Moody music, 3,000-year-old Egyptian artifacts, and the story of a boy king set the stage for the exhibit now showing at the Denver Art Museum.  From June 29, 2010-January 9, 2011 you can visit Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, where more than 100 objects from King Tut’s tomb and ancient rulers before and after him, bring history forward.

From the golden slippers found on his mummified body to his internal organs preserved in an elaborately adorned canopic jar, the exhibit transports you back in time to the mysterious world of ancient Egypt.

Setting the scene

After reading a few books to my son about King Tut, the boy king who started his reign at age nine, he was hooked.  Hearing about the mummification process, the golden dagger tucked inside the wrapping and the thrill of the discovery made by Howard Carter in 1922 of King Tut’s tomb after five long years of searching, cinched his interest and we made a plan to visit the exhibit.

A kid’s eye view

We found a bit of prep work went a long way in helping build the interest (what young boy isn’t at least a little intrigued by mummies, golden daggers and preserved guts) and with timed visits, a $5 audio tour (narrated by Harrison Ford) and a fairly quick pace, we still had energy and an interest in heading over to Duncan Pavilion on the second level of the North Building.

Here an Egyptian King or Queen wanna-be can dress up in colorful pharaoh clothing, decorate an Egyptian collar or hang out under the palms in a child friendly space that accommodates a little more noise and activity, perfect after reining it in through the self guided tour requiring about a half hour of good behavior.

Older tech savvy kids may be more interested in the animated video showing the nested shrines and the stone sarcophagus where the mummy remains in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings.  As you exit the fully stocked gift shop be sure and catch the short documentary describing the latest research about King Tut’s death.

If you go

The museum is located in downtown Denver with plenty of parking available on the street or in the nearby Cultural Complex Garage at 12th Avenue and Broadway.  Another alternative, with the added benefit of plenty of eating options for hungry museum goers, is to park anywhere downtown and take the free 16th Street MallRide to Cleveland Place walking south through Civic Center Park to the museum.

Strollers are not permitted in the exhibit but parking is available for them as you line up to enter.

Family Tickets (2 adult/2 youth) range from $70- $93 depending on museum membership and day of the week. Between September 1st and September 30th you can purchase an adult ticket and receive a youth ticket for FREE.

Tutankhamun shabti and coffinette photos © Sandro Vannini.

September 23rd, 2010 | by Amy Canby 2 comments