About

Our mission and collection

The Collection

Science Fiction World houses approximately 4,200 novels, 1,100 technical documents, 890 periodicals, 890 manufactured objects, and several hundred scientific instruments, spacecraft reproductions, and geological samples. The collection spans the period from 1865 to the late twentieth century, with particular depth in materials from 1945 through 1980.

Acquisitions

Items in the collection have been recovered from private libraries, bookshops, warehouses, residential shelving, and storage facilities. Condition on arrival varies. Some volumes are pristine; others show water damage, foxing, or structural failure at the spine. All items are logged at intake with title, edition, date, location of recovery, and condition assessment. Reproductions and reconstructions are built on the grounds from archival specifications or from descriptions found in the novels themselves.

Conservation

A conservation workshop on the grounds handles restoration, condition monitoring, and climate control for items in the collection. Materials are stored at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 45 percent relative humidity. All original items undergo annual inspection. Recent work includes restoration of the Voyager Golden Record reproduction pressings and structural stabilization of first-edition book bindings.

History of the Park

Science Fiction World was established to house and maintain a growing collection of artifacts related to spaceflight, speculative fiction, and the history of scientific imagination. The central pavilion was completed first and continues to house the primary gallery spaces. A south pavilion containing additional gallery space was added in a second construction phase. The observation platform was restored recently, with structural supports and railings replaced while preserving the original design.