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St. Maarten, a place of sand, sun, culinary delights…and Yoda?
One of the most unique tourist attractions on St. Maarten…or any island…has to be the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit, located on Front Street in Philipsburg. A welcome respite from the usual touristy shops in the cruise ship port, the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit is a small non-profit museum concentrating on movie memorabilia and history. After telling my husband and sons about the museum, there was no turning back…being huge Star Wars fans, they demanded that we visit while spending the morning in Philipsburg.
Nick Maley, an international artist and movie effects make-up wizard, known for his key contribution to the development of Yoda and other Star Wars characters, opened the unique museum in 2011. The museum houses Nick’s private collection of movie relics, duplicates and collectibles, including artifacts and life-size figures. The exhibits focus on the individuals and techniques that brought to life Yoda, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, the Terminator, Alien, Highlander and Superman, Harry and the Hendersons among others.
Our favorite pieces were the facial molds taken from various movie sets. So many familiar faces are on display.
There are many screens throughout the museum playing video of Nick recalling his part in making the many classic films that he was part of. There are also some new pieces from Planet of the Apes that are being prepared for the exhibit.
After making our way through the museum, we encountered Nick, in the memorabilia and art gallery part of the store. A kind and gracious man, he chatted with us for a while, answered our questions and even showed my boys how the museum’s Yoda was operated when it was on the movie set.
When taking a break from the the usual Caribbean island experiences, make your way down to this small, but amazing museum. A truly unique experience, the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit should not be missed!
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The Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
- http://netdwellers.com/mz/planetp/home.html#_=_
- Address: Planet Paradise, 19a Front Street, Philipsburg, St Maarten,
- Hours: Monday-Saturday, 0930-1700
- Admission: $10 per person