Interactive multimedia show in Resort World Sentosa

Following the success of its world premiere in Germany, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will now be showcased in Southeast Asia at Singapore Resorts World Sentosa.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, the iconic Warner Bros franchise, will have its largest-ever engagement for its Asia Premiere at Singapore’s resort island Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Hosted by Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Neon, this multimedia show will be featured within RWS beginning in fall of 2024.

According to a press statement by Neon, an experiential entertainment firm, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will be an interactive art experience exploring some of the most mysterious corners of the wizarding world across more than 3,716 sqm venue.

Neon says that the show will feature a series of immersive environments inspired by enigmatic places in the magical community, like the ‘Room of Requirement’, ‘Newt’s Menagerie’ and the ‘Ministry of Magic’.

The statement says that these will be created by a responsive video content, bold architecture and original soundscapes for multi-sensory installations, while interactive technology invites guests to illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.

“Harry Potter: Vision of Magic combines our beloved franchise with an interactive art experience creating an all-new kind of ‘magic’ for our fans. Not only are we excited to be bringing the world tour to our fans in Singapore but to be expanding the experience with never-before-seen environments,” says Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment.

“We are thrilled to hold the Asia premiere of this unique experience right here at Resorts World Sentosa, bringing Harry Potter: Visions of Magic to our friends and families in Singapore, as well as to visitors from across the world. This exciting endeavour is made possible with the tremendous support from our valued partners at Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Resorts World Sentosa,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Neon.

“Distinctively, we would like to express our thanks to Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer, Resorts World Sentosa, for their support and together, we look forward to welcoming everyone to come experience this immersive adventure where magic and wonder await at every turn,” he adds.

“Resorts World Sentosa has a stellar track record of captivating our guests with our best-in-class events and gastronomy options as well as our world-class attractions. As the inaugural host in Asia for Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, we look forward to extending a warm welcome to fans worldwide all within a magically transformed indoor setting at Resorts World Sentosa. Hosting Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at our integrated resort will create shared memorable moments for our guests. This spellbinding attraction will also anchor Resorts World Sentosa as a foremost location that offers groundbreaking experiences and global entertainment offerings,” says Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer, Resorts World Sentosa.

Largest ‘Harry Potter: Visions of Magic’ experience makes its way to Resorts World Sentosa

Potterheads — you’re in for a treat.

The biggest ‘Harry Potter: Visions of Magic’ immersive art experience will be arriving at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) at the end of 2024.

With iconic rooms brought to life by interactive technology, you’ll be able to venture into the most enigmatic and magical corners of the wizarding world.

If you’re already anticipating the adventure, head over to the website here to register for the waitlist.

Explore magical rooms inspired by the Harry Potter realm

The experience was first launched in Germany in December 2023, and fans were treated to a real-life introduction by James and Oliver Phelps (known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series) during its grand premiere.

The brainchild of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON, Singapore will be its second stop.

Potterheads can look forward to stepping into some of the series’ most enchanting places, such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie and the Ministry of Magic.

You’ll feel just like a part of the real deal as you walk through magical installations invigorated with responsive video content, bold architecture and original soundscapes.

If the experience in Germany is anything to go by, you can expect familiar iconography such as the Daily Prophet covers, Black family tapestry, and the brilliantly purple Knight Bus.

Guests will also be able to interact with the technology, and be awestruck by the revealing visions of magic.

Expansive venue for Potterheads to explore to their heart’s content

The experience is expected to span more than 40,000 square feet.

But an exclusive addition awaits here in Singapore, with 10,000 square feet of expanded areas yet to be unveiled.

Mr Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros, said:

” Not only are we excited to be bringing the world tour to our fans in Singapore but to be expanding the experience with never-before-seen environments. “

RWS’s chief executive officer Tan Hee Teck, also said that the spectacle will cement RWS “as a foremost location that offers groundbreaking experiences and global entertainment offerings”.

To get first dibs on presale tickets, sign up for the waitlist here.

It’s going to be a magical year for Potterheads in Singapore.

Earlier in February, Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience debuted at Sentosa.

And soon, another interactive experience will arrive on our shores too.

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Neon announced in a press release that come Fall 2024, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will make its Asia premiere at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

It will apparently be “the largest-ever engagement” and is described as a multimedia art experience.

While details are still limited, the 40,000 sq ft venue will have a series of immersive and interactive exhibitions inspired by places in the magical community.

For instance, the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie and the Ministry of Magic.

The responsive video content, architecture, original soundscapes and interactive technology will make you feel like you’re in the wizarding world itself.

The press release further says that Harry Potter: Visions of Magic combines the beloved franchise “with an interactive art experience, creating an all-new kind of ‘magic’ for fans”.

It will not only be making its debut in Asia but will also see an expanded experience, with “never-before-seen environments”.

Currently, the only other country to host the experience is Germany, where tickets are almost sold out.

While prices for the Singapore exhibit have not been released yet, tickets in Germany range from 29.90 euros(S$44) to 39.50 euros.

Eager to have a magical time? You can join the waitlist.

Harry Potter: Visions Of Magic immersive exhibition to open at RWS in late 2024

SINGAPORE – Potterheads, mark your calendars. The immersive indoor exhibition, Harry Potter: Visions Of Magic, will be heading to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Singapore will be the first Asian stop following its world premiere in Germany in December 2023, where it was launched by British actors James and Oliver Phelps, who played Weasley twins Fred and George in the Harry Potter films (2001 to 2011).

The German leg – which sold 138,000 tickets prior to its opening and spans more than 40,000 sq ft – will end its run in June before the touring exhibition heads to Singapore.

Singapore’s edition will be a bigger multimedia and interactive experience, with an additional 10,000 sq ft for more magical moments to unfold.

Guests can take their time to discover various Harry Potter elements from the eight-film series, from Daily Prophet covers to the enigmatic Black family tapestry to the glowing purple brilliance of the Knight Bus.

