Lorne Michaels collection in Texas will offer never-before-seen history of SNL

As the world celebrates 50 years of 'Saturday Night Live,' here in Texas, we’ll soon have a whole new way to connect with the show.

The University of Texas has been chosen to archive the official collection of SNL creator Lorne Michaels’ work, and an exhibit to show off the full history of the show will be housed here in the Lone Star State.

From behind-the-scenes pictures to cue cards, scripts, and posters -- a treasure trove of 'Saturday Night Live' history is now right here in Texas.

“We’re delighted to be celebrating the gift of the Lorne Michaels collection,” said Steve Enniss, the director of the Harry Ransom Center at UT.

Lorne Michaels donates ‘SNL' archive to Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin

The Ransom Center at UT-Austin was chosen by Michaels to be the permanent home of his collected papers - no small gift after more than 50 years in comedy.

“First, it’s big, around 700 boxes,” Enniss told NBC 5. “But the largest part of the archive is really the 50-year production history of 'Saturday Night Live.'”

As the forever home for the thousands of documents, the University of Texas will give students and the public a chance to pull back the curtain on the iconic sketch show.

These are up close and personal records of what it was like working alongside some of the world’s biggest stars of music, TV and film.

Curators told NBC 5 that UT may be a long way off from Manhattan, but they believed Michaels’ decision to send his life’s work here showed his faith that the university could preserve the decades of material, which they called a gold mine of pop culture research.

“That show, you know, has had an extraordinary impact on American culture and is a wonderful lens through which we can look back historically at the politics of the past, but also the music of different decades, and really see ourselves reflected in that collection,” said Enniss.

It came as SNL cast member - and UT alum - Andrew Dismukes spoke to NBC 5 this week about the chance to be part of the historic 50^th anniversary celebration, which he said was 'Saturday Night Live' on another level.

“I think that’s what’s fun about the show, is it’s always new people making it and the show stays the same, but kind of takes on the identity of whatever those new people are,” said Dismukes.

Starting in September, the main space in the Ransom Center will be turned into a public exhibit of some of the highlights of the Lorne Michaels collection, the first step towards ensuring this iconic show keeps running forever.

“I think future students and historians and researchers will find a lot in the archive that will bring this history really to life,” said Enniss. “It is ‘Live from New York,’ after all.”

The Lorne Michaels Collection exhibit debuts on Sept. 20. You can find more information about the collection here.