Acclaimed Egyptian exhibit opens March 28

THE LARGEST SELECTION OF EGYPTIAN antiquities to travel outside of Egypt arrives in Milwaukee this month in the only Midwest appearance of an exhibit that is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors.

"The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt," a display of more than 100 Egyptian antiquities from the New Kingdom period (1550-1069 B.C.), will be at the Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St., from March 28-Aug. 8, thanks to the support of Northwestern Mutual Foundation. Organized by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in association with the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, the exhibit drew rave reviews and record crowds in Washington, Boston, Fort Worth and New Orleans.

Excavated from the tombs of kings and nobles, the breathtaking artifacts provide a window into the oldest civilization in recorded history, showcasing massive stone carvings of gods and pharaohs, painted coffins, gold death masks, jewelry and canopic jars that once held internal organs. The exhibit contains twice the number of artifacts displayed in the 1970s blockbuster exhibition, "Treasures of Tutankhamen,” which drew large crowds to Chicago’s Field Museum.

Also featured in "The Quest for Immortality” is a full-scale re-creation of Pharaoh Thutmose III’s burial chamber with the sacred hieroglyphic text of spells and instructions for gaining eternal life painted on the walls. Designed to mirror both the universe and the path of the sun’s daily voyage across the sky, the oval-shaped room is dramatically lit, replicating an Egyptian tomb.

Admission to "The Quest for Immortality” includes general Museum admission and a state-of the art Antenna X-Plorer Audio tour, narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons. Offering the flexibility of random access, the audio tour has commentary by leading Egyptologists and re-created period music that sets an authentic Egyptian ambiance. Narratives for adults and children are available.

Timed entry to the exhibition is highly recommended. Advanced tickets, available at the Museum and Museum stores in Milwaukee, Brookfield and Madison, are selling rapidly, with nearly 30,000 sold by the end of February. Same-day tickets are available on a first-come, first served basis. Admission is $18.50 for adults (16-61); $17.50 for seniors (62+) and $11.50 for children (3-15). Group discounts are available.