Star Trek The Exhibition

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This article is written from the Real World point of view

Star Trek The Exhibition logo

An advertisement for Star Trek The Tour, from the Official Star Trek Las Vegas Convention 2007 program

You may be looking for Star Trek: The Exhibition, the European touring exhibit of the 1990s, or Star Trek World Tour.

Star Trek The Exhibition (formerly Star Trek The Tour; also referred to as Star Trek: Anniversary Tour) is a traveling Star Trek-themed attraction, produced by CBS Consumer Products and Premier Exhibitions. The exhibit was originally produced by SEE Touring Productions, Inc, and presented by Metropolitan Talent.

The exhibit was first announced in an advertisement carried in the program given to attendees at the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas in August 2007. The tour originally planned to call at 40 cities in the United States and Canada over a period of five years. Some initial reports also included a mention of ten European sites being part of the tour, but the press release launching the tour on 5 December 2007 referred solely to North American venues.

The original exhibit covered a total of 50,000 square feet, and includes four motion simulator rides, a 360-degree theatre, recreations of sets from the various series (including the bridges of the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-D), and various interactive events.

Wil Wheaton filmed a four-minute segment for the tour, appearing as Lieutenant Commander Wesley Crusher, assistant chief engineer aboard the USS Titan. [1] Tim Russ also appears as Commander Tuvok, the ship's second officer and security chief.

[edit] Long Beach

Brian Demonbreun with the saucer section of the Enterprise-D at Long Beach, January 2008.

The tour opened at the Queen Mary Dome in Long Beach, California, on 18 January 2008. Three types of ticket packages were available - a general admission package (~US$30), a "Commander" package (~US$100; valid Saturdays only, included a private guided tour, priority access, invitations to special events, and exclusive gifts), and a "Captain" package (~US$150; as the "Commander" package, but valid for a full weekend).

The tour's engagement - originally scheduled to last until 17 February 2008 - was extended until 2 March 2008 due to popular demand. Originally open seven days a week, the tour's opening hours were reduced to Friday-Sunday with effect from 11 February 2008. [2]

According to reports, following the closure of the exhibit, disputes arose between SEE Touring and Plainfield Asset Management (who held a security interest in the exhibit, providing investment capital for SEE), and between SEE Touring and the operators of the Queen Mary. An unpaid debt in the region of US$200,000 (for security, food and lodging) resulted in the Tour's equipment being retained at the Queen Mary, preventing the exhibit from moving on. An agreement was reached between Plainfield and SEE in mid-May 2008, with the former acquiring the exhibit in its entirety from SEE. The outstanding debt was then paid by Plainfield. The tour facility, which was originally believed to be opening in San Diego on 15 May 2008, was expected to be moved from the Queen Mary by 6 June 2008. [3]

[edit] Relaunch

The exhibit relaunched on 21 June 2008 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, produced by Premier Exhibitions, and renamed as Star Trek The Exhibition. It will stay at the museum until January 2009. This exhibit is a scaled down version of the original Tour display, but will feature more interactivity. The Enterprise-D bridge, amongst other items, will not appear, and will form a second exhibit to tour at the same time, beginning in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2008.

[edit] Venues

[edit] Forthcoming

[edit] External links

• Official website
  ^wbm
  (link no longer live, use StarTrek.com)
• StarTrekTickets.com - tickets for all venues
• Metropolitan Talent, Inc.
• William Shatner talks about being the 'celebrity ambassador' for the tour
• Mahalo Daily visits Star Trek: The Tour