The people in charge of planning and execution of Star Trek: The Exhibition, which runs through April at the San Jose Tech Museum, must be part Ferengi, as they appear to be driven by profit. The exhibit looks as if it was thrown together haphazardly, under the pretense of marketing something “new and exciting” for Star Trek fans.
The beginning of the exhibit finds you in front of props and costumes from the original Star Trek series. Models of ships from all the alien races adorn the walls as visitors makes their way up to the replica set of the original bridge.
The next installment is a recreation of the walkways aboard the Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Along the way, there is a mock up of the quarters featured on the show, a replica set of the transporter room that also offers a photo opportunity for audiences to feel like they’re part of the show, followed by more costumes and wall blurbs about the different alien races encountered by the Enterprise.
The stand out piece of the exhibit had to be the timeline, “The History of the Future.” This piece puts into chronological order the events from the five series and 11 movies, so you can see them in proper context and perspective.
Upon exiting the exhibition, there is a flight simulator, set to an adventure from the Star Trek series. The riders find themselves piloting a shuttlecraft alongside the Borg.
The offerings and experiences for visitor enjoyment fell short of expectations. The exhibit appeared to be comprised mainly of props, ones that resemble toys that you could see and buy in stores.
The replica of the NCC-1701 Enterprise bridge had no interactive components to it. Besides sitting in the captain’s chair and having your picture taken, that was about it. Everything else within the replica was purely for decoration purposes. The wall blurbs of trivia related to the series offered no new insight into Star Trek; they simply stated the information you could find online or in a Star Trek Encyclopedia.
The only interactive aspect of the exhibit is a video game quiz that’s set up near the exit. The exhibition doesn’t merit the $25 admission price required to visit.
Star Trek: The Exhibition is at the Tech Museum of Innovation, located in downtown San Jose. The exhibit is open through April. For ticket prices and more information, visit http://www.TheTech.org or call 408-294-8324.
