L.A. City Council Approves George Lucas’ Museum of Narrative Art

George Lucas says everything started for him in Los Angeles so it makes sense that he wants to bring his art museum to Exposition Park. Today the L.A. City Council approved the long-awaited project. But hold your tauntauns, the museum is more than just Star Wars props and memorabilia. The $1-billion project will house works by many famed artists as well as storyboards, props and other items from the "Star Wars" creator's film career.

The Lucas Collection includes about 10,000 paintings including the works from Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton and many others. The museum will also display Luke Skywalker’s first light saber, Darth Vader’s helmet and items from the movies Casablanca, The Ten Commandments and The Wizard of Oz.

Lucas said he wants this museum to inspire others:

“The goal of the museum is to inspire people to think outside the box, to imagine whatever you want to imagine, to help build on the myths that help bind our city and our people together, and that is what I am hoping to do here

The museum will be built next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum(temporary home of the LA Rams), the Natural History Museum, and a museum of African-American history and art. Groundbreaking is estimated for early next year, with a 36-month construction timeline and an opening set for sometime in 2021.