Pop Culture Museum Exhibits

Considering the impact that popular culture has had on contemporary times, it should be no surprise that pop culture has been incorporated into numerous museum exhibits in recent years. From the science of Star Trek and Star Wars to comic book depictions of George Washington and protests movements, the espionage of James Bond to connections between the real world and science fiction, a plethora of pop culture artifacts have found their way into museums to not only entertain but educate visitors as well.

007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond

A temporary exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago explores the world of James Bond through the science envisioned in the film series and their real world counterparts.

After Dark: Star Wars

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh regularly offers 21+ events with pop culture themes that add to the educational and entertainment value of visiting the museum.

Cloaked Crusader: George Washington in Comics

The first president of the United States was honored by New York City’s Fraunces Tavern Museum in 2022 with a special exhibit highlighting his appearances in the world of comic books.

Comic-tanium: Material Science and Superheroes

Curator Suveen Mathaudhu discusses the joint exhibit between the ToonSeum and the Mineral, Metals and Materials Society, which explores real science through the science of comic books.

Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology

A 2015 exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. spotlighted both the fictional archaeologist and many of his real-life contemporaries, as well as their discoveries.

Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction

The ongoing exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle is filled with props from various sci-fi classics and demonstrates the power of the human mind to imagine different worlds.

KGB Espionage Museum

The former Cold War museum in New York City contained an intriguing collection of original KGB artifacts, many of which resembled spy gadgets from 1960s film and television shows.

Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

The exhibit premiered at New York’s Discovery Times Square in 2014 and allowed fans of the Marvel Universe to become Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. while learning the science of superheroes.

The Myth of Superheroes: From Antiquity to Contemporary Art

The traveling exhibit made an appearance at the Comic-Con Museum in 2024, showing the similarities between the ancient gods and goddesses of the past and superheroes of the present.

Rising Up: Depictions of Social Protest in Comics

The 2024 exhibit at San Diego State University featured depictions of social protest in comic books and graphic novels, highlighting the impact of protest movements in American history.

Spyscape New York

The New York City-based spy and espionage museum details the history of the craft, as well as allowing visitors to test their own skills and determine what kind of spy they would make.

Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds

The special exhibit created by the Museum of Pop Culture to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original series was in essence an exploration of our own world’s past, present and future.

Star Trek: Federation Science

The exhibit created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry travelled across the country during the 1990s, exploring the intersection of science and the science fiction of Star Trek.

Star Trek World Tour

The traveling exhibit that premiered in 1998 was not only a homage to a fictional sci-fi franchise but served as a “museum from the future” that explored the evolution of civilizations as well.

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth

The traveling exhibit examined the original Star Wars trilogy of George Lucas as a modern-day myth that borrowed from myths of the past while adding influences from the present as well.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

The Museum of Science in Boston designed a traveling exhibit in 2005 in order to make science more accessible by exploring the technological advancements of a galaxy far, far away.