King Tut Exhibition @ California Science Center
1. Exhibition Design
I liked the design of this exhibition. The nature of these artifacts does not allow any interaction, but most of the cases were designed and installed to enable viewing from all directions. The narratives were installed both on top and at the eye level so the crowd that was not at very front could still enjoy reading the stories while they wait for their turn to be up close. It is a shame that the exhibition had to be split into two levels, but the transition was pretty smooth, with two intriguing shorts to greet the visitors at both entrances. The finale of the exhibit was impactfully located and installed with a meaningful message to walk away with. In the waiting area, before you enter the exhibition, it had an excellent overview of Egypt empire's history. It located King Tut in the historical context with other famous figures of Egyptian history: Cleopatra, Ramses, and Julius Caesar.
2. Strategy of Visit - King Tut Exhibition Specific
Get there early. Science Center is very crowded in the summer with a lot of summer camp groups. Plan to get there early, and purchase your tickets online in advance. Be aware that the tickets are not changeable once purchased. You cannot change anything on it - time or date, etc. Make sure that you double check all the details before check out. I strongly recommend to get combo tickets - exhibition and IMAX film 'Mysteries of Egypt,' and watch the movie before the visit to the exhibition. It lays out the background story behind the discovery of King Tut and will trigger the curiosity for the exhibition.
3. Audio Tour
I loved the audio tour's content for this exhibition. It had many excerpts from Carter's diary and the translated texts of the artifacts. It definitely enriched the content and enhanced the experience. It had a lot of exclusive content, and I was glad that I purchased it.
4. Tween's Picks
Ryan picked the background story of trumpets as his favorite. It was an audio tour exclusive content, and it definitely brought life into the trumpets on view.
5. My Obsessions
a. Maybe it was because I'm doing a research for patterns, but I noticed gorgeous patterns on different artifacts.
b. Carving of this statue's headpiece is so intricate and methodically done, it is hard to believe that it was done by hands. Would love to meet the craftsman/woman who carved this...
6. Epilogue
He came to the throne at age 9. He had a seemingly happy life with his beautiful wife. It is believed that he was murdered at age 19 after ten years of reign. His name and statues were destroyed by his successors. What happened...Did he have children? What happened to his wife? ...Standing face-to-face with his statue, I long for the day I will hear his stories whispered to me in the Valley of the Kings.
