On January 5, the cast and creators of "Star Trek: The Experience" (STTE) got together for a 20th anniversary celebration at Millennium Fandom Bar.
STTE was an iconic "Star Trek" attraction that opened up at the Las Vegas Hilton in January 1998. Visitors could learn about the sci-fi universe through museum displays, interact with costumed actors, and go on rides related to the series.
PHOTOS: A look back at 'Star Trek: The Experience' in Las Vegas
The attraction closed in September 2008, and though there were rumors that it would eventually move to Neonopolis, those plans have never come to fruition.
The public was invited to attend the STTE meetup, which ran from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Visitors were able to see items from the attraction displayed throughout the bar.
Cast members Kerstan Szczepanski, April Hebert, and Vernon Wilmer spoke with 13 Action News before the event started. All three said that they consider their fans and castmates to be family.
"Tonight... is not about 'Star Trek' per se, or 'Trekkies' like the convention is. It's about family, and celebrating having worked in the greatest job that will ever exist in this town," said Wilmer, who's taken it upon himself to act as the unofficial archivist for STTE.
"I felt that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy kind of represented a family," said Szczepanski, who recalled seeing the original "Star Trek" for the first time as a child sitting on his mother's knee. "One of the core things that really appeals about 'Star Trek' is a sense of family. It's not just gallivanting across the cosmos."
"There are people that we've come to love because they would come to 'The Experience' time after time," added Herbert, who's been hooked on "Star Trek" since she was 11 years old. She also mentioned that the cast still gets together on a regular basis, even though the attraction closed ten years ago.
