Did you know that the last ship to be built in Pembroke Dock town's dockyards was the Millennium Falcon?
Yes, it’s true! The original iconic Star Wars starship was built in the town in 1979 for the Oscar-winning film The Empire Strikes Back.
We are proud to host a permanent exhibition that tells the story of how our small town in Wales became the birthplace of a Hollywood legend.
Our display includes photographs – many not seen in public before – as well as unique film of the construction, and a detailed sectioned model of the stages of construction of the original.*
Every year now we celebrate our Star Wars connections at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre – join us on the late May spring bank holiday Monday. Visitors can learn how to wield a light saber, mingle with Storm Troopers and even meet Darth Vader, while enjoying a tasty barbecue.
Model shows how sections of the Millennium Falcon were secretly transported from Pembroke Dock to the studios for filming
Millennium Falcon under construction in one of Pembroke Dock’s Sunderland hangars. See how tiny the people look on the left!
The worst kept secret in Pembroke Dock
The story behind the Pembroke Dock Falcon began with the whispered secret that a real starship was being built in the town.
Craftsmen from a local engineering firm built the model – the first of its type ever constructed, in the Western Hangar – a former RAF aircraft hangar in the town’s dockyard.
“It was the worst kept secret in Pembroke Dock – everybody in the town knew they were building a UFO in the hangar and that period of time and that story is an important part of the town’s living memory” remembers Gareth Mills, trustee of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trust.
One of the most iconic starships in science fiction history
The Millennium Falcon exhibition at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre was built under the watchful eye of local Star Wars expert and enthusiast Mark Williams.
“George Lucas set a new standard in both storytelling and film making with Star Wars and the story of the Millennium Falcon being built in Pembroke Dock was big news at the time. The whole world knew about it, then the story faded into legend.”
“The idea of a town in West Wales making a significant contribution to this incredible story by being the place where one of the most iconic starships in science fiction history was built, creates a mixture of disbelief, awe and pride.”
A destination for fans worldwide
The Millennium Falcon isn’t Pembrokeshire’s only connection to Star Wars. Lynwen Brennan, Lucasfilm EVP and General Manager, is a Pembrokeshire native.
“I am so delighted that this wonderful moment and place in Star Wars history will be preserved,” said Lynwen Brennan. “I love that such an iconic, beloved ship was built in the town where my Mum was born and in the county where I grew up, and I’m hopeful this exhibit will become a new destination for fans around the world.”
*Please note that we do NOT have the full-sized original or a full-sized copy of the Millennium Falcon at the Heritage Centre; that was dismantled and disposed of after filming. Also the original would have been too big to fit into the Centre!
National Lottery funding
Our permanent exhibition ‘The Millennium Falcon – the last ship built in the Royal Pembroke Dockyard’ was made possible thanks to £8,000 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
“Pembroke Dock – the birthplace of the first-ever life-sized model of the Millennium Falcon – now has a permanent exhibition for an often overlooked and largely unknown but major Welsh contribution to film and cinema history and popular culture,” said Andrew White, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales.
