Beam us up, Scottie!

Star Trek exhibition on Blackpool Promenade. Pictured are Brogen Whalley, Blake Standaloft-Nicholls, Bobby Sharma and Matt Alderson.

Representatives from the council, Blackpool Lightpool, the Blackpool Business Leadership Group, were among the guests having a tour of the new £1m exhibition on the Prom.

The new attraction has more than 100 original artefacts and costumes from the TV series and films that the popular science fiction show has spawned.

It’s opening coincides with the 50th anniversary of the iconic show’s creation and the release of the latest film from CBS Star Trek Beyond.

Star Trek exhibition on Blackpool Promenade. Pictured are Brogen Whalley, Paul Hill and Rui Antao.

Fans and visitors get to see the original scripts from that first TV series starring William Shatner as Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Vulcan science officer Mr Spock.

For the aficionados there is also a costume from the “second series that never was” plus Spock’s headband, Jean-Luc Picard’s uniform as worn by actor Patrick Stewart.

Finishing touches are being applied to the attraction and visitors will be able to take photographs on their mobile phone with an app which makes it look like they are being beamed down by the USS Enterprise’s famous transporter room.

Exhibits on the technology from Star Trek which has found its way into everyday 21st Century life and a replica of the Enterprise’s bridge are among the other items.

Star Trek exhibition on Blackpool Promenade. Pictured is curator Carol Stenberg.

Exhibition curator Carol Stenberg said: “It’s very exciting. This has been a big build, quite a challenge.

“We had to wait for some of the exhibits to come from Germany before we could finalise the build inside but we have been working with as many Blackpool companies and organisations as possible.

“The council’s Positive Steps team help with recruitment, Eclipse and Link Signs and Graphics have been working on the displays and artwork and we even had a local company re-upholster a couple of the chairs for the  bridge.

“We will be refreshing the displays on a regular basis and we have some exciting tie-in events to come throughout the year.”

The exhibition is already tied-in to a new light show for the Illuminations this autumn with a Star Trek inspired display beaned into the sky and to a film gala week to celebrate all the films including the latest.

Coun Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said she had enjoyed her preview of the exhibition and thanked Apollo Resorts Blackpool for bringing it to the Golden Mile.

She said: “As someone who is not a huge Star Trek fan it is a very impressive exhibition and I am delighted it is here.

“My favourite character from the shows was Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart, and I am impressed with the number of original costumes on display including his.

“It is good that people want to invest in Blackpool in this way and I am sure it will bring a lot of people to Blackpool that might not otherwise have come.”