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Star Trek Exhibit at the Franklin Institute
Today I finally took the time to visit the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to see the Star Trek Exhibit. Actually, it was not an ad hoc decision, my friends and I had planned this trip for about a month.
Fortunately, one of my friends lives at 20th and Arch and is a member of the Franklin. As such, she was able to get us tickets for $7 each as opposed to the $23.75 full price. We parked for free at her condo to avoid paying typical city parking fees.
Believe me, it would not have been worth the full price. The exhibit was disappointing. Unlike the Star Wars exhibit last year, no photography was allowed. The only photos I snapped were of two display cabinets OUTSIDE the exhibit that were being used for advertising. Basically, the displays contained a Klingon uniform, a Romulan uniform, the Borg Queen's costume, a Jem'Hadar head, a Cardassian head and a Klingon head.
Since all of the best models had been auctioned off at Christie's, I knew going in that there would be few model ships in the exhibit. Being a model builder, I was curious to see what was left. I thought I would at least see six or seven.
What I got instead was one Cardassian ship, one Federation ship, the USS Leeds, and a display that showed every ship named Enterprise starting with the aircraft carrier up to the Enterprise-E along with DS9 and Voyager all painted in silver. Essentially, someone took the ERTL and Polar Lights model kits, built them without bothering to sand out the seams, and spray painted them silver. In fact, the DS9 model was missing some parts!!
Most of the displays were costumes and uniforms. They had Kirk's brown sweater and pants uniform from ST V with the sweater backwards. The zipper was in front. Admiral Kirk's uniform from ST:TMP was very nice as was the class 'A' uniform from STII. Counselor Troi's turquoise dress and her purple outfit, one of Guinan's crazy outfits, Khan's outfit from STII, and Janeway's uniform were all there among others.
They had a nice display of uniforms from the new Trek movie and line up of alien heads that included the Borg, Klingon, Odo, Neelix, and Cardassian. Another display had body parts and head of B-4 android from the worst TNG movie, Nemesis.
The most impressive displays were of Sickbay, Engineering and the Bridge all from the Enterprise-D. You were allowed to press the LCARS displays though they were only displays and not interactive. You could sit in the captains chair or the Ops and Helm stations. A photographer was on hand to take your picture on the bridge (for a fee of course). Kirk's captains chair was also set up there in a dark corner almost out of the way and again, for a fee you could get your picture taken in it.
I found it funny that I was prohibited from taking photos because "the Franklin does not own the rights to any of the images" but on staff photographers could charge a fee. Ridiculous.
There was a full scale mockup of the Scorpion shuttle from Nemesis that Picard and Data flew in the film. Shinzon's costume and command chair were also present.
All in all, it seemed as if it was haphazardly thrown together with no real organization.
A local Starfleet chapter, the USS Sovereign, volunteered as helpers. Most were dressed in uniforms from the new movie. The CO of the chapter even told us that the people running the exhibit knew nothing about Star Trek, had mispelled names on plaques and descriptions of displays and had to re-reprint them when the Sovereign's crew pointed out the errors!
Afterwards, I hit the gift shop to pick up the EMCE Mego Andorian, Gorn, and Keeper figures for $20 each with my friend's 10% discount card. I figured that I wanted to buy them in person because I could pick and choose the most mint condition packages. Some had dings and dents in the blisters whic is what I usually get when I buy online. I bought the Andorian because although I have one loose already, I wanted one on the card. Now I have the 12" Playmates Gorn so I decided not to get the EMCE Mego version...until I saw it person! And I never had the Keeper so I snagged that one. However, I just have no interest in the Mugato. Sorry, but that outfit.....I also have the 12" Playmates Mugato which is more accurate. I have Dr. Mego's Sulu, Chekov and Romulan. That left the Cheron...should I? shouldn't I? I have the Playmates 9" Bele signed by Frank Gorshin and that's good enough for me and much more accurate.
But I digress.
All in all, the Star Trek exhibit could not even come close to the quality of the Star Wars exhibit last year. There were no interactive displays or educational programs for kids! The Star Wars exhibit had a robot factory, science games and a landspeeder ride for kids in the exhibit! You would think that with Star Trek having inspired so many people to become scientists, and inspiring several inventions, and how it's based in our future (not in a galaxy far far away) that there would have been some educational programs here.
