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Original poster

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

45 replies

Rosehip10 · 30/11/2019 19:57

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 Confused

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?

OP posts:
LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/12/2019 17:03

It was ok once through the first room and people weren’t crammed it. Way too many bored kids there - too young to really give a monkeys - but still thrust to the front of the crowds and lectured loudly as they gasped at their phones with their backs to the exhibits.

You just need to identify the family from hell - usually mum, dad, set of trendy grandparents and 3+ kids with loud performance parenting/grand parenting who are just in front of toy at every turn - and avoid them.

LeSquigh · 01/12/2019 17:36

I went last week and I emailed them yesterday to complain. Stood outside in the rain for half an hour before being let in (half an hour after the stated entry time), far far too many people being let in at once, people being selfish, people taking pictures but not looking at anything with their eyes. We had to hang back or we wouldn’t have seen anything. Whilst the exhibited items are amazing, the experience wasn’t and I was very disappointed.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/12/2019 17:42

The good thing about the hords hogging the pieces to take photos is that if you scoot around the back of the items you see interesting details and inscriptions.

My favourite was an Imsety cenoptic jar - ‘awwwwww isn’t it cuuuuute? says the woman next to me. I was hoping for a mummified liver...

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LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 01/12/2019 17:43

Canopic duh

HowToBeAWoman · 01/12/2019 17:56

The gift shop was hilarious. £10 Christmas cracker King Tut keyrings. No.

AdaFromYorkshire · 01/12/2019 18:26

I went in 1972; it was amazing, and included the death mask. I remember that we queued patiently for over four hours, then walked almost reverently through the exhibitions. I still have the souvenir book I bought with my pocket money. I haven't decided yet if I'll go to the current one, but it sounds as though standards of behaviour have dropped so quite possibly not.

AtillatheHun · 01/12/2019 18:30

The tickets are about £100 for weekends; on that basis I’d expect properly restricted numbers. The last few exhibitions at the RA I went to were so hideously crowded that I only go to member previews now and it makes a massive difference and is totally worth the annual fee is there’s a show or two you’ll go to more than once

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 01/12/2019 18:31

Does anyone know if you can access the gift shop without going through the exhibit?

DM and Dad went today and loved it but couldn’t justify the £40 for the book, I’d love to get it for them for Christmas but don’t have tickets to the exhibit

Puppylucky · 01/12/2019 18:44

Hi
What a lovely idea! They are not selling them on the Saatchi sight yet but you may get lucky on ebay?

Puppylucky · 01/12/2019 18:44

Sight =site

Loopytiles · 01/12/2019 20:08

£100 a ticket?!

underneaththeash · 01/12/2019 20:22

Mine did not enjoy it. Too crowded and not enough gold!

Wigeon · 01/12/2019 21:29

We paid £32 per adult ticket on a Sunday a couple of weeks ago and £21.50 per child ticket - the ticket prices do vary a little bit but I can’t find where they are any way near £100 even at the weekend?!

Original poster
Rosehip10 · 02/12/2019 07:06

We paid about 24 pounds each on a week day? The queue in the rain outside was annoying as pp have said.

OP posts:
AtillatheHun · 02/12/2019 08:13

You’re quite right on tickets- I had tried in October to get opening weekend tickets and I gave up in horror at the cost - recall thinking I could get a week in Devon for the price! Looking moderate now.
Did any of you go first thing and was it sold out / crowded?

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 02/12/2019 08:55

We went at 10am and it was mobbed because they let people in in batches of - maybe 100+?

Redcherries · 02/12/2019 09:18

You've reminded me I need to email and complain, we barely saw a thing. At one stage there was a bit of a verbal altercation too between two other parties.

Too many people at a time, then the next wave floods in so no chance of waiting for it to thin. The best we saw was if you went to the back of the displays (anyone going, when you get to the last display do have a look at the back, its really detailed and quite stunning)

All in all we felt like we'd have seen more looking at photos on line and it was a complete waste of ticket money, travel cost and time. Poor DH had been so excited too.

It was also far too hot!

Original poster
Rosehip10 · 02/12/2019 14:38

I'm not sure the Saatchi galley was the ideal location really. Why didn't the British Museum want to host this?

OP posts:
LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 02/12/2019 15:05

Too busy I guess - the queues to get in normally are hideous these days. Then I guess its making the gallery £££££

Oldraver · 02/12/2019 15:17

Red cherry... did you mean the back of the big statue upstairs ?
We couldn't get in to look at the front so walked round the back and it had some lovely heiroglphs all the way up. Most people had a quick gaze at the front then buffered off

There seems to be two lots of people there, the hog the front to take a picture then nugget off. And those who want to rake their time looking from all angles --get their monies worth-/

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