Experiences of Tutankhamen in London? (Crowds and visitor behaviour!)

[Rosehip10]

Anyone else been to this yet?

I went to this exhibition in the week and really enjoyed the artifacts, however, far too many people were let in at once, even if you slowed up to let crowds thin out the next lot of visitors came in. There was a real scrum around the cabinets.

I know the issue of picture taking in museums and exhibitions is common but this was mad, people literally shoving others away from around lots of the objects to take a picture with phone and then just moving on. I was reading a description of some jewelry (standing to the side of cabinet) and a women sighed and said to her partner "people really make it hard to take pictures" as she was trying to squeeze to take a side view pic

Also quite a few people were moaning at stewards that the famous death mask wasn't there when all info about the exhibition was clear that was not part of it and not leaving Egypt.

Anyone else been? What was it like for you?

Yes very similar experience, we did try to hold back from our group so we could get a good look but the next lot came in.

The zooming in with cameras then scooting off without even looking with your eyes amazed me

Some of the exhibits were very intricate, you had to look closely and quite lost diwn to see the wonderful needs on jewellery items, something you wouldn't see through a camera.

I was determined to take my time and be patient and just shut all the rushers out

That should be... you had to look quite low down to see the wonderful beads on jewellery.

I went to the original exhibition (with the famous death mask) in 1972, any been to both and is this one as good?

We went in the first couple of days and the main issue was the school groups , the children seemed to all be about 6-8 and particularly in the first room were sitting on the floor I assume doing worksheets and frankly it was so dark I’m surprised there weren’t people falling over them as I definitely knocked into a couple by accident . I’m not sure it’s actually that interesting for the average 6 yr old . The upstairs rooms were pretty empty .

Yes, there were plenty of primary groups - however they ran through, coming out when I was in room 3!

We went last week and I was expecting it to be busy - and actually all the people just taking photos and moving straight on meant there was quite a turnover at each case, and so we got right to the front of each case pretty quickly each time.

I thought it was brilliant- masses of amazing things, totally jaw-dropping, I think we spent 2.5 hours there, even with two children (8 and 11) in tow!

We went to the museum in Cairo almost ten years ago and we actually weren't allowed to take in our cameras or phones!! I'm glad now after reading this because I spent aaaggggeeeasss looking at everything.

(No school groups as it was the weekend). I would definitely recommend it. The quality of what they had was incredible.

There’s also a 3 part documentary just been on Channel 5, about Tutenkhamun, which was interesting (altho quite repetitive).

We’re going in January so hopefully it’s calmed a bit by then.

Does anyone know how the tickets work?
I can’t for the life of me remember what days I booked but they haven’t emailed me tickets .

I’m worried if I wait for the actual tickets to show up I might have been double booked an appointment (maternity related)

So grateful and pleased to have seen the artefacts, including the incredibly beautiful gold death mask in the Cairo museum in 1988.

6 years ago my Dh and I went to the Cairo museum and saw all the arefacts there. The museum was empty and so it was just the 2 of us looking at them. I will remember forever looking in to the eyes of the death mask. It is giving me chills just thinking about it. I hope this exhibition is good but the items are simply stunning.

I've seen this twice, once when it was on Tour in Turin, and 35 years later at the actual museum in Cairo. There had been a tourist bombing in Cairo the day before so the museum was empty and got to spend ages there.

It truly is a sight to behold. Try really hard to see it with your own eyes, photo's cannot possibly do It justice. Along with the Faberge Egg Collection it's the most beautiful thing ever I saw.

The art/craft/technology to do the stuff they did in ancient egypt was amazing for the time period.

Ah, just seen that the death mask isn't included, never mind the other stuff is awesome too

It was fabulous, but agree that they let too many people in at once and it was a scrum. Very hot, crowded and yes, loads of idiots taking selfies.

Yes to too many people, having said that, we easily saw all the artefacts *see below though..

Yes to it being too hot - way too hot in fact!

Too many children who oohed and aahed for the first 2/3 galleries then got bored and couldn’t really be bothered with it any more resulting in one particular mummy dear constantly calling ‘Henry’ and dragging him in front * (see above) over everyone else then loudly explaining all about the exhibit. The others were just bored and rushing about. I don’t get why people would spend that amount of money for their kids to be bored. Yes, there will always be a few exceptions who do enjoy it, but on the whole it’s too much for any child under, say, 12/13.

I’ve seen the exhibits in Cairo some 20 years ago. This doesn’t compare but it’s a great starting point. Go if you have an interest, you won’t disappointed, just run though the tat shop at the end of it.

Yes the shop was overpriced!

I agree that the museum is too small a venue for the amount of people wanting to see the exhibition and for the numbers let in for each time entry. It was really packed when we went - the first Saturday after it opened. It was hard to get near the displays to see what was inside there were so many people round each exhibit and yes so many people trying to take pictures. The shop was ridiculously expensive. I bought two postcards and that was it as everything else - even a biro was a fiver. The exhibits were stunning, some it was impossible to believe were as old as they were they were in such good condition and the workmanship absolutely incredible.

Frequent experience for London museum/ gallery exhibitions, and why I never go!

I'm going in February in half term. Thanks for the thread I feel I can be more mentally prepared now

It was way too crowded. Getting in was a nightmare - arrived on time but had to queue outside for ages in the pouring rain waiting to get in. The exhibition itself was very good, although not as slick as some exhibitions I have been to. I might never get to Egypt so very glad I went. But it's quite a quirky lay out at the Saatchi gallery, and it felt cramped a lot of the time.

@NemophilistRebel the tickets are electronic, so they might be on your phone - check your email.

I'm not surprised that the exhibition isn't that slick. The website for getting tickets seemed very clunky compared to getting tickets to somewhere like the v&a exhibitions

When I went to the Tate Modern there were hordes of people just taking photos and not even looking at the exhibitions.

May as well just look at the photos of the paintings on google - they will be better quality.

Exhibitions are frequently like that though. I mostly use a wheelchair and so often I’m waiting patiently for the crowd to thin, and a chance to get close enough to see, and someone just comes and blatantly stands in front of me to take a photo.

The Van Gogh one at the Tate a couple of months ago was particularly bad.

Wonder if it’s like this in places like NYC where admissions prices are much higher.