SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 - All the way back in December of 2019, we told you the Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York was planning to expand with a recreation of the sets from Star Trek: The Next Generation. After a lengthy pandemic-induced delay, the project is finally moving forward. WCAX of Ticonderoga brought us a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the construction, along with a few words from tour founder and Star Trek superfan James Cawley.

It appears moving into the future also means bringing the past with you. As fans of the original series have aged, so have the younger fans who grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. For James Cawley, building the TNG sets was "logical". Cawley told WCAX, "The Next Generation is hugely popular and the generation that watched that as children are now adults [...] The grandparents want to see The Original Series [sets] and the kids want to see The Next Generation, so that's where we're at."

The broadcast shared a glimpse at the science console of the Enterprise-D. That's the one directly behind Worf, in case you were wondering. It takes time and careful attention to detail to recreate each individual piece. That includes the LCARS display, a feature that continued on Star Trek throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In order to get it just right, Cawley and his team enlisted the help of legendary Star Trek designers Denise and Michael Okuda.

The completed TNG bridge set is expected to be open in the spring of 2022. Star Trek: The Next Generation actors Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner are expected to be on hand to help promote the new set pieces. Additional TNG sets are expected to debut in Ticonderoga sometime later next year. To see the sneak preview and interview for yourself, visit wcax.com. For more information on the Star Trek set tours (now plural) along with event and ticket information, head over to startrektour.com