Article Source: Glasgow Life
Last Updated: 10 January 2025 8:18
The Sci-Fi Galactic Adventures exhibition will open at Riverside Museum – run by Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture and sport in Glasgow – from Saturday 11 January to Sunday 6 April 2025.
The free display features replica costumed characters, full-size models, props and sets inspired by cosmic battles and galactic encounters, making it perfect for all lovers of science fiction, from die-hard fans of the franchise to those discovering it for the first time.
Among the eye-catching items on show are space speeders, galactic soldiers, fighter models and a well-known android.
The Sci-Fi Galactic Adventures exhibition has been many years in the making. After meeting a replica Stormtrooper during a family visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum manager Stewart Thompson decided to follow his dream of bringing the space saga to Glasgow.
Having seen first-hand how popular film car exhibitions were when vehicles such as a replica Batmobile and Jurassic Park jeeps rolled into Riverside Museum, Stewart also wanted to offer visitors an opportunity to enjoy a display dedicated to George Lucas’ space sensation.
The challenge was finding someone or an organisation who could supply enough replica props and characters from the movies. After spending weeks searching for suppliers, Stewart eventually found a Leeds-based event and prop hire company called Back to the 80s.
Back to the 80s owner Mike Hutchinson was able to offer a series of sets, objects and props including a full-size spaceship from the 1977 film, which can now be found in Glasgow’s Riverside Museum.
Stewart Thompson, Museum Manager at Riverside Museum, said: “A long time ago, I took my young son to Kelvingrove, where we encountered the full-size replica of an Imperial Stormtrooper, standing 6ft 2 inches tall. I’ll never forget his excitement and I knew then I wanted to bring some of that epic space saga magic to Glasgow. Now, visitors to Riverside Museum can witness more of George Lucas’ legendary characters and ships, owned by dedicated fan and collector Mike Hutchinson. Whether fans saw the films in the 1980s, 2000s or more recently, they will love seeing the interplanetary displays which pay tribute to various heroes, villains and their homelands on sand dunes and in forests and deep space. They’ll feel transported out of this world.”
Mike Hutchinson, Back to the 80s Event and Prop Hire owner, said: “I have a passion for iconic 80s films and can't wait to show some of my sci-fi collection to the people of Scotland. It's not often I get to exhibit some of my larger props in the same place.”
Costuming organisation the Imperial Scottish Garrison will lend characters to help bring the Sci-Fi Galactic Adventures exhibition to life for visitors to Riverside Museum.
Brian McDavid, Imperial Scottish Garrison Commanding Officer, said: “The Imperial Scottish Garrison is honoured to be asked to help make this exhibition the best that we can by providing some well-known characters to enhance the public experience. This is a fantastic opportunity to see some fantastic life-size replica props from probably the most popular sci-fi franchise in the world. These props are each so recognisable that being able to be up close to them will be an amazing experience for the public, whether they are fans or not. These props are rarely seen outside of dedicated sci-fi events and to see them in such a great setting as Riverside Museum will be something special.”
The Sci-Fi Galactic Adventures exhibition can be visited for free during Riverside Museum’s opening hours: Monday to Thursday, and Saturday, 10.00am to 5.00pm; Friday and Sunday, 11.00am to 5.00pm.
Images Credit: Ross MacDonald / SNS
Flight Club is inviting Glasgow AJ Bell Great Scottish Run participants to celebrate their incredible effort with a complimentary drink on Sunday 5th October!
READ MOREThe team behind the home of Social Darts is embarking on a nationwide charity tour in celebration of its 10th birthday and dishing out treats to its fans along the way!
READ MORECity's biggest Halloween show extended as nostalgia-fuelled 'Miles Better' theme takes Glasgow by storm, with new dates on sale on Wednesday 17th September at 7.30am!
READ MOREScotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MOREThe full cast has been announced for Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile which comes to the Theatre Royal Glasgow in February.
READ MOREPaisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MOREEdinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MOREThe Royal Shakespeare Company's smash hit production of Matilda The Musical, based on Roald Dahl's beloved book, will come to Glasgow for the very first time in 2026!
READ MORECineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MOREFamily-owned national diamond, jewellery and watch retailer, Beaverbrooks, is doubling the size of its Glasgow Fort store with a £1.3m investment.
READ MOREThis festive season at SWG3, Bongo's Bingo is transporting everyone back to the time where coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme!
READ MOREScotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MOREOne of Glasgow's favourites is flipping the idea of a traditional roast on its head with the return of its Sunday BBQ later this month.
READ MOREMarston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MOREÒran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MOREThe Barrowland Ballroom was filled with love, laughter, and music as friends, family and supporters came together for SOAPYFEST, raising over £18K in support of Beatson Cancer Charity and Marie Curie
READ MOREM&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORETopgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MOREGlasGLOW fever has gripped Glasgow once again, with more than 20,000 tickets for this year's GlasGLOW's Miles Better show snapped up within just 60 minutes of being released.
READ MOREIconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MOREThe Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORELove Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MOREMulti-venue music festival taking over Glasgow's East End this October confirms Dead Pony and 14 new acts!
READ MORETickets will go on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow's long-established and much-loved book festival, at 11am today.
READ MOREIt might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MOREBirds Fried Chicken is taking its signature Southern-style fried chicken out of its natural Shawlands habitat and into new, unexpected settings with the launch of Rare Birds!
READ MOREBuchanan Galleries is marking Zero Waste Week (1 – 5 September 2025) by showcasing the centre's wide range of sustainable retail initiatives!
READ MOREBusiness Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MOREA new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORESummer may be over, but music festival season is still here, with an exciting outdoor concert in aid of Mary's Meals taking place in Glasgow's West End on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE