3900 S. Vermont Ave. / One Lucas Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90037 | map |
Opening: They opened September 22, 2026 with earlier previews for members and the press. It's in Exposition Park just south of Exposition Blvd., between Bill Robertson Lane and Vermont Ave. This view is looking into the plaza from Vermont. Photo: Bill Counter - April 2026
Website: https://lucasmuseum.org | on Facebook | on Instagram |
The Museum's theatres: The theatres are named the Flaherty and the Vorkapich. They each seat 299 and feature non-stop, all day programming that's included in the museum admission price. They're on the ground floor on the north side of the building's center plaza. See "Introducing the Lucas Museum Inaugural Film Program," a two minute video on YouTube.
A program listing the films in rotation in each theatre is handed out by ushers and visitors are encouraged to wander in and out. Two displays in the main lobby show the film currently playing in each theatre as well as noting what will be up next. In addition to the regular programming, the theatres will also be used for special events. Ryan Linkof, a senior curator at the museum who is in charge of the film programs, commented:
"In this way, it fits within the larger mission of the museum to allow visitors to choose their own path through the museum and discover content at their own pace. It is also a varied and diverse program that includes everything from the earliest cinema experiments to avant-garde film, documentaries and animation, providing a platform for many under-recognized and rarely seen films and filmmakers."
The Robert J. Flaherty Theatre, named for the famous documentary filmmaker of the 1920s, will initially feature a program of documentaries including films about the work of artists with work on display in the galleries including Norman Rockwell, Diego Rivera and others. Also in the initial rotation is a new doc series by Robin Dashwood titled "Seeing Is Believing: The Story of Narrative Art" as well as episodes of the TV series "The Power of Film" and Ron Mann's "Comic Book Confidential." The two theatres are side-by-side, entered from the main lobby. This is the one on the right.
The Slavko Vorkapich Theatre is named for the experimental filmmaker and Hollywood montage director who was also chair of the USC film department from 1948 to 1950. The films here will tend to be more avant-garde and focused on innovations in cinema. Initial offerings on this side under the title "The Emotion In Motion" include montages from Hollywood films designed by Vorkapich such as the one from "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington"; student films by George Lucas; early silents by Georges Méliès, Émile Cohl, W.K.L. Dickson and Edwin S. Porter; experimental work by Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Norman McLaren, Mary Ellen Bute, Oskar Fischinger and Jordan Belson; early animation by Winsor McCay, Walt Disney and Fleischer Studios; Looney Tunes cartoons; excerpts from Busby Berkeley musicals; experimental films from the 1960s by Stan Brakhage and Kenneth Anger... and more.
See "Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Reveals Inaugural Film Program at San Diego Comic Con," a July 23, 2026 press release from the museum. Jessica Gelt also discussed the initial programming news in "Two theaters, nonstop screenings: Inside the Lucas Museum’s film programming plans," her July 23, 2026 article for the L.A. Times.
Nathan Heller had mentioned the theatres in "Inside the Otherworldly Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles," his May 2026 article for Vogue:
"...We walk past two 299-seat movie theaters that, on their own, stand as some of the finest screening spaces in America. The screens are huge. The ambient lighting can be set to any color. Each theater is a discrete acoustic structure, suspended on enormous springs and rubber isolators, so that the booming sound of an action scene in one will be inaudible to audiences enjoying a quiet moment next door.
"Lucas calls the theaters 'galleries,' to put them on par with the other rooms; all through the course of a normal day, one will screen documentaries about artists and filmmakers while the other shows short films, some only a few minutes long. 'What’s the difference between the art that’s in the other galleries and film?' he asks. 'Film moves. And the movement creates emotion.'..."
"Two
identical theaters flanking the lobby are galleries in their own right.
Concentric circles of wedge-shaped acoustic panels diminish as they
rise, creating a vortex overhead. Uplighting causes the dark panels to
look like pillows, making the rooms feel soft and cosmic, as if the
audience might be gently sucked into both the screen and the ceiling."
Booth equipment: Digital equipment in both theatres includes Christie CP4435 projectors with Dolby IMS3000 integrated media servers and Dolby CP950A Atmos processors. The Flaherty is digital-only. For film in the Vorkapich they have two Kinoton FP-30E 35mm machines. The sound system design was by Alex Harbaugh.
The equipment list was included with an April 2026 job listing post for a projectionist. Thanks to Grace Pearl Shaw and TJ Edwards for spotting the listing. Among other things, they were looking for someone with experience with "ultra-high contrast lenses" who will display "courage when handling difficult conversations," help provide an "exceptional guest experience" and may "work closely with the Visitor Services team to ensure that the theater spaces are impeccably clean."
