Sci-fi Museum in Warren Selects Name and Designer

WARREN, Ohio – The science fiction museum that is taking shape in Warren has settled on a name and hired a design firm.

It will be called Museum of Science Fiction & Fantasy Arts.

Located in a building owned by the Trumbull County Historical Society at 410 Main Ave., it will feature a collection of props that appeared in major sci-fi movies that were made by Warren native John Zabrucky, through his California company, Modern Props.

Zabrucky donated his collection with a goal of creating a museum.

The collection includes items that appeared in “Blade Runner,” “Ghostbusters,” “Men in Black,” most “Star Trek” movies and many other feature films.

“Our goal is to create a nationally significant museum that looks at the art of worldbuilding, the science behind science fiction and the rise of science fiction and fantasy in mainstream culture,” said Meghan Reed, executive director of TCHS, which will own and operate the museum.

Ryan MacLennan, director of operations and outreach for the museum, explained how the name of the museum was chosen.

“It seemed like the best name for a museum that could sustain itself long-term, that could be a national draw,” MacLennan said. “Other names that were suggested seemed a little bit more kitsch, a little bit more localized, and we want to make this a museum that is sustainable long-term and impacts our community.”

The museum’s steering committee has engaged Hickok Cole, an architecture firm based in Washington, D.C., to lead the design process.

Hickok Cole has done similar work for the International Spy Museum, National Geographic Pavilion and the headquarters of National Public Radio.

The museum committee’s decision to select the company was unanimous, Reed said.

“Hickok Cole has done such impressive work,” she said. “They’ve worked with museum collections and museum buildings. They have a full team of people who are very capable and competent doing this work. They speak the language, so to speak.”

Mark Ramirez, managing director of Hickok Cole, said he has a personal interest in the Warren project.

“I’m a sci-fi nerd,” he said. “I grew up watching sci-fi and reading sci-fi and being involved with sci-fi. When this opportunity came about, for me and one of my other colleagues in the office, it was very close to home. In a lot of respects, it was a passion project.”

Ramirez said he is especially excited about the “storytelling component” of the museum, whether the topic be Warren, Zabrucky or science fiction.

The committee is developing a business plan and creating a logo and brand for the museum and plans to launch a capital campaign to fund the construction and exhibit design of the museum.

“John Zabrucky spent most of his career imagining what the future looked like and creating props from that vision,” Reed said. “There is something extremely meaningful and relevant to his work, both as an art form and as a way to understand our world today. We’re in a great place to build a nationally significant museum that is exciting for science fiction and fantasy fans and captures the heart of the genres.”

To learn more about the museum or to get involved in the project, go to trumbullcountyhistory.org.

Pictured at top: This building at 410 Main Ave., Warren, will be the future home of the science fiction museum.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.