Summer at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy includes films celebrating classic science fiction movies produced during the geopolitical period known as the “Cold War” (1947-1991). Science fiction films made during this period played on the tensions and fears of the time by having themes and characters associated with alien invasion and infiltration, monsters created by radioactive fallout, and the near annihilation of the world. These genre films reached their peak in the 1950s to early 1960s with an estimated 500 films having been produced. Many would become cult classics of the genre. Today, science fiction movies continue to enjoy a large and dedicated following. While some of these films have been re-made to varying degrees of box office success, the original versions (most in black and white) remain a lasting testament to the era in which they were made and are important contributions to the fabric of American popular culture.