Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition

Could a science museum take the stories that have captivated audiences worldwide and use them as a gateway to understand the engineering, technology, and creativity that brought them to life?

That question sparked the creation of Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition, a new kind of museum experience developed by The Franklin Institute (TFI) in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal, Universal Destinations & Experiences, and MDSX.

This exhibition marked a significant shift in the museum's model. After nearly two decades of primarily hosting traveling exhibitions created by others, TFI stepped into the lead role as creator and producer, shaping the concept, content, storytelling, and guest journey to create an original science experience in Philadelphia, with the intent to launch it on a five-year national tour.

More than an IP-based licensed exhibition about characters and iconic attractions, the exhibition was conceived from the start as a science museum experience. Rather than applying STEM interpretation to an existing entertainment exhibition, TFI worked directly with Universal's creative and engineering teams to build an original exhibition that reveals how immersive experiences are imagined, designed, engineered, tested, and brought to life.

This approach expands what a science museum can be within the entertainment and exhibition ecosystem. Unlike many entertainment-based exhibitions that use popular franchises to illustrate scientific principles, Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition makes the process of creating immersive experiences the subject of the exhibition. Engineering, robotics, design, storytelling, special effects, culinary innovation, and guest experience are presented as interconnected disciplines working together to create a single experience. The result is a model that blends museum learning, cultural relevance, and entertainment industry practice in ways rarely seen in science centers.

The exhibition also opens a relatively unexplored area for science museums: themed entertainment. While museums have successfully examined filmmaking, animation, and popular franchises, few have focused on the multidisciplinary process of creating theme park experiences. By bringing together engineering, architecture, storytelling, media production, robotics, guest psychology, operations, and design thinking within a single exhibition, TFI created a new framework for connecting STEM learning to a field that millions of people experience but rarely understand from the inside.

That philosophy shaped how TFI and Universal developed the exhibition’s storytelling. Rather than adapting an existing franchise into science content, the exhibition uses the creative process itself as the narrative thread. Storytelling is woven into the architecture of the exhibition: every artifact tells a story, and every interactive experience explores a creative concept.

The exhibition was designed to allow guests of different ages, interests, and backgrounds to connect with the stories in ways that are meaningful to them. Younger guests may be drawn in by recognizable characters and hands-on challenges; theme park fans can go deeper through behind-the-scenes content and original artifacts; and teens, adults, families, and educators can discover engineering, technology, creativity, and STEM concepts embedded throughout.

Across all eight galleries, that approach unfolds through the creative process. The first gallery, "Blue Sky," sets the stage by showing that great experiences don’t come together all at once; they emerge through experimentation, challenges, collaboration, and multiple iterations of design.

Guests aren’t simply observing how theme parks are made; they are stepping into the process by building coasters, experimenting with projection mapping, and designing monster masks using real theme park tools and technologies. Costumes, props, design models, mood boards, and production materials reveal not just what audiences see, but how ideas evolve from early concepts into groundbreaking global experiences. Throughout the exhibition, careers in themed entertainment are highlighted through video narratives featuring real-world theme park designers, inspiring future innovators and idea-makers by showcasing the wide range of roles within the field.

The result is a broader pathway into STEM learning and a new model for science museum development. Rather than treating popular culture as a backdrop for science education, TFI demonstrated how the creative and engineering processes behind globally recognized experiences can become the science story itself. In doing so, the museum expanded the role science centers can play as creators of original intellectual property, strategic partners to major entertainment brands, and producers of culturally relevant experiences that inspire learning through curiosity and wonder.

Partners

The Franklin Institute

Larry Dubinski, President and CEO

Abby Bysshe, Chief Experience and Strategy Officer

MDSX

Dan Picard, Owner and Creative Director

Universal Destinations & Experiences

Comcast NBCUniversal

The exhibition was a highly collaborative process, with partners contributing expertise, access, and perspectives at every stage of development.

TFI collaborated with Universal Destinations & Experiences to:

- Identify and define the hallmarks of Universal’s approach to storytelling.

- Access to original materials, including props, drawings, sketches, video, and behind-the-scenes content, many of which had never been publicly exhibited.

- Uncover the stories behind the objects and understand the creative process.

- Coordinate with Universal’s other IP teams and partners to ensure accurate representation across the different worlds.

- Collaborate on cross–promotional opportunities, including creative, marketing, and audience crossover initiatives.

MDSX –Creative& Production Partner

MDSX served as the creative and production partner, translating the exhibition’s content and storytelling into the physical and digital visitor experience, including:

- Exhibition design and creative development

- Video content

- Technology integration

- Interactive experiences

- Physical installations

- Production and implementation