George Lucas personally welcomes first 100 visitors to futuristic LA museum

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened its doors for the public Tuesday in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Co-founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson welcomed a sold-out crowd and personally greeted the first 100 visitors –– all students from from USC, the Los Angeles Technology Center, Otis College of Art and Design and Los Angeles City College.

“I have spent more than fifty years collecting the work of artists who don’t always get their due —illustrators, cartoonists, muralists, painters — because I believe their images are as vital as any other art form. They deserve to be in a museum,” Lucas said in his opening remarks.

The “Star Wars” creator was joined by the museum’s architect, Ma Yansong and CEO Tracey Bates.

“From the beginning, George and I have wanted this to be a place where visitors of every background can walk through our galleries and see themselves, and their humanity, reflected back. Today, that vision opens its doors,” said Hobson as the couple welcomed its first-day visitors.

The 300,000-square-foot architectural marvel brings together eras and mediums, featuring works by artists from Artemisia Gentileschi and Norman Rockwell to Frida Kahlo, Robert Colescott, Frank Frazetta, and Robert Crumb.

A special gallery features rare materials from the complete Lucas Archives (1971–2012) as part of “Star Wars in Motion,” an exhibition showcasing vehicle designs from the series’ first six films.

In total, the museum boasts 100,000-square-feet of exhibition space with 33 galleries and around 1,300 artworks on display. There are two theaters in the museum, with one showing a curated selection of movies throughout the day, and another dedicated to exploring film as a storytelling medium.

The museum also houses a free research library and the destination restaurant Skywalker Grill.

Now open six days a week, the $1 billion Lucas Museum offers free admission to its South LA neighbors in the 90037 zip code through its new LM37 pass program.

Standard adult tickets are priced at $25, with a discounted $21 rate for seniors 65 and older.