Architect: Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. Michael Siegel of the local firm Stantec is the architect-of-record. Mia Lehrer of Studio MLA designed the green spaces including the roof garden. LERA was the structural engineer.
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction is the general contractor. Construction began in 2018.
A rendering from the museum's website. We're looking north on Vermont toward Exposition Blvd.
It's a five-story building that reaches 115' in height with about 300,000 s.f. of space. The main floor has a 10,000 s.f. archive, 82,000 s.f. of gallery space is on the 4th floor and nearly 8,000 s.f. of gallery area is on the 5th floor.
In addition to the galleries and theatres, there are various learning spaces, a large library with windows overlooking a garden south of the building, a main floor cafe, a larger restaurant on the fifth floor, various event spaces and a rooftop terrace. There are two levels of parking below the museum and a separate three-story underground parking structure south of the museum.
A rendering of the north lobby from MAD Architects. The three glass elevators seen here take visitors to the fourth floor galleries. The rendering appeared with a 2018 story about the groundbreaking on the site designboom.
The 1st floor plan. North is at the right on these plans. Click on any of them for somewhat larger views. The two theatres are on the north side of the central plaza. The big space with all the columns on the left in the south half of this floor is the museum's archive.
A closer look at the north lobby and the theatres. On the left it's the oculus in the building's central plaza. The three glass elevators are in that pod in the middle of the north lobby. The cafe is in the lower center, alongside theatre #2. There's a larger restaurant up on 5 called the Skywalker Grill.
The 2nd floor plan. Alex Harbaugh, the sound system designer for the two theatres comments: "When I was working on these a long time ago, I couldn't not see the Falcon in the plans of the two rooms."
The 3rd floor. Note the library over on the far left. Its windows look out over the south garden.
The 4th floor plan. 82,000 s.f. of gallery space on this level.
The 5th floor. There's an exhibition space on the left on the building's south end. The restaurant and an event space are over on the north side.
A longitudinal section. North is over on the right. Click on it for a larger view
A cross section of the south half of the building.
Construction began in 2018 and came to a stop in 2020 with the Covid shutdowns. In 2023 Bernardo Rondeau was tapped to be the museum's film programmer and curator. See "Academy Museum’s Director of Film Programs Bernardo Rondeau Exits for Lucas Museum Job," Pat Saperstein's March article for Variety.
At one point they were predicting a 2025 opening but pushed that back after experiencing delays in getting some construction materials. Sandra
Jackson-Dumont was initially the museum's director. She left April 1,
2025 after five years with the project. Jim Gianopulos was appointed as the
interim chief executive. He was formerly with 20th Century Fox and
Paramount.
The museum opened to the public on September 22, 2026.
Lobby views:
George Lucas and Mellody Hobson in one of the elevators in the main lobby, on the north side of the entrance plaza. The Vorkapich Theatre is straight back beyond that arch on the left; the Flaherty behind the right arch off to the right. It's one of many photos by Annie Leibovitz appearing with Nathan Heller's "
Inside the Otherworldly Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles," a May 2026 article for Vogue.
A view of the area after installation of the concierge desk and the two displays showing what's playing in the two theatres. The three elevators we see here load around the back in an inner lobby area. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8, 2026
Looking left toward the gift shop on the north end of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
On the right end of the lobby it's a portal to a Starbucks and the cafe seating area. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
Deeper in the space at the cafe. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
The Robert J. Flaherty Theatre:
The display near the concierge desk showing what's playing and what's up next. There are no intermissions. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
The entrance to the Flaherty Theatre, on the south side of the main lobby. The ushers are at the two sets of entrance doors. The people on the left are checking in for the Skywalker Grill, up on floor 5. Those on the right are heading into the cafe. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
Mellody Hobson and George Lucas in the Flaherty. Photo: Annie Leibovitz for Vogue - May 2026
The view from the back before a September 2, 2026 invitational event. Thanks to
Like It Is for including this shot in her September 3 Facebook video clip.
A shot from a September 3, 2026 Facebook video clip shared by
Stella Chuu.
They had the system set to cycle through its color palette. This shot is from a September 3
Macabre Mondays.video clip on Facebook.
A documentary on the screen. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8, 2026
Coming out of the Flaherty with a look north in the inner lobby, behind the main elevator bank. That's a coat check straight ahead. Take a right before you get there for the entrance of the Vorkapich Theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
The Slavko Vorkapich Theatre:
To the left of the entrance it's the coat check and a hall to an exhibit area. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
The door is open to the house left aisle. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
A Vorkapich Theatre photo appearing on a
Laughing Place report about the Lucas presentation at Comic-Con.
