London's Royal Parks have welcomed Star Trek - The Adventure World Tour exhibition in Hyde Park, which will provide 'a much needed injection of funds'.

The exhibition covers 7,000sq m with £20m of the television show's memorabilia and sets. Fans of the long-running sci-fi show can operate flight simulators and interact with displays featuring its five decades of television and cinema. It is the biggest exhibition in Hyde Park since the 1851 Great Exhibition, which ran for six months before moving to Crystal Palace in south London.

Star Trek will give The Royal Parks a huge financial boost. Most of the money will go into funding landscaping works in Hyde Park and on implementing ecology management plans. The site, which is above the underground car park, suffers from poor drainage and deterioration through heavy use. Once the exhibition is finished, work will start immediately to totally re-instate the ground and renew the turf, which will be paid for entirely by the promoter. Funds will also help with restoration of the Regent's Park sports facilities.

During consultations local groups were concerned that this might be the start of year round commercialisation in Hyde Park. But William Weston, chief executive of The Royal Parks, said the parks 'will not submit other applications for events of this duration for at least three years.'

The Star Trek event, which is being used as the after-show venue for the premiere of the new Star Trek film, Star Trek Nemesis, is expected to attract not only tourists, but also families and schools - focusing on science and the environment. The exhibition is likely to go on a world tour after its London run ends on 31 January. www.startrektheadventure.co.uk