Warp speed — engage.

The Hollywood and Highland shopping and entertainment complex is now hosting Star Trek: The Exhibition, which offers a museum-ish look at the history of the famous franchise.  While it’s not quite as extensive as the popular Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas (there are no rides, nor costumed folk; restaurant-bar and merchandise was still be added at the time of Buzzine’s visit), it’s certainly worth the auto, cab, and Metro ride for any Trek fan living or visiting the Los Angeles area.

The exhibit features costumes from the original TV series and shows that followed, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and the series of films, right on up to this year’s rebirth/alternate time-line Star Trek.  You’ll find props — phasers, communicators, tricorders — and models of the various Enterprise NCC-1701 ships, like A and D along with the Deep Space Nine space station too.  There are profiles on the Captains through the eras and, perhaps best of all, a recreation of the Enterprise-D bridge, where you can take your own photos or buy one taken by an on-site photographer.  There’s also a set-piece of the Enterprise-D’s sickbay and its engine room warp core.  Also, for more pic souvenirs, a green screen to make it look like you’re about to beam down as part of a landing party or away team, or you can take a shot in a replica of Captain James T. Kirk’s original chair from TV.

There’s a row of costumes devoted to the 2009 re-imagining, but not much else, so that may be a bit of a disappointment to some, while a segment of Quark’s bar (also from DS9) would be better — and certainly more fun that just a display — if it served up some drinks and food (and it may by now). Still, you’ll find a trivia game and interactive displays dotting the various areas.

Even with the quibbles (but no Tribbles, unless we missed it), Star Trek: The Exhibition is still a nice slice of that overall hopeful future, from a Vulcan harp to Klingon bat’leth and much more –  certainly enough to merit the visit, and, according to the friendly manager, more was going to be added following the initial opening weekend in October, so perhaps a return jaunt would be worthwhile soon.

Hollywood & Highland Center
6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California  90028