New details unveiled for interactive exhibit "Star Wars: The Experience" coming 2027 to Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO -- From movie artifacts to interactive storytelling, fans will soon get to see the galaxy far, far away up close!

The first looks at "Star Wars: The Experience" were unveiled at San Diego Comic Con over the past weekend by a panel of the creatives working behind the scenes on the historic exhibit. A collaboration between Lucasfilm, Disney Consumer Products, the Franklin Institute and MDSX Creative, the behind-the-scenes exhibition will celebrate the semicentennial of the premiere of "Star Wars" in 1977.

"'Star Wars' means a lot to a lot of different people," Lucasfilm Senior Creative Executive Matt Martin said. "We've really tried to focus on every aspect of 'Star Wars' storytelling through the breadth of 50 years."

Across 18,000 square feet of galleries integrated with personalized interactive walk-through experiences, fans will get a glimpse through the history of the franchise, including on-screen artifacts displayed in public for the first time such as Darth Maul's lightsaber and Darth Vader's costume. More than 70 artifacts will be on display from creatures and droids like Grogu, R2-D2, and C-3PO, to vehicle and props like a speeder bike from "Andor."

"I think it's an important part of the experience to be able to touch, listen, use all of your senses when thinking of 'Star Wars,'" Manager of Physical Assets at Lucasfilm Portia Fontes said. "Being able to be in some of these galleries and actually hear 'Star Wars' sounds buzzing from everywhere while seeing some of the artifacts on display...that's part of it when you watch a movie."

The exhibit aims to showcase the evolution across the franchise's five decades, particularly the technical innovations in filmmaking that "Star Wars" helped pioneer. The displays help track years of artistic ingenuity from analog special effects to hyper-realistic digital imaginations.

"One of our goals is we do want to inspire the next generation," Owner and CCO of MDSX Creative Dan Picard said. "We want to get the superfan and the non-fan alike to really dial into this."

The exhibition is also full of radio-frequency interaction points that will help customize the experience. Guests will choose whether to follow the light side or the dark side at the beginning of their journey, a decision that will curate how the galleries react.

The panelists also hinted that attendees of this year's D23: The Ultimate Fan Event in August will receive a sneak peek at the exhibit: a smaller version of the Han Solo carbonite gallery on the Anaheim show floor, teasing the larger experience to come next year.

"That world building that they basically invented in film, we get to help tell that story of how it evolved over the years," Picard said. "I think it's going to be really exciting for people to see in this different way."

"Star Wars: The Experience" opens in February 2027 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Lucasfilm and this ABC station.