King Tut and Bears Battle for Most Coveted Tickets Award

By Alicia Dorr in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 19, 2006 8:02PM

We've heard about all the action the King Tut exhibit has been getting at the Field Museum. In fact, any regular rider of the #146 or #12 buses knows that it's not rare to hear the sad groans of riders when they see the "King Tut — sold out" sign flashing in the Museum Campus. Well, never fear! the museum will be extending its hours during the last two weeks of the King Tut run.

Until January 1, the museum will be open at 8 a.m., and will also remain open until 11 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday nights this week. It is important to note also, of course, that that means there are two weeks left to view the boy king's artifacts at all. That said, the decision to extend hours was a natural choice considering the exhibit has sold more than 1 million tickets since it opened — a record-breaking number for ticketed events. It hasn't (yet?) sold as many as the first Tut go-round in 1977, 1.36 million, but that exhibit did not require tickets.

Getting tickets has been the hardest part for families, out-of-towners and Egyptian pot enthusiasts during the run of this show. You can still get there, though, if you're interested in seeing "Tutankhaman and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs." So, if you are, then go hog wild while you still can!

Photo via the Field Museum.