Two Replica Star Wars Fighters To Be Displayed at Major U.S. Museum

Star Wars fans looking to see starfighters up close and personal will have a new option this summer and beyond, but it won't last forever.

For parents looking to combine fun and education, this opportunity looks tough to beat-especially when it comes to affordability. That's because there is no need to travel to California or Florida and drop big bucks on a ticket to a Disney park for this experience.

U.S. Air Force Museum Hosting New Star Wars Exhibit

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is set to host a pair of replica Star Wars starfighters beginning May 22 in Dayton, Ohio.

Titled Iconic Starfighters: Rivals of the Silver Screen, the temporary exhibit will feature two full-scale spacecraft created by FireWatch Design Studios.

The installation gives patrons a chance to see an Imperial TIE Fighter as well as a Rebel Alliance X-wing Starfighter in all their glory, but that's not all.

Located just a stone's throw from where the Wright Brothers designed and built the world's first airplanes, the exhibit is uniquely designed to showcase how real-world aviation history continues to shape the way flight is imagined on the silver screen.

The doors open May 22, and the fleet will remain grounded in Ohio through December 31, 2026.

Behind the Builds

Unaffiliated with Lucasfilm or Disney, Iconic Starfighters is a private collection on loan from the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, with funding support provided by the Air Force Museum Foundation.

According to FireWatch's design specs, the massive ships took nine months to blueprint and build. The X-wing is a full-scale model that measures 40 feet in length, weighs more than eight tons and features a custom paint job to match Luke Skywalker's exact T-65 model from Star Wars: A New Hope.

The TIE Fighter comes in at 85% scale, sporting 625 square feet of hand-cut, high-gloss "Imperial Tile" to replicate the sinister cinematic reflection of the Empire's fleet.

How It Compares to Disney World and Beyond

Of course, the option always exists to immerse yourself in a whole galaxy of Star Wars at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando or Disneyland in Anaheim.

Both parks feature Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, a 14-acre land complete with a 110-foot Millennium Falcon, Resistance X-wings, and a First Order TIE Echelon.

If you go that route, you can literally run into patrolling Stormtroopers, pilot a simulator on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, or dodge AT-AT walkers on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance-not to mention grab a cup of Blue Milk straight out of the movies.

Additionally, a permanent 3/4 scale replica of Luke's starfighter autographed by the original cast and crew is also on display at the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver, Colorado.

But when it comes to ease of access via air or ground, Dayton might be the best bet this year.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 8:15 AM.