X-Files Preservation Collection museum cuts ribbon
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » As Scully and Mulder would say, “The truth is out there.”
Actually, the truth is a lot closer now — it’s in Saratoga Springs. The X-Files Preservation Collection museum had its grand opening last week and ribbon cutting on Friday and is now open for business.
At the museum’s ribbon-cutting, co-owners Jim Thornton and Kelly Anthony received congratulatory citations from representatives for Senator Daphne Jordan and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, as well as a warm welcome into the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. The museum was praised by several ribbon-cutting guests as being an excellent addition to the culture and art of Saratoga Springs.
Located at 4284 Route 50, the museum is an immersion into the world of the celebrated TV series.
At the store’s entrance, there’s a small retail space where fans can shop items related to the show. There’s also a small collection of items from other fandoms, though Anthony hopes that in time, when the museum has a stronger customer base, she and her husband Thornton will be able to put their collector skills to use and help customers acquire hard-to-find items from all sorts of fandoms.
Behind the retail space is the real star of the show — the museum is filled with an enormous assortment of props, costumes, and set pieces that are all screen-used, meaning you’re looking at the actual items that were seen in episodes of “The XFiles.”
Alongside all the screen-used items are pieces that draw attention to the enormous amount of work that went into making the show a success. Items like the molds used to make props, diagrams of set layouts, and onset photos document all of the people who lent their talents to the show, from makeup artists to special effects teams to prop builders.
“The purpose of the X-Files Preservation Collection is to preserve the history of the show and highlight all of the people behind the scenes who made it possible,” said Anthony. “A lot of people put a lot of work into the series, and it shows.”
In addition, the walls are covered with “X-Files” memorabilia such as posters, magazine covers, and photos of the cast. Also included in the museum are “XFiles” video games and a pinball machine.
It’s important to Thornton and Anthony to preserve “The X-Files” and its legacy because the show literally saved Thornton’s life. A fan since the very beginning, Thornton says that watching “The X-Files” kept him at home and off the streets. He overcame a drug addiction by instead becoming addicted to the groundbreaking television show.
From there, giving back to show and keeping its legacy alive — just as it kept him alive — became a passion project.
That passion is shared by many people today. Last week’s grand opening was attended by people around the world, including show creator Chris Carter. Though it is currently not on the air, the show is still praised for being ahead of its time, well-written, and expertly produced.
“The writers of ‘The XFiles’ were top notch,” Thornton said. “That’s why the show was so good. It covers a lot of genres, not just horror — it gets into scifi, conspiracy theory, and drama. The people behind the show are what made it so good and gave it its staying power. Everyone who worked on it was so professional.”
“It still holds up today,” Anthony agreed. “You can watch it today and it’s still a good story. There’s something timeless about it.”
Thornton has been a fan of the horror genre of movies and television from an early age, which made it easy for him to fall in love with “The X-Files.” He says that what makes horror great is the story being told — something that unfortunately often gets overlooked.
“There’s a big misconception with horror movies,” he explained. “You don’t need lots of blood and guts to make a good story. In fact, the best horror stories are often the ones that have the least amount of gore.”
The X-Files Preservation Collection is so large that not all of it can be displayed at the same time. Anthony says that half the collection is currently in climate-controlled storage, but items will be periodically cycled through to keep the museum fresh and dynamic. The crown jewels of the collection, what Thornton and Anthony consider their favorite pieces, are the ones that highlight show’s beginning. These include the laptop that Chris Carter used to write the show’s pilot episode, storyboard cards from the pilot, and paperwork that documents the search for the show’s cast and crew.
Asked if they have favorite “X-Files” episodes, Thornton, Anthony, and their son Brett all said it depends on the day, though there are episodes they keep coming back to. For Thornton, it’s “Shapes” from Season 1. Anthony’s go-to episode is “Chinga” from Season 5. And Brett prefers “D.P.O.” from Season 3.
The X-Files Preservation Collection is open every day from 11 a.m. — 7 p.m. For more information and more “X-Files” content, visit the website at https://xfilespreservationcollection. com/, the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube. com/c/XFilesMuseum, or follow on social media with the handle @xfilesmuseum.