Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art celebrates the power of visual storytelling. Founded by philanthropist and filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the museum explores how images move us and shape our collective memory. From Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait to Norman Rockwell’s scenes of everyday life to Charles White’s portraits of dignity. Each invites reflection. Each tells a story.

The Lucas Museum explores how narrative art shapes our world—expressing beliefs, communicating values, expanding imagination, and inviting conversation. 

The Lucas Museum is home to a comprehensive collection of props, artwork, and artifacts from two of the most beloved movie franchises in history—Star Wars and Indiana Jones. The archives were first established in 1983 at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, as production wrapped on Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.

In 2013, this extraordinary collection was donated to become the foundation of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Spanning more than four decades of filmmaking, the archives celebrate the creative vision of director and producer George Lucas, featuring materials from the first six Star Wars films, the first four Indiana Jones adventures, and other Lucasfilm productions, including Radioland Murders, Howard the Duck, Red Tails, and Willow.

George Lucas’s lifelong passion for collecting began when he bought his first artwork in college: an illustration of Alley Oop, the time-traveling caveman. Together, Lucas and Hobson have built and supported a collection that ranges from illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith, Maxfield Parrish, and N. C. Wyeth to comic artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta, George Herriman, Jack Kirby, and Robert Crumb. The collection also embraces modern and contemporary artists, including Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, Robert Colescott, and muralists such as Judith F. Baca and Diego Rivera.

In addition to its art collection, the museum houses extensive film archives, including the complete Lucas Archives (1971–2012)—the original Lucasfilm materials retained by George Lucas after the company’s sale—reflecting its dedication to storytelling in every medium.

Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD, the Lucas Museum is located in Exposition Park in the South Los Angeles region. Featuring close to 100,000 square feet of gallery space, two state-of-the-art cinematic theaters, numerous dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, restaurants, retail, and event space. The museum’s building sits on a new 11-acre park, which brings much needed green space to the surrounding neighborhood.

Credit: Overview from museum website