-foot facility was designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. The building features a sculptural, organic design composed of over 1,500 uniquely molded fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels that hover above an 11-acre campus. The structure is intended to evoke emotion and movement, with a white, futuristic appearance resembling a cloud or a spaceship. Aiming to be a “museum of the people’s art,” the institution will house more than 40,000 works from the founders' personal collections, including paintings, illustrations, comics, photography, and cinematic artifacts. The museum intends to treat populist works—such as comic books, commercial illustrations, and paintings by artists like Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, and Banksy—with the same reverence typically reserved for classical masters. George Lucas has described the institution as a “temple of folk art,” emphasizing the power of narrative art to create shared belief systems within society. The project, which has been in development for approximately 16 to 20 years, considered multiple locations including San Francisco and Chicago before settling on the Los Angeles site. The facility includes 100,000 square feet of galleries across 35 themed galleries, covering subjects such as adventure, maternity, and children's illustration. The museum also features two cinematic theaters—the Robert Flaherty Theater and the Slavko Vorkapich Theater—a library, educational spaces, dining areas, and a rooftop venue. As the opening approaches, the museum has scheduled preview events for members and community partners, including an inauguration celebration on September 19 expected to be co-chaired by figures such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Greta Gerwig. However, the institution is facing a lawsuit from subcontractor J. E. Snyder Electric. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-09: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art faces lawsuit ahead of grand opening The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art prepares for its September opening amid a lawsuit alleging it should be classified as a ‘public work’ due to its use of public land and funds. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-faces-lawsuit-ahead-of-grand-opening ### 2026-09-06: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to open in Los Angeles George Lucas and Mellody Hobson will open the $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles on September 22, featuring over 1,200 items from Lucas’s private collection. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-to-open-in-los-angeles-3 ### 2026-09-04: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to open in Los Angeles The $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, opens in Los Angeles on September 22, 2026, featuring over 1,300 works of visual storytelling. 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-to-open-in-los-angeles-in-2026 ### 2026-09-01: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to open in Los Angeles The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a billion-dollar project by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, opens in Los Angeles on September 22, 2026, celebrating visual storytelling and populist art. 21 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-to-open-in-los-angeles-1 ### 2026-08-29: Taschen to publish Lucas Museum of Narrative Art catalogue Taschen will publish a two-volume catalogue for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, featuring works by iconic artists and a special section on Star Wars, ahead of the museum's 2026 opening. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/taschen-to-publish-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-catalogue ### 2026-08-26: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to open in Los Angeles this September The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens September 22 in Los Angeles, featuring over 1,200 artworks and a Star Wars exhibition, alongside a new publication produced with TASCHEN. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-to-open-in-los-angeles-this-september ### 2026-08-21: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to open in Los Angeles The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, opens September 22 in Los Angeles, featuring 35 galleries of diverse storytelling art and cinematic artifacts. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-to-open-in-los-angeles ### 2026-07-28: George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art set to open in Los Angeles The $1 bn Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in Los Angeles on Sept 22, 2026, showcasing 1,300 works, two cinemas and the unreleased “Star Wars: Detours” series. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/george-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-set-to-open-in-los-angeles ### 2026-07-21: Tickets released for Los Angeles' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ahead of September opening Lucas Museum tickets go on sale July 21, costing $25 for adults, $21 for seniors, free for children and certain groups; virtual queue leads to hours‑long waits ahead of the Sept. 22 opening in Los Angeles. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tickets-released-for-los-angeles-lucas-museum-of-narrative-art-ahead-of-september-opening ### 2026-07-13: Lucas Museum grants free admission to South Los Angeles residents Lucas Museum, opening Sept 22 in Los Angeles, will give free passes to 90037 ZIP residents and host a community preview on Sept 13. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-grants-free-admission-to-south-los-angeles-residents ### 2026-07-09: Lucas Museum grants free admission to South Los Angeles residents ahead of September opening The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will give free admission passes to South Los Angeles residents in zip 90037, with a community preview on Sept 13 and a public opening on Sept 22. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lucas-museum-grants-free-admission-to-south-los-angeles-residents-ahead-of-september-opening --- Cite as: Lucas Museum opening and legal challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/lucas-museum-free-admission-program