The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 was a Starship­-class vessel (later called Constitution-class) launched in 2245 that was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk beginning in 2265 after previous commander Christopher Pike’s promotion to fleet captain. It was the first Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise and one of the most storied starships in Federation history. The ship's primary goal during Kirk’s five-year mission of deep space exploration was to seek out and contact alien life.

U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge | Deck 1 (2266)

Located on the first deck of the primary hull, the main bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise functioned as the ship’s command center. A swiveling command chair was located in a recessed area in the center of the room, giving the captain an uninterrupted eyeline of all control consoles that operated specific areas of the ship. Mounted to the room’s forward bulkhead was a large viewscreen which could show information from the ship’s sensors, including tactical readouts and several viewing angles from the ship’s exterior. Piloting and navigation were carried out at the helm console, directly forward of the captain. Along the perimeter of the bridge were consoles for communications, sciences, engineering, defense, and environmental control. Access to a turbolift was located behind and to port of the captain.

U.S.S. Enterprise Captain Kirk’s Quarters | Deck 5 (2266)

Crew quarters were located throughout the primary hull of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the late 2260s; the quarters of Captain James T. Kirk were located on Deck 5 along with most of the other officers' quarters. As with all officers’ quarters aboard ship, Kirk’s quarters consisted of two areas, separated partly by a wall fragment and decorative grille. One area was allocated as the sleeping area, featuring a bed and a rotating combination dresser and storage unit, and the other as a work area, including a desk and computer terminal. Entrance to a bathroom was provided through the quarter’s sleeping area. Both areas could be adorned with various decorative items and personal effects belonging to the starship’s captain.

U.S.S. Enterprise Rec Room | Deck 5 (2266)

The Enterprise in the late 2260s was equipped with several facilities for meal service and recreation. These "rec rooms" included food dispensers, which provided a selection of food and beverage items from cuisines across the Federation. Off-duty personnel often congregated here for meals and to socialize with other crew members. Starfleet considered these facilities vital to crew morale and therefore critical to mission success.

U.S.S. Enterprise Transporter Room | Deck 7 (2266)

Located on Deck 7 in the primary hull of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the late 2260s, the transporter room was used to convey crew and equipment short distances for landing party missions, crew transfer, and resupply. The transporter employed quantum-resolution matter/energy conversion transportation technology.

U.S.S. Enterprise Sickbay | Deck 7 (2266)

Located on Deck 7 in the primary hull of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the late 2260s, the sickbay complex featured an examination room, the chief surgeon’s office, a medical lab, and an intensive care ward. In addition to treating injuries and illnesses a crew member or other person might sustain, the area was also used for analysis of new lifeforms a starship might encounter, as well as developing treatments for unknown diseases or illnesses.

U.S.S. Enterprise Briefing Room | Deck 7 (2266)

The briefing room of the U.S.S. Enterprise was one of several meeting facilities located in the primary hull, used for command briefings and mission planning by the ship’s senior staff and other personnel. Featured a large conference table with a central tri-screen monitor, as well a library computer access terminal as well as voice intercom units and microtape player slots at each seating position.

U.S.S. Enterprise Main Engineering | Deck 19 (2266)

Located on Deck 19 in the secondary hull of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the late 2260s, main engineering was from where the ship’s warp and impulse engines were controlled. Propulsion and power systems were primarily controlled from this room, and it is where the main dilithium crystal reactor was located. In 2266, the room featured an entire bank of control consoles on one wall, two large power units near the opposite wall, with the ship’s enormous engines observable through a mesh grating. At this time, the room also contained a console where critical ship functions could be rerouted and controlled in case of emergency.

U.S.S. Enterprise Jefferies Tube | Deck 19 (2266)

Located near main engineering and throughout other areas of the ship were maintenance conduits called “Jefferies tubes” which were used to provide crew access to various ship’s systems. These conduits provided access to important system controls, relays, and vital engineering circuits.

Ship Model (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - (TV, 1966 - 1969)

The 11’ filming miniature of the U.S.S. Enterprise originally built for “The Cage” by Richard Datin was updated when regular series production began by adding a complex lighting rig to its two engine domes. The wiring for these can occasionally be seen in certain shots, as the wires were mounted on the unfinished port side of the ship. The ship was also painted with a slight greenish tint, compared to its previous cool blue tint.

