WARREN — As the Trumbull County Historical Society plots the future of its proposed science fiction and fantasy museum, the collection it will house there already is expanding.

Last week, TCHS staff and board members met over two days with staff from Exhibit Concepts, an award-winning design firm that has worked on the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Computer History Museum.

The workshop was designed to help the historical society craft a mission statement, vision and management goals for a planned museum that will be designed around the creations of Warren native John Zabrucky.

The 1965 Warren G. Harding High School graduate signed a deed of gift in April to donate hundreds of pieces that his company, Modern Props, created for use in film, television and commercials. The items in the collection can be seen in such blockbusters as “Blade Runner,” “Batman Returns,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Total Recall,” “Back to the Future II,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Speed,” “Independence Day” and “X-Men.”

Exhibit Concepts will use the information to create design ideas for a museum that would be at 410 Main Ave. SW in Warren.

While it might seem early to be doing this work — the proposed site hasn’t been purchased yet — TCHS Executive Director Meghan Reed said the project can’t attract the funding it needs without that information.

“These documents will answer a lot of the questions potential funders have,” Reed said. “They (Exhibit Concepts) are asking questions we need answers to before we go into meetings asking for large sponsorship gifts.”

Ryan MacLennan, education and outreach manager, said they didn’t want the museum to be “a Planet Hollywood or a wax museum,” where visitors passively look at the items on display.

“These items John created, these works of art, I really want to create a space where we can define not only what film and television shows they come from, but a place where we can illustrate John’s creation of these movie props and the real science, real art and real math that informs how these props would work in a real space,” MacLennan said.

“Make it active, make it fun, make it engaging. That’s what will encourage repeat visitors.”

Jamie Vanderberg, creative director at Exhibit Concepts, said, “I think this is probably, for me, one of the most potentially exciting collections I’ve ever been involved with. This collection could literally just be put in a room and let it be seen. I commend this group that they want more than that. As it’s been stated by Meghan, Ryan and the team, we want to make this matter to those attending. We want to make it more than something we show them, we want to inspire them, and that’s impressive.”

Through the workshops last week, Reed said they want the museum to focus primarily on science fiction and fantasy, but there would be some “wiggle room” to display donations and collections from other people in the arts from the region whose careers don’t fit exclusively into that category.

Exhibit Concepts should have some of its work completed by the end of August, around the same time TCHS plans to have the Zabrucky collection transported from southern California to Warren.

Last week, the historical society also received a donation from Jerry Miscevich, who grew up in Warren and Bazetta and now lives in Temecula, Calif. Miscevich did special effects and visual effects for such films and television series as “Independence Day,” “Batman & Robin,” “Starship Troopers,” “Godzilla,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Deadwood.”

Miscevich said he had a simple two-word answer for why he chose to donate items from his career to the historical society.

“John Zabrucky. Gee whiz, if this guy can let go of that massive amount of props, if he is willing to invest all of those items back into Warren to create what could be the premiere prop museum in the country, I would like to contribute what I have,” Miscevich said.

While many of the models that Miscevich worked on remained property of the film studios (or, in the case of “Independence Day,” were blown up), he is donating more than 30 items — T-shirts, jackets, ballcaps, coffee mugs, etc. — that were made in extremely limited quantities exclusively for cast and crew members on such films as “Mars Attacks,” “Batman & Robin,” “Congo,” “Godzilla” and others.

Miscevich also saved scripts, call sheets, blueprints for visual effects and other documents that provide insight into the day-to-day process of shooting a film or television series, and he said those items could provide insight for anyone interested in a career in those fields.

Miscevich said he and his wife, Karen, both aspired to be archaeologists or museum curators when they were younger, so he saved and preserved everything.

“We can’t be there to volunteer, but we can donate these items,” he said.