Star Wars: The Experience Lets You Get Frozen in Carbonite in Philly

Star Wars: The Experience, the official exhibition celebrating 50 years of Star Wars, opens at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on February 13, 2027. Email presale tickets went out on October 29, and tickets go on sale to everyone on November 12 (The Franklin Institute).

Its full name is Star Wars: The Experience, A Journey Through the Galaxy, and Philadelphia gets it first. It runs there through September 6, 2027, then heads out on a five-year tour of North America (Franklin Institute press release).

What's inside Star Wars: The Experience?

The exhibition fills about 18,000 square feet of galleries with more than 70 artifacts. Many were used on screen, and many have never been shown in public before (press release). The highlights include Darth Maul's lightsaber, a Darth Vader costume, Grogu, R2-D2, C-3PO, a speeder bike and original props from Andor.

The galleries include Story in the Stars, Queen Amidala's Throne Room with her throne and gown, and Wireframe Worlds, which has a wireframe TIE fighter. There's also Carbonite Freeze Capture. It has a full-size Han Solo in carbonite, and visitors get frozen too (bring your best frozen face). Other sections cover sound design, creature effects, fan art and collectibles (The Franklin Institute).

How much do Star Wars: The Experience tickets cost?

Daytime tickets (9:30 AM to 5 PM) cost $49 for adults, $45 for teens 13 to 17 and $43 for kids 3 to 12, and they include admission to the rest of the museum. Evening tickets (5 to 8 PM, with last entry at 6:30) are $25 for everyone, but they don't include the museum.

The Jedi Council VIP ticket is $65. It lets you in at any time on your date. It also comes with a pin, museum admission and 20% off a membership. Kids 2 and under get in free (The Franklin Institute).

Who made the exhibition?

The Franklin Institute built it with the design company MDSX, Lucasfilm and Disney Consumer Products. The museum says the project took more than four years. "Star Wars created a cultural landscape that spans decades and delivers massive, undeniable global appeal," said Larry Dubinski, the museum's president and CEO (press release).

My read is that Philadelphia just became the best day trip in the galaxy for East Coast fans. Seeing real props from the prequels and Andor in one room sounds like a blast. We will absolutely be taking the carbonite photo (purely for research).

More Star Wars coverage is right here.

Images are official renderings of Star Wars: The Experience from The Franklin Institute and Lucasfilm.