Rumor has it that celebs like Avery Brooks, George Takei and Denise Crosby are slated to make appearances in the next few months while the exhibit is still there. It runs to September.
Thanks for reading!
Fortunately, one of my friends lives at 20th and Arch and is a member of the Franklin. As such, she was able to get us tickets for $7 each as opposed to the $23.75 full price. We parked for free at her condo to avoid paying typical city parking fees.
Believe me, it would not have been worth the full price. The exhibit was disappointing. Unlike the Star Wars exhibit last year, no photography was allowed. The only photos I snapped were of two display cabinets OUTSIDE the exhibit that were being used for advertising. Basically, the displays contained a Klingon uniform, a Romulan uniform, the Borg Queen's costume, a Jem'Hadar head, a Cardassian head and a Klingon head.
Since all of the best models had been auctioned off at Christie's, I knew going in that there would be few model ships in the exhibit. Being a model builder, I was curious to see what was left. I thought I would at least see six or seven.
What I got instead was one Cardassian ship, one Federation ship, the USS Leeds, and a display that showed every ship named Enterprise starting with the aircraft carrier up to the Enterprise-E along with DS9 and Voyager all painted in silver. Essentially, someone took the ERTL and Polar Lights model kits, built them without bothering to sand out the seams, and spray painted them silver. In fact, the DS9 model was missing some parts!!
Most of the displays were costumes and uniforms. They had Kirk's brown sweater and pants uniform from ST V with the sweater backwards. The zipper was in front. Admiral Kirk's uniform from ST:TMP was very nice as was the class 'A' uniform from STII. Counselor Troi's turquoise dress and her purple outfit, one of Guinan's crazy outfits, Khan's outfit from STII, and Janeway's uniform were all there among others.
They had a nice display of uniforms from the new Trek movie and line up of alien heads that included the Borg, Klingon, Odo, Neelix, and Cardassian. Another display had body parts and head of B-4 android from the worst TNG movie, Nemesis.
The most impressive displays were of Sickbay, Engineering and the Bridge all from the Enterprise-D. You were allowed to press the LCARS displays though they were only displays and not interactive. You could sit in the captains chair or the Ops and Helm stations. A photographer was on hand to take your picture on the bridge (for a fee of course). Kirk's captains chair was also set up there in a dark corner almost out of the way and again, for a fee you could get your picture taken in it.
I found it funny that I was prohibited from taking photos because "the Franklin does not own the rights to any of the images" but on staff photographers could charge a fee. Ridiculous.
There was a full scale mockup of the Scorpion shuttle from Nemesis that Picard and Data flew in the film. Shinzon's costume and command chair were also present.
All in all, it seemed as if it was haphazardly thrown together with no real organization.
A local Starfleet chapter, the USS Sovereign, volunteered as helpers. Most were dressed in uniforms from the new movie. The CO of the chapter even told us that the people running the exhibit knew nothing about Star Trek, had mispelled names on plaques and descriptions of displays and had to re-reprint them when the Sovereign's crew pointed out the errors!
Afterwards, I hit the gift shop to pick up the EMCE Mego Andorian, Gorn, and Keeper figures for $20 each with my friend's 10% discount card. I figured that I wanted to buy them in person because I could pick and choose the most mint condition packages. Some had dings and dents in the blisters whic is what I usually get when I buy online. I bought the Andorian because although I have one loose already, I wanted one on the card. Now I have the 12" Playmates Gorn so I decided not to get the EMCE Mego version...until I saw it person! And I never had the Keeper so I snagged that one. However, I just have no interest in the Mugato. Sorry, but that outfit.....I also have the 12" Playmates Mugato which is more accurate. I have Dr. Mego's Sulu, Chekov and Romulan. That left the Cheron...should I? shouldn't I? I have the Playmates 9" Bele signed by Frank Gorshin and that's good enough for me and much more accurate.
But I digress.
All in all, the Star Trek exhibit could not even come close to the quality of the Star Wars exhibit last year. There were no interactive displays or educational programs for kids! The Star Wars exhibit had a robot factory, science games and a landspeeder ride for kids in the exhibit! You would think that with Star Trek having inspired so many people to become scientists, and inspiring several inventions, and how it's based in our future (not in a galaxy far far away) that there would have been some educational programs here.
Rumor has it that celebs like Avery Brooks, George Takei and Denise Crosby are slated to make appearances in the next few months while the exhibit is still there. It runs to September.
Thanks for reading!