There has never been a greater time to be a Star Trek fan!

Immediately upon entering the Science Center, guests were greeted by a massive, inflatable Phaser Tag arena, where friends and families put their phaser skills to the test.

From there, guests received Star Trek-inspired makeovers at the Transformation Station, courtesy of the School of Makeup Effects, and tried their strength at the Kirk vs. Spock Jousting Ring (influenced by the classic Season 2 episode, “Amok Time,” where Kirk and Spock were forced to battle).

Guests 21 and over enjoyed a delicious menu of themed cocktails, including “Klingon Blood Wine” and “Romulan Ale.”

Younger guests, meanwhile, used yarn to make their own Tribbles, the famous furry creatures that have appeared multiple times throughout the series.

The Tribble-making activity was just one of many hands-on activities that people experienced throughout the night.

Our STEM team presented many Trekkie-based experiments, such as a Levitation Lab; in this lab, guests learned about electric and magnetic properties while actually levitating objects above a track.

Our host for the evening was Jordan Hoffman, film critic and host of “Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast.” He was joined by pop culture journalist Jill Pantozzi, a.k.a. “The Nerdy Bird,” who led a discussion on Star Trek’s influences on pop culture, as well as author Robb Pearlman, who did dramatic readings from his Star Trek children's books.

Hoffman led many fierce games and competitions throughout the night, starting with a Star Trek spelling bee (harder than you might think!), followed by a costume contest, a trivia game, and finally a “KHAAAAN!” scream contest.

It was an exciting opportunity for Trekkies to meet and mingle with fellow fans, but it was also a unique opportunity to convert non-fans. All night, we screened classic episodes in our JDW Theater, such as Season 1’s “Arena” and Season 2’s “Mirror, Mirror,” allowing non-Trekkies to learn what they’re missing.

But of course, the highlight of the evening was our newest exhibition, Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience.

In this hands-on, immersive exhibition, guests step into the shoes of a 26th century space cadet and travel through nine different zones. Throughout their journey, participants receive the necessary science, engineering, medical and command training to navigate from orientation through graduation.

The exhibition features many real props and costumes from the series, but it also examines how Star Trek has inspired so much of today’s cutting-edge technologies.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Trekkie celebration! You can see more photos over on our Facebook page.

If you missed the fun, don’t worry – our new exhibition will be here through May 2018. Don’t miss it!