PLANNING YOUR VISIT
How long will the exhibition be in Melbourne?
Hours and prices
Tickets
Can I enter and exit the exhibition more than once with my ticket?
Can I enter Melbourne Museum with my exhibition ticket?
How long does it take to see the exhibition?
I received a gift voucher. What do I do now?
Can I enter and exit the exhibition more than once with my ticket?
Can I take photos?
Are food and drinks permitted in the exhibition?
Is there an audio guide for the exhibition?
What is Egypt 3D?
Is Egypt 3D suitable for disabled patrons?
Is the exhibition accessible for disabled patrons?
Are wheelchairs permitted inside the exhibition?
Are prams allowed in the exhibition?
Is sketching/drawing permitted in the exhibition?
EXHIBITION CONTENT
What's in the exhibition?
Where is the Golden Mask?
Tell me about the mask image used on the front of the advertising.
Where are Tutankhamun's mummy and sarcophagus (coffin)?
How were the objects on display chosen for the exhibition?
Who organised this exhibition?
Previous Tutankhamun Exhibitions in Australia
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
How long will the exhibition be in Melbourne?
The exhibition will be at Melbourne Museum until 4 December 2011.
- School, Groups and Travel packages can be booked for sessions until 4 December 2011 by calling Ticketek Groups 03 9299 9030
- You can register at kingtutmelbourne.com.au/register for further updates on new ticket information when it becomes available.
Hours and prices
Exhibition hours and prices vary across the days of the week. All times and prices are listed at kingtutmelbourne.com.au/times
Tickets
We strongly recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets well in advance before visiting the museum, due to the high demand for session tickets. We cannot guarantee that you can obtain tickets at the Museum for the same day as sessions are selling out in advance.
- Purchase your tickets online at kingtutmelbourne.com.au/tickets and follow the links to Ticketek; or call Ticketek on 132 849. If you choose the Ticketek "ezyticket" option to receive your tickets, you must print these and bring them with you to the museum to avoid additional delays.
- All school groups, and any group of 15+ wanting a group discount, must book through Ticketek Groups on 03 9299 9030.
- Other ticket package options are available through kingtutpackages.com.au
- The best availability of tickets is currently mid week after 12.30pm, not including school holidays
Can I enter and exit the exhibition more than once with my ticket?
No. Tickets are for one entry per person only.
Can I enter Melbourne Museum with my exhibition ticket?
Yes. Tickets to the exhibition also entitle you entry to Melbourne Museum between 10am and closing at 5pm on the same day that the exhibition ticket is valid for. If you have booked an exhibition session after 5pm and also wish to visit the Museum, you will need to arrive with enough time to visit before 5pm, as there is no access to other areas within the Museum after that time.
How long does it take to see the exhibition?
The average visit to the exhibition is 75-90 minutes. There are ten galleries that visitors may experience in a self-guided manner.
I received a gift voucher. What do I do now?
You should exchange your voucher for tickets at any Ticketek outlet in Australia before you visit the Museum. Gift vouchers cannot be exchanged at the Museum. To locate a Ticketek outlet, check here. The closest Ticketek outlet to the Museum is at 225 Exhibition Street.
Can I enter and exit the exhibition more than once with my ticket?
No. Tickets are for one entry per person only. Used tickets will show as such in our system to prevent re-entry, so visitors should purchase tickets only from official outlets.
Can I take photos?
No photography or video recording of any kind is allowed inside in the exhibition. However, there is an opportunity to purchase a personalised souvenir photo in the Egyptian Marketplace Shop or the Museum Treasures Shop, at the end of your visit. Other images of the objects can be found in the official exhibition merchandise, including catalogue, souvenir book, postcards and other items.
Are food and drinks permitted in the exhibition?
No food or drink is permitted inside the exhibition.
Is there an audio guide for the exhibition?
Yes, there is. The accompanying audio guide for the exhibition is available in English and is $7.50 for all patrons. The audio guide contains approximately 35 minutes of additional commentary.
What is Egypt 3D?
Egypt 3D is a 3D film that allows visitors to follow researchers and explorers as they piece together the archeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies. Visitor of all ages will enjoy learning how ancient secrets are helping modern medical and scientific advances.
A separate ticket is required for the 3D movie. The 3D movie , starts every half hour, and last entry to the 3D movie is the same time as the last exhibition entry. Tickets to the movie are $8.50, and can be used for any session time that day - you do not need to book into a specific time for the movie, just join the queue at your preferred time.
