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When the artifacts from King Tutankhamun toured the United States in the 1970s, they attracted 8 million visitors and set attendance records. The Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition inspired fashion and pop culture including Steve Martin's song "King Tut."
The iconic burial mask of Tutankhamun was among the most popular pieces in the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition. It looks very similar to the artifact pictured in the poster for the current exhibit: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. But that artifact is not among the 130 pieces at the exhibit.
That's a picture of one of the canopic coffinettes of Tutankhamun. The coffinettes held the mummified organs, not the mummy itself. It's not his head that fits in there. It's his liver.
It's also less than two feet tall.
I was underwhelmed by the exhibit, but I was the outlier in the family. Mrs. GeekDoug thought it was fabulous. At the start of the day, my six-year was not excited to attend but when we stepped out of the exit he said "it was really cool." My two-year old … well … I think she was just happy to come along.
Ten galleries take you past 130 artifacts to help you experience the world of the pharaohs. The exhibit also tells the story of Carter's discovery of the tomb. There are lots of very interesting artifacts, not just from Tut's tomb. The exhibit tells the story of the age of the pharaohs and their death rituals.
The exhibition is not kid-friendly. No food or beverage is allowed inside. They also prohibit strollers and large bags. The galleries are very dark. Apparently not dark enough to bother my kids, but dark enough that it's easy to lose them. (I managed to find mine.)
For an additional ticket there is a Mummies 3D movie on the other side of the gift shop. My six-year old thought it was the best part of the exhibition.
If you have an interest in ancient Egypt, then you may want to make the trip to see the exhibit. For me, I was hoping to see some of the more impressive artifacts from King Tut. They were not there. That left me underwhelmed.
