Albuquerque, NM – Opening just in time for the celebration of all things Star Wars on May the Fourth, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) is excited to welcome a new traveling exhibition that explores the real-life science behind some of the most famous science fiction stories! On loan from the New Mexico Museum of Space History (NMMSH) in Alamogordo, Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact opens during the first weekend of May on the museum’s first floor.
“While many of us enjoy a good science fiction story, we often don’t stop to consider the real science and technology that influences them,” said NMMNHS Executive Director Dr. Anthony Fiorillo. “Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact explores the way science and fiction interact with one another, with help from costumes and props from some of our favorite stories.”
Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact explores the ways that science fiction and scientific fact overlap and help create our modern world. Learn how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has helped save lives. Discover how a guy named Hugo laid the groundwork for virtual reality and wireless technology in the early 1900s. And explore the stories that laid for inventions ranging from earbuds to iPads, and rocket ships to credit cards. The exhibition presents these stories of scientific advancement alongside a number of costumes and props from popular science fiction stories like Star Wars, Stranger Things, Firefly, and Galaxy Quest, including a full-size replica of R2-D2!
Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact first opened at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in December 2023, quickly becoming a favorite with sci-fi lovers. The exhibition then traveled to the Governor’s Mansion Gallery, which hosts a rotating assortment of artworks on view across the state, earlier this Spring. On view in the NMMNHS Space Science wing on the museum’s first floor, the new exhibition dovetails with museum-facilitated research on Venus, Mars, and other elements of our Solar System.
The new exhibition will be open through the end of 2024 and is included with museum admission. More information about Sci-Fi & Sci-Fact is available at nmnaturalhistory.org/exhibits.
About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, through the generous support of donors. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience, and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater.
