From black and white Stormtrooper armor, to C-3PO’s chrome-plated suit, to Princess Leia’s hairbuns, the costumes of Star Wars are some of the most recognizable looks in film history. Now these iconic costumes are just a thirty minute drive away, on display at the Saint Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts as part of the traveling Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibit.

The exhibit will be in St. Petersburg through April 1, and features more than 60 costumes spanning from the original Star Wars movies to the prequel films to the most recent Star Wars installment, 2015’s The Force Awakens. Props, concept art and video interviews are also on display.

With Disney creating new films and Star Wars Episode XIII, The Last Jedi, hitting theaters this Friday, the 40 year-old franchise is now bigger than it has ever been. And Star Wars fans around Robinson are excited to see costumes from the films up close.

“Maybe I’m biased as I’d consider myself a pretty big fan of the franchise,” said Annalise Jankel (’19), who visited the exhibit. “However, I think anyone who has just a passing interest in the series, costume design or the art of storytelling would find the exhibit to be incredible.”

Jankel was especially impressed by the costumes of the character Padme Amidala, from the Star Wars prequel movies, nearly all of which are collected in the show.

“Seeing her famous throne room gown from The Phantom Menace was definitely high on my list,” Jankel said.

Ever since it first opened in November, the Power of Costume exhibit has been highly popular, and the museum encourages visitors to buy tickets online in advance if they want to attend. Tickets for the show are timed, meaning that when you buy one, you are scheduled for a specific time to enter the exhibit, and then may spend as much time as you like viewing the costumes, as well as the rest of the museum’s collections.

For all the hype surrounding Star Wars and the Power of Costume’s arrival in St. Petersburg, Jankel concedes that the exhibit itself is definitely worth it.

“For any fan, big or small, having the chance to see snippets of a fictional world you admire in the flesh is an immensely gratifying experience,” she said. “It’s a detailed, informative and all around just a visually stunning experience.”

IF YOU GO:

Address:

255 Beach Drive NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Hours: 

Monday–Saturday: 10 am–5 pm
Thursday: 10 am–8 pm
Sunday: Noon–5 pm

Tickets: 

http://mfastpete.org/exh/star-wars/