Large collection of mummies arrives in Pittsburgh for Carnegie Science Center exhibit
Step aside, zombie lovers: The mummies have arrived in Pittsburgh. But they’ll remain under wraps until Oct. 5 in their temporary home at the Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
They came to the city Tuesday in a temperature-controlled truck under heavy security for “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition,” located in the center’s PPG Science Pavilion.
You might get wrapped up in this exhibition? #MummiesoftheWorld opens Oct. 5! Buy your timed tickets in advance: https://t.co/3hKCg1uYgJ
Thanks, @TribLIVE! https://t.co/0D4hprJqoc— Carnegie Science Ctr (@CarnegieSciCtr) September 9, 2019
“This exhibition aligns perfectly with our mission, as these mummies provide a wealth of scientific, anthropological, archaeological, anatomical, medical and historical information,” said Jason Brown, the science center’s Henry Buhl Jr. interim director, at a press conference.
The mummies traveled more than 2,000 miles from an exhibition in Phoenix.
The exhibit, which runs through April 19, features 40 real human and animal mummies and 85 related artifacts from around the world. Visitors can see a mummified family from Hungary, a mummified German nobleman found in the crypt of a 14th-century castle, South American shrunken heads, and more.
The largest exhibition of mummies ever assembled, it will take a few weeks to set up. The exhibit requires special lighting and temperature.
Brown said this is a calm, quiet and reverential exhibit.
“We will treat the mummies with the respect we would for living people,” Brown said. “It’s an exhibit that integrates history and science, which is what we strive to do here at the science center.”
He said the exhibit has been viewed by over 2 million visitors across the world.
“We built this special PPG Science Pavilion specifically for this purpose,” he said. “It is climate controlled. It is humidity controlled. Because, otherwise you can’t bring exhibitions like this in. This is something you can’t see anywhere else, and we really believe it is going to appeal to a broad audience and will bring people from all over the region and all over the commonwealth to come and see it.”
“This is great for tourism,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPittsburgh. “People will come to see the exhibit … and they will stay and enjoy the city.”
Tickets are on sale now.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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