With no new Star Trek on television, what does a Trekkie do to get his fix of phasers, transporters and boldly going where Trekkies love to go again and again?

Does he watch the movies on DVD for the umpteenth time? Does he start a marathon of the episodes of one of the series?

No, the Trekkie goes to West Main Street in Louisville, Ky.

West Main Street is home of the Louisville Science Center, which is currently hosting Star Trek: The Exhibition from now until May 22. There, one can go to see uniforms, phasers, tricorders and much more.

Jan. 22 was a big night for the center. It had been many months since the announcement of the booking of The Exhibition to appear there. b=But at last, it was opening weekend. In honor of the opening, the center decided to take its annual fundraiser and go all out and make it not only the fundraiser, but a celebration of the opening of the new exhibit.

First off, I have to compliment the folks at the center as they absolutely know how to throw a party! The event was first class all the way with lots of food and beverages for all guests, great people in attendance, wonderful music, and of course, the center and the exhibit itself. The combination of the fundraiser with the opening of the exhibit led to a complete sellout of the event.

They even had, for one night only, Quark's Bar open in the center with some very interesting drinks available for the adults, one of which was definitely green.

Walking around the festivities, it was a true diversity of people in attendance, coming from all facets and aspects of life, gathered for two common purposes. They were there to support the center, which works to educate children about science, and they were also there because of a common interest in one of the legendary franchises in the history of science-fiction.

Among the guests that evening was “Star Trek: Voyager” cast member Robert Picardo. We'll have an interview with him in this column in a few days.

The version of the exhibit that is appearing at the science center is a smaller version than ones that have been seen in other cities due to the size of the center and the space restrictions. I can only imagine the hard decisions that had to be made regarding what would and would not be on exhibit there.

According to Danielle Waller, the size of the center prevented them from having as many set pieces as other venues have had, but it also had the plus of allowing for more objects, such as props, costumes and other items of interest. She compared it to when the center presented the Titanic exhibit previously. While they may not have the room for a lot of the larger exhibits of sets, what they do have is very impressive.

The sets they have in Louisville are the transporter chamber and a recreation of Capt. Picard's quarters from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Picard's quarters was one of the popular spots during the evening with folks making an initial visit to the exhibit, and then returning for additional looks.

There were also collections of medical props, various weapons from both the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans, and a display of information PADDs, including a black ancestor of the pads, called an iPad.

The exhibit has a large number of props and prop replicas on display from all of the different Star Trek series as well as all of the movies. That includes the most recent one, represented by actual uniforms from the films.

Speaking of uniforms, there is a uniform for all of the captains, including Archer's from "Star Trek: Enterprise." After seeing it in person, I would recommend fans get a look at it as many do not have the fabric correct in their replicas that they wear.

There were other exhibits that caught my attention. One of them is a replica of the captain's chair from the original "Star Trek" series in front of a green screen that fans can sit in and have their photo taken for a fee. After you tour the exhibit, you get your photo, which shows you sitting in the chair on the bridge of the original Enterprise.

Another nice display was a small one with a center volunteer showing actual items used by NASA in space flights. There was also a demonstration of the tiles used on the space shuttle, with a center volunteer showing how they withstand heat.

It is truly amazing watching the tiles, which are surprisingly lightweight, withstand a propane torch. The Science Center is making sure to integrate real life learning experiences with the exhibit, and that is one way that makes this version of the exhibit so very unique.

All in all, this presentation of The Exhibition is very much worth the time and effort to attend. It is entertaining, informative, and a great way for an entire family to spend time as the center not only has this exhibit, but many other exhibits which feature hands-on experiences for kids.

I would urge all fans of Star Trek that can to make your plans to visit the Louisville Science Center and discover the wonders of science, past, present and future.