I still remember studying the Egyptian History in 6th grade in France and it started a life long love of the Egyptian culture. Egyptian artifacts and treasures can be found worldwide: the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum in London, the Scribe and the Obelisk at the Concord Square in Paris, the Temple of Debod in Madrid, Spain etc. We are lucky to have some of them in the Bay Area. If you have a 6th grader who is studying Ancient Egypt History, it is even more important to visit one of these museums or exhibitions now. But whatever the age of your children is, I bet you they will be interested in that civilization..
So here is my list of Egyptian exhibitions/museums to see in the Bay Area:
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose
Tutankhamun and the golden age of the Pharaohs in San Francisco
Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine in San Francisco
The Lost Cities of North Africa in San Francisco
Cantor Museum in Stanford
Virtual Egyptian Museum
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose
This museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the Western United States: 4000 pieces. You will see artifacts and learn about the burial practices, the mummies, the religion and the Gods, the kings and Pharaohs as well as the daily life of the Egyptians. They have a replica of King Tut's tumb that is really interesting and every artifact is clearly labeled and explained.
They offer MP3 audio tour so make sure that you download your tour before going to the museum. Download the entire audio tour here.
I visited it with my oldest daughters and two of her friends. We had a nice time but it is a far cry from the British Museum. If you have never visited a major Egyptian museum before, you will have a great time. Otherwise, it will be a nice stroll though times.
Tutankhamun and the golden age of the Pharaohs, de Young Museum, San Francisco
Till March 28, 2010
Coffinette for the viscera Mirror Case
You will see more than 100 artifacts from his tomb as well as artifacts that belonged to his family and ancestors. I loved seeing the King Tut exhibition when I was in London last year and I am thrilled that the exhibition is now in San Francisco. I will visit it with my oldest daughter’s core class on November 19th. Talk about an exciting nice field trip!
Know before you go:
- It is a great exhibition but you will not learn from it. You have to go there with your knowledge and admire. If you go with children, make sure that they know what to expect, that you know a minimum about Egypt and Tutankhamun to be able to answer their questions. You can borrow books from the library or rent DVDs that will help you get a better knowledge of Tutankhamun. You can also check the website of the Exhibition, it is full of information.
- The Gold Mask and the Mummy are not part of the exhibition, they are in Egypt and do not travel.
Gold Mask as it was found
- Do NOT take the audio tour, I did in London and I was disappointed. It was not informative at all.
- It is a timed entry exhibition, buy your tickets in advance. In my case, in London, I just showed up and got tickets right away, it was July but the exhibition had been going for a while so the rush was gone. But you can never know.
- My tips to get reduced price tickets: deYoung membership will give you access to a reduced price, Friday evening reservations and Borders cards holders. Click here for details. Costco sells some tickets in their stores. If you buy your tickets at www.ticketmaster.com/kingtut and are a Borders Rewards Member, you will save 20% with code TUTBB. IF you are not a member, you can still save 10% with the code TUTBOOKS.
- Be prepared for a shock at the gift shop, in London, they had everything made out with King Tut face on it: very tacky.
The photos are courtesy of the King Tut Exhibition organizers
Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine, California Legion of Honor, San Francisco
Till August 15, 2010
From their website: It explores the modern scientific examination of mummies providing new insights into the conditions under which the Egyptians lived, bringing us closer to understanding who they were. The exhibition is a homecoming celebration marking the return of Irethorrou, the Fine Arts Museums’ mummy who has been on loan since 1944. CT-scans done by scientists at Stanford Medical School shed light on Irethorrou’s physical attributes and cause of death. The scans provide depth and scientific background to the exhibition and contribute to a three-dimensional “fly through” of the mummy and a forensic reconstruction of his head. The exhibition also includes a variety of ancient artifacts that date from approximately 664–525 B.C., the Late Period from the 26th Saite Dynasty.
‘Mysteries of Egypt’ Show at the Chabot Space and Science Center Planetarium, Oakland
From November 25th to January 4th
During 40 minutes, you will be able to admire the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings and descend in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Click here for the showing times.
Thanks Citineraries for the tip!
The Lost Cities of North Africa, SF State University Museum
From November 2, 2009 to December 8, 2010
The Museum of Ancient Civilizations room 510 of the Humanities Building on Tapia Drive, cross-street Font Boulevard
Open Monday-Friday, 11am-4pm
Closed for Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving week.
Free Admission
The exhibition is organized by the SF State University Museum Studies Program and it will take you on a tour through ancient Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco.
The exhibition features Roman pottery from Tunisia, and ceramic Roman lamps on loan from the California Academy of Sciences, black-and-white photographs from the 1930s, and selected objects from their Sutro Egyptian Collection including the mummies!
They organize field trips for grades 3 to 8 and you can call them to arrange a field trip or tour at (415) 405-0599.
Cantor Museum, Stanford University
This is the little museum that could. I love it! It is perfect for families, it is small, full of interesting pieces, a nice gallery dedicated to the Stanford family and a fabulous collection of Rodin sculptures both indoor and outdoor. And it is free!
They have a small area dedicated to Egypt with a mummy that used to scare my daughters to death!
It is open Wednesday through Sunday, including Easter, July 4th, and New Year's Day,
It virtual Egyptian Museums closed Monday, Tuesday, Thanksgiving Day, December 23, 24, and 25
The title says it all, it is a virtual museum created by the California Institute of World Archeology located in Santa Barbara, CA. It presents the Senusret Collection, a collection that can not be shown to the public in a building because of budget problems. You get to admire beautiful pieces from the comfort of your home and bored children can be as noisy and annoying as they want!
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