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The Return of Tut: Me King, You Pauper

By Rachelle Bowden in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 2, 2004 4:59PM

Chicagoist would be tempted to file this one under “who freaking cares?” but apparently the return of King Tut and all his toys (plus some new ones!) is pretty big news on the museum circuit. Something about all that gold-covered gold just seems to light people up.

Scheduled to land at the Field Museum in May 2006, “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" could set you back about 30 bucks, if the rumored prices at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are any indicator. The Egyptian government would like our museums to fund theirs, you see. They were turned down by, among others, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which won’t charge for individual exhibits, but other scheduled stops on the four-city tour include Ft. Lauderdale and a player to be named later (most likely Brooklyn, Philadelphia, or Boston).

The last time we saw the boy king in these parts was way back in 1977, when the display included only 55 artifacts and admission was only $1.50 (wow to that). Total visitor draw was over 1.4 million, a number the Field Museum admits it’s unlikely to replicate this time around, although the tour’s planners have upped the ante to over 130 pieces. Worthwhile? You do the math.

Thanks, Kari!