National Geographic’s “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience” commemorates the archaeological discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb over 100 years ago. The engaging, educational and story-driven exhibit is open through Jan. 6 at the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee.
The creative director and producer of the King Tut exhibit, Mark Lach, is responsible for exhibitions around the world that have surrounded the Titanic, Cleopatra, Saturday Night Live, Michael Jackson and an African American history exhibit called ‘America I Am.’
Much like the “Beyond Monet” and “Beyond Van Gogh” exhibits, “Beyond King Tut” features an immersive projector room with 60 high-def digital projectors, over 120 speakers and 500 lighting instruments.
“Even before TV, and before the internet, the way you got your history was through the pages of NatGeo,” said Lach. “Now you’ve got the NatGeo channel and other channels that bring history to life, and you’ve got access on the internet through interactive ways of learning. Maybe the next chapter is to walk into those pages, and let them come alive around you.”
The two-story immersive projector room features three distinct shows: a postcard to Egypt that brings you on a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids and a walk through an Egyptian marketplace, an animated recounting of the journey to the afterlife taken straight from The Book of The Dead and a never-before-seen closeup look at the artifacts found in King Tut’s tomb.
“The beautiful thing about technology is that you can grow with it,” said Lach. “So if there’s a discovery tomorrow with National Geographic being in Egypt, we can turn it around in no time and get it in the exhibition.”
In total the exhibit houses nine multi-sensory galleries including a playable version of Senet, one of the first board games created, and a full recreation of King Tut’s mummified remains made by world-famous artist Gary Staub.
“Scientists are studying the mummy as we speak, and we wanted to bring people into that scientific world,” said Lach.
At the end of the exhibit, there is an opportunity to walk through the tomb of King Tut in a virtual reality experience on specialized Positron Voyager chairs with haptic feedback. This tour is narrated by King Tut himself (voiced by Bodhi Sabongui) and directed by Matthias McCoy-Thompson.
Over 80,000 high-resolution photos were taken of the archaeological sites to be reconstructed into 3D models, over the course of nine months to create this VR experience. Egyptologist Salima Ikram oversaw the script to ensure its historical accuracy.
For educational purposes, there is a 23-page booklet available on Beyond King Tut’s website. There is also an audio companion guide by National Geographic explorer professor Fredrik Hiebert and Kenneth Garrett, National Geographic’s Egyptology photographer for over 40 years.
The Life and Times of King Tut
“Remember Tut would have gotten lost in the pages of history if it weren’t for this discovery,” said Lach. “That’s the reason we talk about this discovery, because to this day it’s the only intact tomb.”
Tutankhamun was born into Egyptian royalty during a time of cultural unrest, and his life was no less controversial. His father Akenaten had decreed that the old gods would no longer be worshiped, and their images were either destroyed or defaced. Instead, the Egyptian people would worship the Aten, god of the sun. In turn, the capital was moved from Memphis to Amarna.
The prince was born Tutankhaten — “living image of the Aten,” and lived his life in Amarna. At age 9, he became king. He restored worship to the old gods and rejected his namesake.
His first decree was to restore the worship of Amun, king of the gods, and his name was promptly changed to Tutankhamun — “living image of Amun.” His second decree was to move the capital city back to Memphis.
At age 19, only 10 years after he became king, King Tut passed away. His chief advisor Ay took over the throne and robbed him of his right to a tomb fit for a king. Tutankhamun was buried in the tomb built for Ay, a tomb fit for a lesser noble.
This botched burial was the reason for the mystery surrounding his tomb — its untouched artifacts and led to the greatest archaeological discovery of all time, explored in this exhibition.
Making A Visit
Beyond King Tut is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets start at $29.99 for adults and $23.99 for children ages 5-15. Children under 4 can get in free of charge. Package rates are available for families, seniors and groups. VIP Tickets include a flexible entry time, merchandise and the VR tour of King Tut’s tomb.
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