The Enterprise is going off display for construction

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News from the National Air and Space museum:

As part of the ongoing renovation to transform the Museum from the inside out, the Star Trekstarship Enterprise studio model will be off display beginning October 7, 2019, as the portion of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall where it is displayed closes. This beloved icon of popular culture will remain in safe storage throughout the construction and the model will return to its place in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall when it reopens at the end of our multi-year renovation.

We'd love to see your photos with Enterprise. Share them on Twitter and Instagram using #EnterpriseAtNASM. We'll round up some of our favorites to say "See you later" to Enterprise in October.


The building is largely falling apart and the renovation is needed. The Enterprise will return but we are talking years. I’ve asked for timing on this but it’s not available yet.

 

[feek61]

Wow!! Thanks for the heads-up. I guess I should have not delayed by trip to go see her; hopefully I will still be alive when she goes back on display!!!!

 

[mb22]

They apparently can't find another building to display it in (?)

 

[ZapBrannigan]

They apparently can't find another building to display it in (?)

Maybe it's like Disney pulling their most popular DVD titles off the market for years at a time. The basic idea reads like, "Traffic has slowed now that most of the interested people have gotten it, but if we take it away for a time, the next availability will be a marketing event that draws in new customers." Or maybe not.

 

[UssGlenn]

I went to a talk about the renovation of NASM at the last American Alliance of Museums conference here in New Orleans. The building has lots of problems, some going back all the way to its construction. The HVAC system is a compete nightmare, and is contributing to the deterioration of the exterior facade. As you might expect, the rush to get it open by the Bicentennial in 1976 did the building no favors. It's also not designed to accommodate all the security added after 9-11, the new entryway area will fix that.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

I wondered when that might happen.

They apparently can't find another building to display it in (?)

This has been the MO for all the restoration so far; just closing the gallery, not much in the way of moving things to a different location.

 

[Trekfan12]

I was at the museum last month and asked about the Enterprise, at the time they didn't have any info on when she might be moved or what was going on with her. I just found out about this today (I hadn't been to this forum in a while to see this post on the 11th) I plan to try to see her before she flies off into space I've seen her numerous times when I get into the city. I will miss her so much, I know she will return, but still I will miss her

 

[UssGlenn]

As annoying as it is to be off view, from a best practices standpoint, the less you can move an object around, the better. This is especially true for unwieldy and fragile objects like the Enterprise, less opportunity for damage.