The Star Trek Original Series Set Tour is expanding...all the way to The Next Generation.

A piece in The Post-Star, out of Glens Falls, New York reports that James Cawley, who owns and runs the Set Tour in Ticonderoga, has plans to create Star Trek: The Next Generation’s soundstages in a building next door to the existing Original Series sets. According to the piece, the building was once a department store but has been boarded up for years. “It’s got a lot of things that have to be done, just to stabilize the building,” Cawley said.

There are some advantages to the building being right next to the existing Set Tour, Cawley explains. He said, “We’re so close to the building that we’re looking to do a walkway between the buildings.” As to what the new building will hold? “The goal is to do the soundstage,” he said, and he intends to add to it over time, much like he did with the Original Series Set Tour.

The Star Trek Original Series Set Tour is a popular tourist attraction in Ticonderoga, in upstate New York. It’s home to theme weekends like Treksgiving and the yearly Trekonderoga convention, as well as regular tours most weekends throughout the year. Fans can visit sets of the Original Series bridge, transporter room, and sickbay, as well as a real-world museum of artifacts from the show. Cawley sees a lot of growth for his Next Generation plans, and says he’s been “acquiring stuff for years.” But fans will have to wait to see the fruits of his labor: according to the Post-Star piece, Cawley doesn’t anticipate opening the Next Generation set for at least a year, and probably more like 18 months.

Thanks to Howard for bringing this story to my attention.