Warp speed ahead! In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved series Star Trek, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum welcomes the new exhibition Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience to Pier 86 for summer 2016. The museum is the inaugural venue in the United States to host this first-of-its-kind, immersive “Trek Tech” experience, which spans a starship-sized 12,000 square feet.
Visitors become cadets, joining the Starfleet Academy’s Career Day in the 26th century. Wristbands are used to activate each station and gather data. After "student orientation," cadets walk through zones focusing on the Academy’s special training in language, medicine, engineering, navigation, science, and command skills. Star Trek fans will have the opportunity to diagnose a Klingon in sick bay and try a photon phaser target exercise to see how they measure up.
Practice your photon phaser skills in this target exercise.
Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience features interactive activities and unique technology, including voice recognition to communicate in Klingon, a Medical Tricorder table with RFID sensors, planet projection mapping, and holograms. You can even grab a selfie in the captain's chair. And when you're done, you can have your results and a certificate of completion emailed, designating your area of study!
Take a photo in the original Star Trek Commander's chair!
The experience opened to the public on Saturday, July 9 and remains open through October 31, 2016.
Throughout the summer, the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum is also hosting free summer movie screenings on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, including several Star Trek films. On August 19, there will be a special Star Trek–themed Family Astronomy Night with former astronaut Tom Jones, who will share how Star Trek inspired him and read from his new children’s book. After the presentation, you can stargaze on the flight deck. And the biggest Star Trek fans won’t want to miss the chance to spend the night aboard the ship during the Museum’s special Star Trek Overnight on August 6, offering exclusive access to the exhibition, screenings of Star Trek episodes on the flight deck and more. For more info on these programs, visit intrepidmuseum.org/startrek.
Special tours are also available, should you wish to pay a visit to Starship Intrepid. Imagine you’ve just joined the crew of the Federation Starship Intrepid in the 24th century. Visit its namesake, the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, and discover how service aboard a starship is like service aboard an aircraft carrier. Gain new appreciation for their shared legacy of exploration, service, and sacrifice—a legacy whose next chapter you and your starship will help to write.
The tour To Boldly Go will be conducted “in-universe,” as if guests are newly commissioned officers who just graduated from the Starfleet Academy and are visiting the Museum in the 24th century. Costumes are encouraged. Though the tour will be conducted in English, native Klingon speakers are welcome. (The tour does not include or require admission to Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience. Additional fee required with paid Museum admission.)
Also on view is a temporary exhibit of the fully restored Shuttlecraft Galileo, which carried the crew of starship USS Enterprise to other planets in Star Trek: The Original Series (1967–1969). This life-size prop debuted in the episode “The Galileo Seven” in 1967. Galileo, commanded by Mr. Spock, crash-landed on a hostile planet. The fictional Galileo did not survive the episode, but the model lived on, appearing in six other episodes. The exhibit is located in the Museum’s Space Shuttle Pavilion, alongside the space shuttle Enterprise. (Note that separate admission is required to tour the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, where the Galileo is docked.)
Admission to the Starfleet Academy Experience is $25 adults, $18 children, $23 seniors, and FREE for children four and under. Use the City Guide coupon to take $5 off admission! Good for each of up to four full-priced adult, child, or senior tickets to the Starfleet Academy Experience (expires October 31, 2016).
When purchased with Intrepid Museum admission, tickets to Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience are just $10 for adults, $7 for children (the City Guide coupon does not apply).
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is located at Pier 86 (W. 46th St. & 12th Ave. along the Hudson River). For more information, call 212-245-0072 or visit intrepidmuseum.org.