Bridge Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - “The Galileo Seven” (TV, 1966)

When the original Star Trek series went to production, the bridge underwent a dramatic change. To coincide with RCA-owned NBC network’s desire to have bright, colorful shows to highlight and generate interest in the purchase of new color televisions, bold areas of red, green, and blue were added to the more austere grays of the pilot version bridge. Our depiction is how the bridge looked during the season one episode, “The Galileo Seven.”

Captain’s Quarters Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

The captain’s quarters set was redesigned by art director Matt Jefferies and built as a permanent U.S.S. Enterprise set on Stage 9 at Desilu's Gower facility in Hollywood when The Original Series went into regular production. The captain’s quarters set was frequently redressed when needed to become the quarters of numerous other crew members. In the earliest few episodes featuring the room, what appears to be a window or porthole is located on the outer walls of each half of the set, suggesting that the room was located along the ship’s saucer’s edge. These windows were covered with trapezoidal wall decorations starting in “Charlie X”, the seventh filmed first season episode, and remained covered every time this set was seen throughout the remainder of the series. We at the Roddenberry Archive have depicted our first season version of this set with one of the windows uncovered.

Rec Room Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

The rec room set was a redress of the briefing room set and contained a bank of “food synthesizers” or “food slots”, giving viewers an impressive glimpse of how food might be prepared and delivered in our distant future. This fictitious food synthesizer technology was the predecessor to the iconic “replicator” technology first featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation and later Star Trek productions.

Transporter Room Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

Transporter technology was devised by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry as a budget-friendly solution to the expensive prospect of showing the massive Starship Enterprise landing on planets every episode. It was originally described as an "energy-matter scrambler which can 'materialize' landing parties onto the planet's surface." This futuristic technology went on to be a unique staple in Star Trek’s identity, spawning the popular catch phrases “Energize” and “Beam me up, Scotty” (although the latter was never uttered in exactly that way in the series). The transporter room itself was constructed on Stage 9 at Desilu's Gower facility in Hollywood with the rest of the permanent Enterprise sets and, due to the complexity of the transporter chamber’s lighting rig, went relatively unchanged during its three season run.

Sickbay Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

Constructed on Stage 9 at Desilu's Gower facility in Hollywood with the rest of the permanent U.S.S. Enterprise sets, sickbay originally consisted of two rooms: an examination room and an intensive care ward. A third smaller room featuring the decompression chamber was built off the examination room for the late first season episode, “Space Seed.” For the first season’s final filmed episode, “Operation: Annihilate!,” the decompression chamber found a new home in a separate medical bay set constructed elsewhere on Stage 9. Beginning in the show's second season, this medical bay set was merged with the existing sickbay facility rooms with the addition of a dedicated area for Doctor McCoy’s office joining the two larger sets together. We at the Roddenberry Archive have depicted the smaller layout seen in “Space Seed” for our first season presentation of this set.

Briefing Room Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

The briefing room set was constructed on Stage 9 at Desilu's Gower facility in Hollywood with the rest of the permanent U.S.S. Enterprise sets. Although most commonly seen as the briefing room, it frequently served as a swing set, being used for the ship’s various recreation rooms, formal dining room, chapel, courtroom, and environmental engineering.

Main Engineering Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

Constructed on Stage 9 at Desilu's Gower facility in Hollywood for the first season episode “The Enemy Within,” the main engineering set was designed by Matt Jefferies, who employed forced perspective on the “engines” seen through the hexagonal grating to give the illusion that they extended much farther back than they actually did on set. Throughout the show’s first season, details of the engine room evolved, and it was also redressed to serve as the ship’s gymnasium, theater, phaser control room, and the Starbase 11 computer room. It was modified extensively for the show’s second season, with a second level above the bank of consoles and a dilithium crystal reactor in the center of the room. We at the Roddenberry Archive have depicted the way the set appeared in “Space Seed” for our first season representation of this set.

Jefferies Tube Set (Physical)

As portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (TV, 1966)

Although art director of The Original Series Matt Jefferies originally called these service tunnels “power shafts”, they were given the name “Jefferies tubes” as an in-joke during the production. It wasn’t until the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation that the tubes were canonically mentioned as such. Jefferies tubes have gone on to be a staple of future Star Trek starship sets. The tube seen in The Original Series was constructed by Matt Jefferies’ brother John, who explained that the tube was mounted on rollers so it could easily be moved around, and was built out of a Sonotube, which were used for forming concrete and came in varying diameters. 

It should be noted that before the Jefferies tube was a permanent part of the corridor set itself as seen in the second and third season of Star Trek: The Original Series, it originally started its life in a small side room off the corridor near the engine room in the first season, as evident in both episodes and the set layout plans for that season.