“Star Wars and the Power of Costume” runs through April 2 at the Denver Art Museum and offers an engaging look at the costumes and creative processes behind the entire Star Wars saga. On loan from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art archives, the exhibition brings together authentic garments and accessories from the films, alongside video presentations featuring designers and actors. Interactive elements and hands-on displays illuminate the work of concept artists and costume designers, showing how ideas evolve from sketches to screen-ready pieces. The exhibition is presented by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in partnership with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, with consultation from Lucasfilm Ltd.
Also on display in Denver is “Vikings: Beyond the Legend” at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, opening March 10 and running through Aug. 13. This exhibition presents the largest collection of Viking artifacts in North America and includes full-scale replica Viking ships. The artifacts span a wide range of materials—textiles, wood, metal, bone, leather, glass and ceramics—offering insight into everyday life as well as ceremonial and religious practices. Visitors can try authentic Viking games and participate in strength tests using a replica Viking sword, while other displays explore Norse mythology, religious iconography, armor and weaponry. Among the objects on view is the earliest known Scandinavian crucifix, highlighting the cultural and religious exchanges that shaped the Viking world.
Both exhibitions provide a mix of scholarly context and immersive experiences: one traces the artistic and technical craft of costume design within a beloved film franchise, and the other reconstructs the material culture and lived experience of the Viking era. Whether you are drawn to cinematic design or historical artifacts, each show offers compelling storytelling, thoughtfully curated objects and opportunities to engage directly with the themes on display.