Address: 395 Piedmont Ave NE Pricing: Adult $32.50; Child $16.50; Student/Senior $29.50 Phone: (404) 523-6275 Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (last ticket sold at 3:30 p.m.); Friay-Sunday 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (last ticket sold at 5 p.m.) How To Get There:
From I-75/85 North, exit on Spring Street (Exit 249D), go to Peachtree Street and turn right. Go to Ralph McGill, turn left. The Civic Center is on the left.
From I-75/85 South, exit on North Ave. (Exit 249D) and turn left. Go three lights to Peachtree, then turn right. Go to Ralph McGill, turn left. The Civic Center is on the left.
Parking: $5 behind Civic Center
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Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs
Published: Mar 24, 2009
A visit to the Tutankhamun exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center provides a glimpse back 3,000 years to a time when pharaohs walked the earth and life revolved around the afterlife. With all of the gold and the splendor, you won't believe your eyes.
National Geographic's "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" exhibition in Atlanta through May does an amazing job of bringing history to life by offering visitors the chance to view over 130 ancient artifacts uncovered by archeologists in modern times.
By combining the self-guided exhibit (an audio guide can be purchased for an additional charge) with Hollywood-esque sets and films visitors are pulled into the over-the-top world of the Egyptians — a world filled with grand statues, intricate artwork and lots of gold.
The journey begins with an engaging two-minute video, narrarated by Harrison Ford, about Egyptian life. When the screens go quiet, massive doors swing open, and visitors are granted entrance into a maze of specially sectioned rooms filled with incredible objects.
First things first: You'll get up close and personal with ancient statues of pharaohs. Then it's on to see items from their personal lives. (For example, a limestone toilet seat from a palace is on display).
Equally intriguing sections break down who's who in the pharaoh's court, the complexity of the pharaoh's religions and the extravagance of their intricate jewelry.
Then it's a fast forward to the 20th century, when archeologists discovered the little-known tomb of King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, one of the greatest finds of all time. Photographs line the walls of the four galleries (each representing one of the four rooms in the tomb) documenting the treasure that was found there.
Here visitors can examine a colossal statue that guarded King Tut's burial chamber, the gold sandals, finger and toe guards his mummy was found wearing, as well as one of his canopic coffinettes (where his internal organs were kept upon mummification). Finally, before exiting, you are permitted to view photos of the mummy (which still lies in the burial chamber in Egypt)
