The Original USS Enterprise Now at the Smithsonian — Sadly, It’s Not Big Enough to Board

It’s a big year for nerds. Not only is it the 50th anniversary year of Star Trek, but it’s the 40th anniversary year of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, which is why a very important piece of pop culture was taken out of the gift shop where it was originally displayed for some reason, and brought out into the museum proper — the original model of the USS Enterprise.

The video above gives you a taste of what the exhibit looks like until you can get your Trek-loving self to the Smithsonian to see it for yourself. The model, which has been fully restored, was moved into the Milestones exhibit where it now sits in a climate-controlled case. And as this is a working model, while one side looks like the camera-ready Enterprise we’re used to seeing zip around during the credits of the Original Series, if you look at the other, you can see the LED lighting wires and internal motors that make it look like a ship with actual people aboard.

So if you’re in Washington, DC, stop on by the Air and Space Museum and check it out! If you’re there on July 22nd, you can make a Trek day of it and see the model during the day and Star Trek Beyond in the evening. Actually…I have vacation days coming up. *makes really nerdy plans*

(via Spinoff Online, featured image via screencap)

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