A short, short pause between shorts. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
Across the house. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
A look to the rear. Note the upper port for the digital machine. They have two Kinoton FP-30E 35mm machines in the booth below. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
The light lock at the head of the house left aisle. That's the booth door on the left. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
A look to the plaza after exiting the Vorkapich. Photo: Bill Counter - September 2026
Interior views during construction:
Construction in one of the two lobbies in 2022. It's a photo by Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media taken for the Lucas Museum. It's one of nineteen images that appeared with Paul Cano's September 2022 article "
MAD Architects' Lucas Museum Reveals Latest Construction Details" on the site Arch Daily. It also appeared with a story on the site
Metalocus that includes a gallery of fourteen images plus a video.
A 2022 construction view of the library that's on the third floor. Photo: Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media for the Lucas Museum
Up near the oculus that's above the center plaza in 2022. Photo: Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media for the Lucas Museum
Some of the lobby framing. It's a January 31, 2023 photo by Adam Amengual taken for the New York Times that appears in a gallery of seven photos with "
Futuristic home of the $1 billion Lucas Museum rises in LA," Adam Nagourney's NYT story that appeared in the Marin Independent Journal. Museum director Sandra Jackson-Dumont says "There isn’t a straight line in the whole place."
In the north lobby in December 2023. Head through the arches on either side of that elevator pod to get to the theatres. Photo: Roberto Gomez/USC School of Cinematic Arts -
designboom
More exterior views:
2018 - The site cleared and ready to go. That bottom segment of the construction crane in the middle of the lot is positioned where the oculus above the center plaza would later be. The site had been city-owned surface parking lots. We're looking north with Vermont Ave. on the left. There's a bit of downtown over on the right edge. Thanks to Sterling Davis Photo for the image. It appears on
Flickr.
2020 - The south end of the building. Thanks to Field Condition for the March photo.
2020 - Looking northeast. On the left end of the building note the space for the two theatres. It's an image from "
Our Origin Story," a short May 2026 video on YouTube from George and Mellody.
2020 - A view to the west with Vermont Ave. on the far side of the building and Bill Robertson Lane in the foreground. It's another image from "
Our Origin Story."
2022 - A view north on Bill Robertson Lane. Photo: Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media for the Lucas Museum
2022 - On the roof. Photo: Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media for the Lucas Museum
2022 - The center plaza and its oculus. The arch spans 185'. It's a photo by Eric Furie/Sand Hill Media taken for the Lucas Museum.
2023 - Ready for its closeup in January. Photo: Allen J. Schaben for the L.A. Times
2023 - A side view in January. Photo: Allen J. Schaben for the L.A. Times
2023 - Looking toward the north lobby in December. Photo: Roberto Gomez/USC School of Cinematic Arts -
designboom
2024 - Looking south in August with Bill Robertson on the left, Vermont on the right. Photo: Hunter Kerhart for Urbanize
2024 - The view toward downtown in August. Photo: Hunter Kerhart for Urbanize
2024 - Looking west. It's an image from "
Our Origin Story," the short released in May 2026 on YouTube.
2024 - A December view north on Bill Robertson Lane. Thanks to Tony L. Delicia for sharing this shot in a post for the
DTLA Photo Group on Facebook. It was one of three in his post.
2024 - One of the construction entrances. Photo: Tony L. Delecia
2024 - The landscaping continuing to develop. It's a Hunter Kerhart photo, one of four included in a December 24
Urbanize Facebook post.
2025 - South on Vermont in January. Photo: Bill Counter
2025 - Looking north on Bill Robertson Lane toward the USC campus in January. The structure on the far left is the entrance to the parking garage under the south garden. Photo: Bill Counter
2025 - A view west into the central plaza and its oculus. Photo: Bill Counter - January 14
2025 - The entrance to the south lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - January 14
2025 - The view from the east toward the north lobby entrance. The two theatres are accessed from this lobby, to the left or right once you're in beyond the central elevator bank. There's also a cafe off to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - January 14
2026 - Looking south on Vermont Ave. Photo: Bill Counter - April 19
2026 - The main lobby, theatres and elevators are behind the glass at the left. In the distance it's the California Science Center. Photo: Bill Counter - April 19
2026 - Another view from the gardens south of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8
2026 - Across the plaza from the south, looking toward Vermont Ave. The library is on the left; the main entrance to the right. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8
2026 - The oculus and the main lobby entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8
2026 - A look up. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8
2026 - The main entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - September 8
| back to top | South, South Central and Southeast theatres | Downtown | Westside | Hollywood| Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
This is so exciting! Fabulous architecture; what a gift to Los Angeles!
ReplyDelete