If you purchase tickets for the last exhibition session of the day and also for the movie, you will need to see the movie before you visit the exhibition, so we suggest you arrive a little earlier.
Is Egypt 3D suitable for disabled patrons?
The 3D movie is accessible to people with impairments. There is mobility impaired seating, as well as wheelchair spaces for optimal viewing. For those with hearing impairments there is also 2D captioning available on request, hearing loop technology, and printed copies of the script available from the customer service staff.
Is the exhibition accessible for disabled patrons?
Yes, both the exhibition and Melbourne Museum are accessible for disabled patrons. The exhibition is fully accessible for wheelchairs, with benches as well placed throughout for those with other mobility impairments. All AV components inside the exhibition with audio content are captioned, and audio tours are available with hearing loop and in written script format.
For visually impaired guests an audio tour is available free of charge on presentation of an impairment ID card, as well as large print copies of all case labels and artifact images that can be taken through the galleries and returned at the end of the exhibition. We also offer a tactile kit session run by a member of staff to give physical content to the exhibition, free of charge. The Melbourne Museum has wheelchairs, lifts and disabled toilets available for those requiring assistance.
Are wheelchairs permitted inside the exhibition?
Yes, wheelchairs are permitted inside the exhibition. A limited number of wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis for visitors to borrow during their visit, and these can be requested at the Information Desk.
Are prams allowed in the exhibition?
Yes, standard prams are allowed, but double prams and extra wide buggies will not fit. These may be exchanged for single width prams on site (subject to availability).
Is sketching/drawing permitted in the exhibition?
No. Sketching is not permitted in the exhibition as it prevents other guests from viewing the artefacts on display and can lead to additional crowding around a piece, which is hazardous to the artefact and other guests. Additionally pens are not permitted in the exhibition.
EXHIBITION CONTENT
What's in the exhibition?
There are 10 galleries in the exhibition: the first five feature artefacts associated with Tutankhamun's predecessors, and explore Ancient Egypt prior to Tutankhamun's reign; the next five galleries feature artefacts found in Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. There are just over 130 original artefacts in total.
There is an additional display gallery where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun's death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of of Tut's mummified body, the only one of its kind.
Where is the Golden Mask?
Tutankhamun's Golden Mask (or Funerary Mask or Death Mask) is at its home in Cairo at The Egyptian Museum. It is a very popular object that travelled in the 1970s exhibition; so many individuals have fond memories of it. Because it is so fragile, the Egyptian government has decided that it will not travel again.
Tell me about the mask image used on the front of the advertising.
The image is a detail from the golden canopic coffinette, one of the treasures from the exhibition, that held the liver of Tutankhamun; it too displays the face of the Boy King.
Where are Tutankhamun's mummy and sarcophagus (coffin)?
Tutankhamun's mummy and his inner sarcophagus are still in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The outer sarcophagi and shrines are at the Cairo Museum. Neither the mummy nor any of the sarcophagi have ever travelled - in fact, the mummy has never left the Valley of the Kings!
How were the objects on display chosen for the exhibition?
There are thousands of Ancient Egyptian artefacts in Cairo and throughout the world. These 130 objects were carefully chosen to tell a comprehensive story about Tutankhamun and Ancient Egypt before and during his reign, and include Tutankhamun's royal diadem (crown), the head of a colossal statue of Akhenaten (Tut's father) and the serenely beautiful gilded coffin of Lady Tjuya.
Who organised this exhibition?
The exhibition is organised by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and IMG with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. A majority of proceeds will go toward antiquities preservation and conservation efforts in Egypt, including the construction of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Previous Tutankhamun Exhibitions in Australia
This is the first time artefacts from Tutankhamun's tomb have come to Australia.
The exhibition The Treasures of Tutankhamun toured in the 1970s and early 1980s. It began at the British Museum in London, followed by a seven city tour of the United States where eight million people visited.
It eventually went to Europe in the 1980's but ended in Germany after one of the artefacts sustained damage. The treasures were then returned to Egypt and King Tutankhamun's treasures did not tour again until 2005. The exhibition did not go to Australia.
Another show, called Gold of the Pharaohs did, however, visit Australia from 1988-89. This exhibition did not include artefacts from Tutankhamun's tomb, but focused on the material from royal tombs of the 21st and 22nd Dynasties.
