Science Fiction Museum Planned for DC

An local group of science fiction fans launched a crowdfunding campaign today for what would likely be the area’s nerdiest museum. If they are successful, the planned Museum of Science Fiction would open in a temporary gallery in 2014, and begin searching for permanent quarters.

“We want to use it as an educational facilty to teach kids about the science, technology, engineering, and math fields and the arts,” Greg Viggiano, a product management executive and aspiring screenwriter, tells Washingtonian. “Science fiction is a perfect vehicle to do that. We could probably sneak in some educational components.”

Press materials released today suggest the debut collection would be largely made up of various ships from Star Trek incarnations and props and other paraphernalia from other movies and television shows, from Star Wars to Doctor Who. Most of it has been donated by collectors who sit on the fledgling museum’s board.

Viggiano also hopes his museum could build a relationship with the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, bridging a science fiction collection with one focusing on actual science. (Although plenty of people flock to Air and Space simply to look at the USS Enterprise model on display in the gift shop.)

The group is looking to raise $160,000 over the next 38 days to help finance the 3,000-square foot preview space, which he says will likely be located somewhere in downtown DC’s tourist zone. The long-range goal is to build a 50,000-square foot museum by early 2017, possibly in The Wharf, a planned development in Southwest.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.