From Europe’s newest outpost of modern and contemporary art to starchitect Frank Gehry’s posthumous showstopper, here are some notable new museums worth travelling to see.
Lucas Museum of Narrative ArtLucas Museum of Narrative Art, Los Angeles
Shaped like a giant flying saucer, Los Angeles’ newest cultural attraction looks like something Star Wars creator George Lucas might have featured in one of his films. It’s no coincidence, the eponymous Lucas Museum of Narrative Art was founded by the acclaimed director and his wife Mellody Hobson, and will include props and costumes from the beloved sci-fi saga when it opens in September. But the museum casts a wider net than film.
Dedicated to narrative art, the museum cost $1bn (£735m) to build and will draw from a collection of more than 40,000 items, including works by painters Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, as well as writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Other pieces come from legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, who co-created much of the Marvel Comics universe, and R Crumb, whose underground comics found a following during the 1960s and ’70s. Also well-represented: artist Ralph McQuarrie, who designed the original look of Star Wars, including Darth Vader and robots, C-3PO and R2-D2.
The five-storey, 300,000sq-ft museum offers a grand setting for exhibits and contains two theatres. Located in South Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, already home to some of the city’s top-visited museums and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the building is part of an 11-acre campus with an outdoor park, amphitheatre, hanging garden and waterfall fountain.
Also new in Los Angeles: Dataland, devoted to artificial intelligence-produced art, is opening in spring 2026.