Ti Star Trek sets opening to tours

TICONDEROGA – Opening the "Star Trek: The Original Series" sets in Ticonderoga to public tours is being lauded as a major boost to tourism in the area. Ticonderoga resident James Cawley said he is observing the 50th anniversary of the Gene Roddenberry franchise by opening his "Star Trek: The Original Series" sets for daily tours. Cawley has been producing Star Trek New Voyages Internet webisodes on the sets, using the original "Star Trek" characters, and in many cases with actors from the 1966-69 show. Cawley's studio is in a former supermarket and dollar store in downtown Ticonderoga. His latest venture, the tours, has just been licensed by CBS Consumer Products, he said. "We've been negotiating and working behind the scenes for the last six months (to get CBS approval)," Cawley explained. "When it happened, we wanted to get the announcement out there." He said they will also have a gift shop with "Star Trek" merchandise, plus displays that talk about the original show and Desilu Studios. "It literally be back to 1966 when you walk in the door," Cawley said. "It will be just what it was like when they were shooting 'Star Trek.' "We hope to have a longstanding footprint in the downtown." Getting ready to offer set tours is exciting, he said. "To me there is no other franchise around that is more enjoyable and more socially relevant than 'Star Trek,' Cawley said. "I'm very thankful for all the support I've received on this project, and I can't wait to begin welcoming my fellow fans this summer." He said Saturday, July 30 is the opening date, to coincide with Ticonderoga Streetfest that day. Tour prices will be $22.50 for adults, $20 for senior citizens, and $11 for children. "We'll be open seven days a week for the summer, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.," Cawley said. "I will be there, and other people will be there helping." Tickets can be bought online at startrektour.com. The set tour brings memories to life, Cawley said, by allowing fans "to boldly go and tour the sets of the legendary Starship Enterprise." Cawley, a 49-year-old Ticonderoga native who is also an Elvis Presley tribute artist, recreated the Enterprise sets exactly as they were laid out on Desilu Studios, now Paramount Pictures, Stage 9 in Hollywood, for the original run of "Star Trek." "Guests will be able to step onto the soundstage and be transported directly back to 1966," Cawley said. "Visitors can receive guided tours, photo opportunities and an immersive experience into the world of the classic television series." Cawley began creating the sets in 1997, originally in a former automobile service garage in Port Henry, after he was given a copy of the original set blueprints from "Star Trek: The Original Series" costume designer William Ware Theiss. He said he then spent 15 years researching, crafting, and refining his set replicas, alongside other fans and craftspeople. Cawley said he studied photographs and 35mm frame captures from the series, sourcing vintage materials, to ensure that minute details were accurately reproduced, including an array of props and set decorations. Cawley was joined on the project by "Star Trek" crew alumni, including prop fabricator Ed Miarecki and concept designer and special effects supervisor Daren R. Dochterman. He also recreated the stone time-travel portal called the Guardian of Forever, from the acclaimed first season show, "The City on the Edge of Forever." The result is a stunning achievement, offering the most complete and accurate reproduction of the original standing sets from "Star Trek: The Original Series," according to the website www.startrek.com. Cawley, along with the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance, is also hosting the 2nd annual Trekonderoga "Star Trek" convention on the sets, from Aug. 12-14 this year. Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Matthew Courtright said the tours will bring visitors to the community from all over the country. "The 'Star Trek: The Original Series' set tour will be located in historic Ticonderoga, under license by CBS, and that is exciting news for the Ticonderoga area," Courtright said. "We'd better get ready, because I foresee fans from everywhere coming to tour those sets."

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Ti Star Trek sets opening to tours

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