Still under construction at Seattle's EMP Museum, I found the voyages of the Starship Enterprise and learned how a five-year mission became a 50-year phenomenon.
A personal note about why "Star Trek" connects so deeply with me -- I like to study the past, but I'd rather live in the future.
It was astonishing to see the actual command chair from the original series. It's now owned by EMP Museum founder Paul Allen.
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And many of the artifacts are just as rare, including an original phaser.
“There are only two known to have survived these 50 years from the show,” said curator Brooks Peck. Peck is celebrating his 50th birthday this year, just like "Star Trek." We're both amazed at the technology the series foresaw.
The communicator is today's cellphone. Lt. Uhura's earpiece is today's Bluetooth headset.
See two-minute walk through in the video below.
It wouldn't be "Star Trek" without the tribbles, and they promise there won't be any trouble.
Characters are presented in their original costumes.
All the "Star Trek" captains are represented here, including Captain Janeway. By the way, I named my daughter after her.
Villains on display include the ferocious Gorn and Khan Noonien Singh.
The new "Star Trek" exhibit is designed to be an immersive experience. Those who come will be able to crawl through one of the many Jefferies tubes on the Enterprise.
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And you'll be able to go on a mission from the transporter room.
“They'll see the beaming, the sparkles, they'll see the phaser beams, they'll see other spaceships, exotic planets and then they can take that video home with them,” curator Peck explained.
"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry had a vision that went beyond technology.
“How we could live in the future, how we could be better than we are now, how we could get past the troubles we're experiencing today,” said Peck.
Why is "Star Trek" so enduring? Perhaps Captain Kirk said it best when he quoted his friend Spock: “There are always, possibilities.”
The exhibit opens on May 21
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