When you think of the biggest name in scifi and fantasy a lot of the big names come up.  Star Trek and Star Wars, Batman, Highlander, and Blade Runner just to name a few.  What do each of these have in common?  Well they are all big names, each has dedicated fans, and they all have memorable costumes.  This year, for exactly 101 days, the Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television tour makes its stop in Halifax.

Captain Picard Starfleet uniform worn by Sir Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation

The Out of This World tour, run by the EMP museum in Seattle, is a travelling museum exhibit that showcases some of the best costume and prop pieces from TV and film including Star Trek uniforms worn by Kirk, Picard, T’Pol and even 7 of 9.  Star Wars costumes including Luke Skywalker flight suit, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s cloak and even the severed hand that one pretended to belong to Luke himself.

Connor MacLeod fur poncho and armor worn by Christopher Lambert in Highlander (1986)

The exhibit, which includes over forty set pieces, is set up delicately and behind protective glass as it stands on display for all of Halifax to see.  The Out of this World tour, which makes its first and only Canadian stop here in Halifax, is a great addition to its Solar System on a Sphere exhibit says Jeff Gray, Curator if Marketing and Communication.

Batman costume worn by George Clooney in Batman & Robin (1997)

When asked why they brought it to the Museum of Natural History Jeff respond that science fiction has been heavily routed in natural history.  Captain Kirk fought lizardmen, something we would never have created without our understanding of reptilian life.  Even the names picked for some of the most famous ships in Science fiction, Birds of Prey and the Millennium Falcon, are named after creatures in nature.

Tan Jumpsuit worn by Dan Aykroid. Proton Pack and Utility belt in Ghostbusters II (1989)

The tour, which has been running since 2007, is set to end it course.  After it finishes its tour in Halifax, it goes to its final destination, Naples, Florida, before closing down.  Jeff Gray remarked that this exhibit is unique in that many of the pieces are privately owned.  When the tour ends, the privately owned pieces return to their owners, including Microsoft’s Paul Allan.

Black leather jacket worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

The Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television tour starts May 18 and runs until August 26 2012.