Meet Star Trek’s Captain Kathryn Janeway in Bloomington, Indiana

Fans of Star Trek: Voyager can visit a monument to the beloved Captain Janeway, located in Bloomington, Indiana.

READ MORE: The Indiana Star Trek Actor Who Wrote a Successful Graphic Novel

Star Trek is one of those franchises that is easy to turn to for comfort after a long day. The Star Trek universe is set in Earth’s future, where humanity has managed to wipe out worldwide disease and war—ideals we can all probably get behind. While each story takes place at a different point in Earth’s future, they each entail the growth of humanity as a species.

The larger-than-life characters are a thrill to watch as they navigate the moral and ethical challenges of the future. Each character has their own diverse background, which helps shape their development in each series. One of the characters can even be traced directly to Indiana, where a group of fans has made sure their impact on television endures into the 24th century and beyond.

About Star Trek: Voyager

There are several shows, movies, and books that feature an abundance of stories in the Star Trek universe. One of these is Star Trek: Voyager, a TV series that aired from 1995 to 2001, totaling seven seasons. The show was set around the year 2371—the same time period as Captain Picard and his crew. Star Trek: Voyager was a groundbreaking series for many reasons, including the fact that it was the first Star Trek series to feature a female captain, Kathryn Janeway.

Get our free mobile app

The show follows the crew of the Federation Starship Voyager, who were pulled into the Delta Quadrant along with a band of rebels known as the Maquis. Stranded 75 years from home at maximum warp speed, they must work together to find a faster way home. It’s a really fun series to watch and features many likable characters that will have you laughing and crying the whole way.

Meet Captain Janeway in Indiana

The character Captain Janeway was depicted in the series as a native of Bloomington, Indiana. In 2019, several Star Trek fans got together and formed the Janeway Collective with the purpose of creating a monument in the city to its "future" Starfleet captain. On October 24, 2020, the newly formed nonprofit organization saw their vision become a reality with the installation of a statue along the B-Line Trail in Bloomington.

Captain Janeway was portrayed by actress Kate Mulgrew, whose likeness the statue was molded after. A bronze bust of Mulgrew’s character now stands atop a limestone base with a commemorative steel plaque, accompanied by a table with information about those who made Star Trek: Voyager a success. Four years later, I’ve still yet to visit the monument, but rest assured, as a lifelong Star Trek fan, it’s on my bucket list.