Explore the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic and other iconic Wizarding World locations. Responsive video content, bold architecture and original soundscapes create multisensory installations, while interactive technology invites guests to illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.

Ticketing details to Harry Potter: Visions Of Magic have yet to be announced, but fans can join the waitlist at  harrypottervisionsofmagic.com/sg to receive priority access to pre-sale tickets.

British author J.K. Rowling created the fantastical Harry Potter world in 1997 with the first book Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. For more than 25 years, the Harry Potter phenomenon has been one of the most successful and best-loved entertainment franchises in history.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

The Wizarding World continues to come to life in Singapore, and following the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience trail in Sentosa, Resorts World will play host to the new Harry Potter: Visions of Magic interactive art experience this fall.

Singapore will also host the Asia premiere of the experience, which is likely to come to other Asian countries soon. Harry Potter: Visions of Magic made its debut in Cologne, Germany on 8 December 2023, and will run until 2 June 2024 before making its way to Singapore.

Venture into the Wizarding World as Harry Potter: Visions of Magic takes visitors on a tour through the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and other iconic locations across a 40,000 square feet venue. Created by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and experiential entertainment company NEON, the experience has nearly sold-out tickets for its German leg, and will open pre-sale tickets for its Singapore run soon, with waitlist sign-ups open on its website.

Pricing on its German site runs from S$39.20 (€26.90) for an adult ticket, and S$30.46 (€20.90) for child ticket, so prices will likely be about the same. There is no time limit for the experience, so you can enjoy meandering through the various installations.

We’re excited to see what Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is brewing at Resorts World Sentosa, so stay tuned for more updates!

The Harry Potter: Visions of Magic Asia premiere is coming to RWS

Potterheads – the Harry Potter: Visions of Magic spectacle is coming to Singapore this year. Clear your calendars this Q4 and get ready for what’s slated to be the biggest-ever installation of the multisensory, immersive experience, which is hitting Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) sometime in fall.

Enter the wizarding world

ICYMI, the exhibition first premiered in Cologne, Germany last December to an almost-completely sold-out run, selling more than 138,000 tickets even before they opened.

The interactive art experience recreates locations from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, inviting fans to “illuminate the invisible”, or illuminate your own visions.

You’ll literally get to enter Harry Potter’s magical world, with entire spaces inspired by iconic locations such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, and the Ministry of Magic – to name a few.

The multi-sensory experiences promise interactive video content, with original soundscapes from the franchise and Fantastic Beasts instalments that will transport you into that magical realm of the Potterverse.

Largest-ever space

The Singapore run of the spectacle is said to cover more than 40,000 sqft, AKA 10,000 sqft larger than the space that they had in Germany.

Even if you’ve already been to the show over in Europe, or are intending to visit before it ends its run this June, you’ll definitely want to book a ticket to the Singapore edition – the journey has been jazzed up and specially curated for RWS.

Book your tickets ahead of time

If you’ve honed your ticket-camping skills for Taytay, this is time to oil those engines and get your fastest fingers ready. Join the waitlist to get first dibs on pre-sale tickets before they launch to the public. Tickets at the Cologne experience are priced between €26.90-34.50 (~S$40-50), so you might probably be looking at similar prices here too.

It’s not clear when exactly the interactive experience will open, or how long it will run for – all we know is that you can expect it in Fall 2024. We’ll update this post with more details when we get them.

Join the ticket pre-sale waitlist here

If the Forbidden Forest Experience wasn’t enough wizarding for you, get ready for a treat at the end of the year

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is gearing up for spellbinding event like never before. Hailing from Germany, the immersive “Harry Potter: Visions of Magic” debuts in Singapore this year.                                                                      

What to expect at the upcoming Harry Potter exhibition in Singapore?

Following its sensational success in Germany, where it saw overwhelming demand with over 138,000 tickets sold prior to opening, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is set to captivate audiences in Singapore.

As the exhibition is still under development, there has not been any confirmed images of the set. However, we do know that the sets are inspired by iconic locations from the Harry Potter realm, such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, and the Ministry of Magic.

Through responsive video content, bold architecture, and original soundscapes, visitors will be plunged into a multi-sensory adventure that brings the magic to life.

When is it launching?

Set to debut in the fourth quarter of 2024, this multimedia exhibition will take place across a sprawling 40,000 square foot venue within RWS.

Fans eager to embark on this magical journey can join the exclusive waitlist on their website for priority access to pre-sale tickets and insider insights.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic

Date: Q4 2024

Location: Resorts World Sentosa
Opening hours: TBC

Harry Potter fans have it good this year with Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, a unique multimedia spectacle set to open at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa in the Fall of 2024. This will be the experience’s Asia premiere and its largest-ever engagement.  

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, created by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON, is an evocative and interactive art experience. It had its world premiere in Germany.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic: Explore the Wizarding World

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at Resorts World Sentosa will be a chance for fans in Southeast Asia to explore some of the most mysterious corners of the wizarding world across a more than 40,000 square foot venue.

Discover a series of immersive environments inspired by enigmatic places in the magical community, like the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and more.

Potterheads can engage with responsive video content, bold architecture, and original soundscapes. It is an opportunity for fans to immerse themselves in breathtaking multi-sensory installations where interactive technology illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.

At Harry Potter: Visions of Magic’s Asian premiere, fans of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts can look forward to a newly enhanced journey created specifically for Resorts World Sentosa.

There will be an additional 10,000 square feet of expanded spaces to create a  unique, and never-to-be-forgotten journey found exclusively in Singapore at this premium lifestyle destination resort.

“Harry Potter: Vision of Magic combines our beloved franchise with an interactive art experience creating an all-new kind of ‘magic’ for our fans,” said Mr Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “Not only are we excited to be bringing the world tour to our fans in Singapore but to be expanding the experience with never-before-seen environments.”

“We are thrilled to hold the Asia premiere of this unique experience right here at Resorts World Sentosa, bringing Harry Potter: Visions of Magic to our friends and families in Singapore, as well as to visitors from across the world,” said Mr. Ron Tan, Executive Chairman & Group CEO of NEON. “This exciting endeavour is made possible with the tremendous support from our valued partners at Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Resorts World Sentosa. Distinctively, we would like to express our thanks to Mr. Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Mr. Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer, Resorts World Sentosa, for their support and together, we look forward to welcoming everyone to come experience this immersive adventure where magic and wonder await at every turn.”

Join the Waitlist for Tickets to Harry Potter: Visions of Magic

In Germany, there was a close to complete sell-out of tickets to Harry Potter: Visions of Magic with Ticketmaster Germany honored NEON with the Highest Pre-sale Award. 

If you are looking forward to Harry Potter: Visions of Magic in Singapore, you can join the exclusive waitlist today at harrypottervisionsofmagic.com.sg and receive priority access to pre-sale tickets and insights into this interactive artistic celebration of the iconic film series.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you should also check out this other Harry Potter experience in Singapore.

Harry Potter: Visions Of Magic will be at Resorts World Sentosa. The immersive, indoor exhibition debuted in Germany last year.

Good news, Potterheads – another Harry Potter-themed attraction will be heading to Singapore this year.

Harry Potter: Visions Of Magic will be making its Asia debut at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in late 2024, announced Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON in a press release on Wednesday (Mar 27).

In the interactive art exhibition, visitors can explore some of the most mysterious corners of the wizarding world, such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie and the Ministry of Magic.

And unlike the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, this exhibition has an indoor venue, which spans over 40,000 sq ft. 

It will bring magic to life with multi-sensory installations and interactive technology, including responsive video content, bold architecture and original soundscapes. 

“Harry Potter: Vision Of Magic combines our beloved franchise with an interactive art experience creating an all-new kind of ‘magic’ for our fans,” said Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. 

“Not only are we excited to be bringing the world tour to our fans in Singapore but to be expanding the experience with never-before-seen environments.”

Before coming to Singapore, the exhibition made its world premiere in Cologne, Germany in December last year, where around 138,000 tickets were sold before the grand opening. The Singapore edition is said to be even bigger, with an additional 10,000 sq ft of space.

The exact date of the launch has yet to be announced.

Visitors can join the waitlist and receive priority access to presale tickets and insights on harrypottervisionsofmagic.com

• The Room of Requirement
• Newt’s Menagerie
• The Ministry of Magic

Photo from Harry Potter: Visions of Magic

Enhanced immersive experience will open at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore in the 4th quarter of 2024

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment have revealed that the Asia debut and biggest-ever engagement of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will be hosted by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in Singapore.

The unique multimedia spectacular is set to open at RWS in Q4 2024.

Unique, enhanced experience

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is an engaging, interactive art experience created by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON. It explores some of the most intriguing elements of the wizarding world over a space of more than 40,000 square feet.

Visitors can explore intriguing environments inspired by mysterious locations including the Ministry of Magic, Newt’s Menagerie, the Room of Requirement, and others. Captivating multi-sensory works have been created using responsive video content, bold architecture, and unique soundscapes. In addition, interactive technology allows visitors to discover magical visions that bring the whole experience to life.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will open in Southeast Asia following a highly successful world premiere in Germany. At Resorts World Sentosa, fans can enjoy a new enhanced experience developed for the premium lifestyle destination resort, which boasts an additional 10,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Peter van Roden, senior vice president, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, says: “Harry Potter: Visions of Magic combines our beloved franchise with an interactive art experience creating an all-new kind of ‘magic’ for our fans. Not only are we excited to be bringing the world tour to our fans in Singapore but to be expanding the experience with never-before-seen environments.”

Global acclaim

The experience has been well-received globally, with a near-complete sell-out in Germany. The tremendous demand for tickets, which exceeded 138,000 tickets before the grand opening, testifies to the uniqueness of this event. NEON was awarded the Highest Pre-sale Award from Ticketmaster Germany in recognition of the exhibition’s success at its inaugural venue.

Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of NEON, comments: “We are thrilled to hold the Asia premiere of this unique experience right here at Resorts World Sentosa, bringing Harry Potter: Visions of Magic to our friends and families in Singapore, as well as to visitors from across the world. This exciting endeavour is made possible with the tremendous support from our valued partners at Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Resorts World Sentosa.

“Distinctively, we would like to express our thanks to Mr. Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Mr. Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer, Resorts World Sentosa, for their support and together, we look forward to welcoming everyone to come experience this immersive adventure where magic and wonder await at every turn.”

Tan Hee Teck, chief executive officer, Resorts World Sentosa, adds: “Resorts World Sentosa has a stellar track record of captivating our guests with our best-in-class events and gastronomy options as well as our world-class attractions. As the inaugural host in Asia for Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, we look forward to extending a warm welcome to fans worldwide all within a magically transformed indoor setting at Resorts World Sentosa.

“Hosting Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at our integrated resort will create shared memorable moments for our guests. This spellbinding attraction will also anchor Resorts World Sentosa as a foremost location that offers groundbreaking experiences and global entertainment offerings.”

The event is set to captivate audiences of all ages from across the world. To join the waiting list and gain priority access to the ticket pre-sale, please click here.

Last month, NEON revealed that Avatar: The Experience at Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore has received over 2.5 million visitors.

HOUSTON – Well now you can because Jurassic World: The Exhibition has roared its way into Houston!

This massive 20,000 square foot family-friendly exhibit, based on one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in movie history, is now open at Katy Mills Mall.

And this isn’t your ordinary, dinosaurs exhibit…this one was built to scale with the movie!

The exhibit recently opened and has already become a favorite for Houstonians.

Visitors get to walk through the iconic Jurassic World gate, where they will most likely recognize many things inspired by the beloved films, while coming face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs, such as the towering Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors including fan-favorite Blue, and the most fearsome of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex!

Some of the elements inside the exhibit include:

– The Ferry: The journey begins aboard a ferry and a walk through of the iconic “Jurassic World” gates.

– Land of the Giants – Walk under the towering Brachiosaurus that is part of the gigantic sauropod dinosaur family, the largest creatures to ever walk the earth.

– Creation Lab: The Creation Lab is where guests can enjoy a hands-on experience and learn more about the science behind dinosaur DNA. They’ll also learn more about coprolites and the various species of dinosaurs that live at Jurassic World.

– The Raptor Paddock: Guests can walk up to the Raptor’s paddock, but don’t get too close! These creatures have sharp serrated teeth and sharp-clawed hands and feet. Their large, recurved claw is used for slashing and pinning prey.

– Gyrosphere Valley: This is the perfect place to take a picture with a baby dinosaur and discover what is under the dirt at the Dig Site. Continue the journey through this picturesque valley to climb into a life-sized gyrosphere.

– Feeding Time: The highly intelligent and extremely dangerous Indominus Rex is one of the most formidable creatures in the park. Visitors can watch as she is fed her daily meals.

– T. rex Kingdom: A high voltage fence is the only thing that separates visitors from the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.

Get more info and tickets –> HERE!

Watch as Lauren Kelly and NEON Production Manager Bill Mann take us inside for a peek the massive exhibit!

Art display a golden opportunity to visit an ancient city that’s been frozen in time.

The award-winning Jurassic World: The Exhibition opened March 8th at Katy Mills Mall, 5000 Katy Mills Circle in Katy, with an official ribbon-cutting attended by city officials, media and other dignitaries.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition, a 20,000-square-foot family-friendly immersive experience, has now become one of the fastest selling exhibitions in history since its launch and has welcomed over 8 million visitors in cities around the world. The exhibition engages audiences of all ages in settings inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World franchise and is produced in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment, NEON, and Animax Designs – the creators of the lifelike animatronic dinosaurs.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is a family-friendly exhibit of massive proportions based on one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in cinema history. Visitors walk through the iconic Jurassic World gate, where they will explore richly themed environments inspired by the beloved films, coming face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs, such as the towering Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors including fan-favorite Blue, and the most fearsome of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Guests will imagine what it would have been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures, and even interact with baby dinosaurs, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous from Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation, currently streaming on Netflix.

This one-of-a-kind attraction has been created by NEON, a global leader in immersive and epic experiences and produced in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment, a division Universal Destinations & Experiences.

The Exhibition welcomes multiple generations of Jurassic World fans to venture to the remote island made famous in the movie franchise. Some of the elements on the interactive journey that await visitors include:

• The Ferry: The journey begins aboard a ferry and a walk through of the iconic “Jurassic World” gates.
• Land of the Giants – Walk under the towering Brachiosaurus that is part of the gigantic sauropod dinosaur family, the largest creatures to ever walk the earth.
• Creation Lab: The Creation Lab is where guests can enjoy a hands-on experience and learn more about the science behind dinosaur DNA. They’ll also learn more about coprolites and the various species of dinosaurs that live at Jurassic World.
• The Raptor Paddock: Guests can walk up to the Raptor’s paddock, but don’t get too close! These creatures have sharp serrated teeth and sharp-clawed hands and feet. Their large, recurved claw is used for slashing and pinning prey.
• Gyrosphere Valley: This is the perfect place to take a picture with a baby dinosaur and discover what is under the dirt at the Dig Site. Continue the journey through this picturesque valley to climb into a life-sized gyrosphere.
• Feeding Time: The highly intelligent and extremely dangerous Indominus Rex is one of the most formidable creatures in the park. Visitors can watch as she is fed her daily meals.
•  T. rex Kingdom: A high voltage fence is the only thing that separates visitors from the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be in Houston at Katy Mills for a limited engagement through October 26th. Tickets are available now at Jurassicworldexhibition.com. Admission to Jurassic World: The Exhibition starts at $24.00 for children (ages three to fifteen) and $31.99 for adults (ages 16 and up). Family and group tickets are also available as well as special pricing for senior citizens and students.

Kurt Baker, Executive Vice President Global Marketing for NEON said, “We very excited to bring our world renowned, award-winning Jurassic World: The Exhibition to the wonderful city of Katy in the great state of Texas. Katy is a thriving community with so much to offer, situated perfectly within great driving distance to so many families and Jurassic World fans throughout the Greater Houston area. It just felt like the perfect fit for Jurassic World: The Exhibition to visit.”

Trent Wall, executive creative director for NEON, added that the exhibition created about 100 jobs in Katy locally, with about 100 more people contracted locally. Wall, who said that he has loved Jurassic World since he was a kid, says that the exhibition gives fans the opportunity to get closer to their favorite characters in ways that they otherwise could not. “These creatures are amazing and astounding,” he said.

For further information about Jurassic World: The Exhibition, please visit Jurassicworldexhibition.com.

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A new Pompeii exhibit is coming to the Cincinnati Museum Center.

There will be 150 artifacts taking you through what life was like in the Roman Empire thousands of years ago. It will also show you what life was like after the deadly volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

One of the many artifacts that will be part of Pompeii arrived Tuesday at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

The artifact, called a crater, was carefully shipped from Pompeii to Cincinnati after historians discovered it months ago. The crater was at one time buried in the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius in the Italian City of Pompeii.

“It’s actually a large bowl-shaped. If you look at the top of Vesuvius down, that bowl that exists now because of the explosion, that’s kind of what this is named after,” explains Head Registrar Jackie Hoff, “But its use is really still water and wine. There was an awful lot of water issues. Some of this stuff wasn’t all that wonderful to consume so they mixed it with wine.”

Hoff says she hopes when you come to the exhibit you take your time and learn about what life was like thousands of years ago.

She says you may notice some things haven’t changed much.

“I think it’s important to really look at what you’re seeing, Not just glaze by it,” continues Hoff, “Because I do think there are so many similarities in what you’ll see now vs what we actually have at our own homes now.”

The museum works with people across the globe to find the best objects and artifacts for the new exhibition.

They say it’s important to remember the volcanic eruption was tragic and claimed the lives of thousands of people and many more living things.

“The most important thing they have to bring with them is their emotions,” explains Art Conservator from Pompeii Ludovica Alesse, “Pompeii, it’s a tragic place. Animals died, people died, it was scary and so terrifying. I’d like the people that come here would be conscious about this.”

You can see the exhibit beginning February 16th through July 28th. You can purchase tickets here.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, is celebrating the success of Avatar: The Experience at Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, which has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors.

On 28 December 2023, Florencia Santorun and Santiago Laidlaw from Argentina became the 2.5 millionth visitors. Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of the NEON Group; Felix Loh, CEO of Gardens by the Bay; and Eko Pup and Kanu Pup celebrated this historic milestone with the guests as they entered the Cloud Forest, just days before the experience ended in Singapore.

This attraction, which drew inspiration from Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, held the attention of global audiences for more than 14 months. By the end of its run in the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore it had welcomed a total of 2.63 million visitors.

Record-breaking attendance

Disney Location-Based Experiences, James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment, and NEON started working in partnership in 2021 to create an immersive walkthrough event that was inspired by the beauty and distinctive storytelling of Avatar, the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide. The Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore was the ideal setting to host this type of experience.

Avatar: The Experience formally opened on 28 October 2022, with a launch attended by the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Singapore, Heng Swee Keat, senior representatives from NEON, Singapore Tourism Board, Lightstorm Entertainment, and Disney Location-Based Experiences.

This experience has welcomed an extraordinary 2,630,925 people across 419 exhibition days, setting a new record for the most attended experience among all of NEON’s IP shows worldwide. On 24 December 2023, it reached a record daily attendance milestone of 12,251 guests, demonstrating Avatar: The Experience’s lasting appeal.

It has received global recognition for its creative and technological achievements, with NEON receiving the Outstanding Attraction Experience Award at the 2023 Singapore Tourism Awards, which are organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. This honour demonstrates the Group’s consistent dedication to creating outstanding experiences, exceptional narratives, and innovative use of immersive experiential technologies.

Its commitment to giving back to society resulted in almost 50 corporate social responsibility (CSR) visits through a partnership with Gardens by the Bay in the Gift of Gardens programme.

This community outreach initiative by the Gardens works with over 3,500 beneficiaries from charitable organisations such as Big Love Child Protection Specialist Centre, Care Corner Singapore, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS),  The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, and others.

Unforgettable experience

Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of NEON, says: “It was an incredible journey of 419 days of Pandora adventure, right here at the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, since the world premiere of Avatar: The Experience on 28 October 2022.

“We are immensely thankful for the strong support from Gardens by the Bay, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and Lightstorm Entertainment and together, we would also like to express our thanks to visitors from around the world for your tremendous support.

“Welcoming over 2.6 million guests into the enchanting world of Pandora has been nothing short of phenomenal. Together, we’ve redefined the boundaries of entertainment, and we look forward to continuing this remarkable journey of innovation and imagination in our next endeavor.”

Felix Loh, CEO of Gardens by the Bay, adds: “Gardens by the Bay is honored to have been the first location in the world for Avatar: The Experience. The event has not only augmented the visitor experience, but also added a new dimension to the Cloud Forest. We look forward to curating other immersive and educational offerings for visitors as we refresh our offerings in Cloud Forest.”

The Cloud Forest experience, combined with Pandora’s bioluminescent landscapes and Na’vi culture, offers an unforgettable experience for visitors. This demonstrated NEON’s commitment to pushing boundaries and providing unmatched experiences that engage and inspire audiences globally. The firm plans to share further details about Avatar: The Experience’s next destination soon.

NEON recently announced that it has collaborated with Boston Dynamics through its fully-owned subsidiary ANIMAX, a leading creative robotic entertainment company. Together, the firms are placed to reshape the media and educational industries.

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – A new exhibit gives an up close and personal look at one of the most famous natural disasters in human history.

Pompeii: The Exhibition opens at the Cincinnati Museum Center on Feb. 16.

Cody Hefner, vice president of marketing & communications at the Cincinnati Museum Center shares a preview.

CINCINNATI — Pompeii, a city with a reputation and tragic history that most people have already heard about even thousands of years later, will be the focus of Cincinnati Museum Center’s newest visiting exhibition.

POMPEII: The Exhibition will open at CMC on February 16, when visitors will be able to see more than 150 artifacts on loan from Italy. Presale tickets will also be available.

The eruption of Mount Vesivius on August 24, 79 A.D. forever changed the landscape, both destroying and preserving the city of Pompeii.

“Pompeii is a remarkable story that exists as both ancient legend and archaeological treasure, providing a timeless snapshot of daily life in the Roman Empire,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of CMC, in a press release.

The artifacts visitors will be able to see are on loan from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy, and they include preserved mosaics and frescoes, gladiator armor, statues, jewelry and everyday items that provide a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of those who lived in Pompeii.

“We wanted to bring this historical event back to life and allow guests to relive it vividly,” said John Norman, president of World Heritage Exhibitions and producer of the exhibit. “Cincinnati Museum Center’s reputation as a premiere venue makes it a perfect location to exhibit these international treasures and provide audiences an opportunity to experience life in the bustling city of Pompeii before time essentially stopped.”

The exhibit has several immersive experiences as well, including an introductory theater that shows reconstructions of Pompeii and its neighbor, Vesuvius. There will also be holographic gladiatorial combat and a simulated 4D eruption theater that give guests an idea of the full impact Vesuvius had on Pompeii and the people who were trapped within.

Remember learning about Pompeii in school? You know, the ancient Roman city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and frozen in time, remarkably preserved under ash?

Cincinnatians will soon be able to see what daily life was like in Pompeii before, during and after the disastrous volcano eruption when Pompeii: The Exhibition comes to Cincinnati Museum Center next month.

The touring exhibition will run Feb. 16 through July 28.

Guests will seem to travel back in time to ancient Pompeii by examining more than 150 authentic artifacts on loan from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy, including everyday objects, mosaics and even body casts of people who were buried in the ash.

Visitors will also witness the destruction of Pompeii through a dramatic 4D theatrical experience.

“We wanted to bring this historical event back to life and allow guests to relive it vividly,” John Norman, president of World Heritage Exhibitions, producer of Pompeii: The Exhibition, said in a release.

Pompeii was a coastal city in the Roman Empire near present-day Naples, Italy. On Aug. 24, 79 A.D., nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted, showering the region with ash and pumice, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. The city and its people were buried more than 20 feet deep and preserved until excavation of the site began in 1748.

“We’re honored to be entrusted with these archaeological treasures and to once again bring the world to Cincinnati, and to do so in immersive fashion as we transport guests back in time to a period of splendor and a day of timeless catastrophe,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 29, but visitors can sign up for exclusive presale access through Jan. 21, with the presale period Jan. 22 to 28.

An international exhibition that brings a historic catastrophe to life in vivid detail is coming to Cincinnati next month.

“Pompei: The Exhibition,” which details the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the Italian city in 79 A.D., will open at the Cincinnati Museum Center Feb. 16 and run through July 29. It features more than 150 artifacts on loan from a collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy, including mosaics, frescoes, gladiator armor, statues, jewelry, tools and more.

“Pompeii is a remarkable story that exists as both ancient legend and archaeological treasure, providing a timeless snapshot of daily life in the Roman Empire,” Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of the museum center, said in a news release. “We’re honored to be entrusted with these archaeological treasures and to once again bring the world to Cincinnati, and to do so in immersive fashion as we transport guests back in time to a period of splendor and a day of timeless catastrophe.”

The sudden event that destroyed the port city – and its people – also preserved it. Centuries later, archaeologists uncovered a rare record of daily life at the height of the Roman Empire. Ongoing excavations and research, including by teams from the University of Cincinnati, continue to add to the evolving picture of a city frozen in time.

In addition to the artifacts, the exhibition’s immersive experiences includes:

In a dramatic fusion of science and cinema, Jurassic World: The Exhibition is set to thrill visitors with its lifelike animatronic dinosaurs and immersive film settings. Scheduled to open in Houston on March 8, 2024, this family-friendly experience has already proven its mettle by becoming one of the fastest-selling exhibitions in history, captivating over eight million visitors worldwide.

The Jurassic World Experience

As visitors traverse the iconic gates of Jurassic World, they are transported into a universe of adventure, a realm where humans and dinosaurs coexist. The exhibition features awe-inspiring behemoths such as the Brachiosaurus and Velociraptors, and the formidable Tyrannosaurus rex, expertly brought to life through animatronics.

The exhibition also introduces guests to endearing baby dinosaurs, including ‘Bumpy’ from the Netflix animated series. This interactive element of the exhibit invites visitors to envision a world where humanity and these ancient creatures cohabitate, a testament to the exhibition’s commitment to providing a truly immersive experience.

Collaborative Effort Behind the Exhibition

This extraordinary exhibit is a collaborative endeavor involving Universal Live Entertainment, NEON, and Animax Designs. NEON, also known as Cityneon, boasts an impressive portfolio of immersive experiences forged in partnership with major entertainment companies. Among their credits are experiences like Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., AVATAR: The Exhibition, and The Hunger Games: The Exhibition.

Universal Live Entertainment, a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, operates theme parks globally. They have been instrumental in bringing to life advanced attractions based on film and television, providing immersive experiences in collaboration with leading entertainment companies.

The Jurassic World Franchise

The Jurassic World franchise extends beyond the realm of cinema, offering a universe of adventure and coexistence with dinosaurs through various entertainment mediums. It includes theme parks and exhibitions, all carrying the ethos of thrilling adventure and the fascinating premise of cohabitation with dinosaurs, an idea that continues to captivate audiences of all ages.

Life Finds A Way in Melbourne later this year.

In a world where dinosaurs once again roam the earth, the award-winning Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be packing up its bags in Sydney on Sunday, 18 February 2024, and making its way to Melbourne for a colossal experience that promises to bring the prehistoric era to life right in the heart of the city.

The immersive experience, based on one of cinema’s biggest blockbuster franchises, allows visitors to walk through the iconic “Jurassic World” gates, come face to face with life-sized dinosaurs, and interact with baby dinos, including the adorable “Bumpy” from the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, currently streaming on Netflix.

As the exhibition closes its gates in Sydney in February after recent record-breaking engagements around the globe, including cities like London, San Diego, and Seoul, Melbourne is set to become the next stop in this incredible journey. With nearly eight million tickets sold since its launch, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has become one of the fastest-selling exhibitions in history.

The lifelike animatronic dinosaurs, created by Animax Designs, will once again take centre stage in Melbourne, promising an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. From the towering brachiosaurus to the speedy velociraptors and the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, get ready to walk in the land of Jurassic giants.

This prehistoric extravaganza is not just about dinosaurs; it’s a celebration of 30 years of the film franchise that began with the iconic 1993 movie Jurassic Park. Produced in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment, NEON, SuperLuna, Masterworks, Sony Music Entertainment Australia, and Animax Designs, the exhibition is a testament to the creativity and innovation behind bringing these extinct creatures back to life.

The Melbourne waitlist is now open, and you can be the first to know when tickets go on sale here. 

Filled with lifelike dinosaurs, the celebration of the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise first came to Melbourne in 2016 — and it’s returning.

When 2024 kicked off in Melbourne, it did so with arrival of Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience in the Victorian capital; however, that isn’t your only chance to see lifelike prehistoric creatures in 2024. Once it ends its current Sydney season, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of three decades since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen.

Yes, it’s been a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs over the past few years — we’ve seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in 2022 and 2023, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but the new visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized versions of the movie franchise’s animals.

Expect to feel like you’ve been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga’s famed gates. From there, you’ll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say “clever girl” — and a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there’ll be baby dinos, including the show’s Bumpy.

So far, dates for Jurassic World: The Exhibition‘s latest Melbourne stint haven’t been revealed, and neither has a venue, but you can join the waitlist to find out as soon as details are announced. The showcase finishes in Sydney on Sunday, February 18, so expect it in Victoria sometime afterwards.

Whenever it does start roaring, attendees will be able to get roaming while staring at animatronic dinos, including the new ankylosaurus and carnotarus. Fingers crossed that a velociraptor pops up in advance of the exhibition’s arrival, as it did up north as well.

Now, all that’s left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern’s palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill’s palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum’s mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course).

And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn’t have expected that this’d be the result 31 years — and five more movies — later.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will return to Melbourne in 2024, sometime after finishing in Sydney on Sunday, February 18 — head to the exhibition’s website to join the ticket waitlist. 

Images: Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.

Visitors are flocking to the Australian Museum in Sydney, lured by the allure of ancient Egypt, as the ‘Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition attracts public attention. With pre-sales already exceeding 100,000 tickets, this event marks a high point in the museum’s recent history and continues a trend of fascination with Ancient Egypt that dates back to 1988. The ‘Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition then had drawn a million visitors across Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne. While matching those numbers may seem ambitious, the current interest suggests a successful run under Museum Director Kim McKay’s stewardship.

The Charm of Artefacts in a Digital Age

One might wonder about the enduring appeal of artifact exhibitions, especially in a world increasingly dominated by digital experiences. The answer, perhaps, lies in the unique charm of viewing physical objects from an era long past. The ‘Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition, with over 180 priceless artifacts, including the breathtaking coffin of Ramses himself, resonates with this sentiment. The power of these artifacts lies in their ability to transport visitors back over 2000 years, offering glimpses into the life of Ramses the Great, the most celebrated and powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom.

A New Chapter for the Museum

The museum’s recent success is also a testament to its significant renovations. The unveiling of the new Minerals Gallery is expected to add to its appeal, setting it apart from traditional art museums. The Australian Museum, while popular for exhibitions on themes like dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt, also serves as a central hub for scientific research. This blend of education and entertainment is a key element in its enduring popularity.

‘Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs’: A Detailed Experience

The exhibition not only features priceless artifacts but also employs multimedia productions, moving animation images, and narrow spaces to enhance the visitor experience. However, this in-depth exploration of ancient Egypt is not a casual endeavor. Tickets are timed and non-refundable, reflecting the museum’s commitment to maintaining a rich, focused visitor experience.

In the heart of Sydney, the Australian Museum is making waves with an exhibit that resonates with the public’s enduring fascination for Ancient Egypt. The exhibition, titled ‘Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs,’ has already sold over 100,000 pre-sale tickets, indicating a substantial interest in this showcase of the past.

Recapturing the Glory of 1988

The excitement surrounding the ‘Ramses’ exhibit recalls the success of the ‘Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition in 1988. This event became a cultural phenomenon, drawing a million visitors across Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne. Achieving a similar feat today would require attracting 1.6 million visitors, a daunting figure, but the museum remains optimistic.

Leadership and Evolution

The museum’s confidence is not unfounded. Under the stewardship of Kim McKay over the past decade, the institution has made significant strides, including an impressive array of exhibits and extensive renovations. Among these enhancements is the new Minerals Gallery, showcasing the museum’s dedication not just to history, but to the larger realm of scientific research.

The Allure of Artifact Exhibitions

Artifact exhibitions like ‘Ramses’ offer a unique appeal. They provide a direct, tangible connection to ancient civilizations, allowing visitors to engage with objects that have survived the test of time. The allure of exhibitions like ‘Ramses’ is undeniable, as they offer a chance to touch a piece of history and engage with a civilization that continues to captivate the public imagination.

The “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney has achieved remarkable success during the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, with all tickets for the month of January sold out.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities  Mustafa Waziri has stated that the exhibition has witnessed a huge turnout of visitors, noting that on the first day, 110,000 tickets were sold out.

More than 500 invitees, including senior public and government figures, archaeology specialists in Australia, influencers, and bloggers, attended the opening celebration, he added.

The exhibition includes 182 artifacts, including the coffin of King Ramses II from the collections of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which joined the exhibition in its third stop in Paris.

The exhibition showcases many pieces from the collections of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir from the era of King Ramesses II and the finds of the Egyptian mission in the Bubastiyun area in Saqqara. Additionally, it features a collection of statues, ornaments, cosmetics, paintings, and stone blocks decorated with carvings, as well as some colorful wooden coffins.

The exhibition is on its fourth stop and will run until May 19, 2024, after previously showing in Houston, San Francisco, and Paris.

Since its inception as an MIT spinoff, Boston Dynamics has been known for its entertaining robotic systems. The Hyundai-owned company has gained popularity through the release of numerous viral videos over the years. While entertainment has been a secondary focus for the company, Boston Dynamics is now shifting its attention towards it. In a recent announcement, the company revealed a partnership with Neon, a Singapore-based entertainment brand.

Neon, the parent company of Animax Designs, is known for creating animatronics for major Hollywood franchises such as Avatar, Jurassic Park, Marvel, and Harry Potter. The collaboration between Boston Dynamics and Neon is expected to result in a captivating experience for audiences. Although specific details have not been disclosed, the partnership aims to engage, inspire, and dazzle audiences with a reveal planned for the end of 2024.

Boston Dynamics’ expertise in producing robust and untethered autonomous systems at scale is a significant advantage for Neon and Animax. The world of theme park robots has evolved in recent years, with Disneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge featuring interactive robots that interact with park visitors. The collaboration will leverage Boston Dynamics’ cutting-edge technology and Neon’s storytelling expertise to create fully untethered entertainment robots.

This collaboration marks another milestone in Boston Dynamics’ commercialization roadmap, which began with the introduction of the Spot quadruped and the truck unloading robot, Stretch. However, the company has a long history in the entertainment industry. In 1993, Boston Dynamics’ founder, Marc Raibert, and his team produced robots for the set of the film “Rising Sun,” starring Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Michael Crichton.

Boston Dynamics’ partnership with Neon signifies a strategic move towards the entertainment sector. By combining their technological expertise with Neon’s storytelling capabilities, the collaboration aims to create captivating and interactive experiences for audiences. The reveal at the end of 2024 is highly anticipated, and it remains to be seen what innovative creations will emerge from this exciting collaboration.

Since the company’s earliest days as an MIT spinoff, Boston Dynamics’ systems have always provided entertainment value. It’s something the Hyundai-owned firm has long embraced by releasing dozens of wildly viral videos over the decades.

With a few exceptions, however, entertainment was more of side benefit than the ultimate goal. That, however, will be changing in the near future, as the firm just announced a deal with Singapore-based entertainment brand, Neon.

Notably (for our purposes, at least), Neon is the parent company of Animax Designs. The Nashville-based firm has created theme park and exhibition animatronics for some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, including Avatar, Jurassic Park, Marvel and Harry Potter.

No real specifics have been disclosed, beyond the fact that the deal “is set to culminate with a reveal at the end of 2024 that will engage, inspire, and dazzle audiences.” Whether than means theme park robots or something else entirely is unclear for now.

A huge benefit for Neon/Animax is Boston Dynamics’ ability to produce robust and untethered autonomous systems at scale. The world of theme park robots has transformed in recent years, with experiences like Disneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge exhibiting robots that intermingle with park goers.

“We are thrilled about the collaboration with Neon and Animax for the development of fully untethered entertainment robots,” Boston Dynamics Chief Strategy Officer Marc Theermann notes in a release. “These exceptionally interactive creatures are poised to captivate consumers through novel and exciting engagements. By joining forces with Neon, a frontrunner in immersive storytelling, we’re blending our cutting-edge technology with their enchanting storytelling expertise.”

The deal marks another step in Boston Dynamics’ commercialization roadmap, which began with the Spot quadruped and the truck unloading robot, Stretch. The company’s entertainment roots stretch back even further, however. Marc Raibert and team also produced robots for the set of 1993’s Sean Connery/Wesley Snipes/Michael Crichton film, “Rising Sun.”

In a landmark collaboration, NEON Group Limited, through its subsidiary ANIMAX, has joined forces with robotics giant Boston Dynamics to drive a revolutionary shift in the entertainment and educational arenas. This strategic partnership aims to integrate Boston Dynamics’ advanced robotics with NEON’s narrative expertise to create immersive, interactive experiences that promise to enchant global audiences.

The initiative is set to spearhead a new epoch of experiential storytelling by exploring the intersection of creativity and state-of-the-art technology. ANIMAX, a tour de force in the arena of creative robotics and themed entertainment, is poised to further its R&D pursuits, leveraging three decades of industry insights alongside the technological acumen of Boston Dynamics.

NEON’s Chief Creative & Innovation Officer, Welby Altidor, expressed a commitment to their ‘Get Closer™’ ethos, fostering a connection between technology and spectators like never before. Similarly, Boston Dynamics’ Chief Strategy Officer, Marc Theermann, conveyed enthusiasm for the initiative, recognizing the potential for these robotic marvels to revolutionize consumer engagement.

This alliance also aims to bolster ANIMAX’s global presence and meet the escalating demand for dynamic entertainment experiences. By the end of 2024, the partnership anticipates unveiling its groundbreaking advancements to an expectant worldwide audience.

Summary:

NEON and Boston Dynamics are embarking on a groundbreaking collaboration through NEON’s ANIMAX subsidiary. This union will blend Boston Dynamics’ robotic innovations with NEON’s proficiency in crafting enthralling narratives. The fusion is predicted to transform the entertainment industry by introducing interactive storytelling elements, set to be unveiled in 2024. The venture is a testament to the power of imaginative storytelling paired with leading-edge technology.

FAQ Section:

What is the collaboration about between NEON Group and Boston Dynamics?
The collaboration between NEON Group Limited, through its subsidiary ANIMAX, and Boston Dynamics is focused on integrating advanced robotics with narrative expertise to create immersive, interactive experiences in entertainment and education.

Who is ANIMAX and what is their role in this partnership?
ANIMAX is a subsidiary of NEON Group Limited, specializing in creative robotics and themed entertainment. In this partnership, they aim to further research and development by combining their storytelling skills with the technical capabilities of Boston Dynamics.

What are the expected outcomes of this collaboration?
The expected outcomes include spearheading a new era of experiential storytelling where technology and creativity intersect, enhancing global engagement through interactive experiences, and expanding ANIMAX’s global presence.

What is the ‘Get Closer™’ ethos mentioned by NEON?
The ‘Get Closer™’ ethos is NEON’s commitment to fostering deeper connections between technology and audiences, providing more engaging and intimate interactive experiences.

When can we expect to see the advancements from this collaboration?
The groundbreaking advancements resulting from this partnership are anticipated to be unveiled by the end of 2024 to a worldwide audience.

NEON, in collaboration with its subsidiary ANIMAX, announced a visionary partnership with the robotics company Boston Dynamics.

The team-up aims to redefine both the entertainment and education sectors, merging cutting-edge robotics technology with creative prowess to make immersive experiences for global audiences.

With NEON’s experiences and operational expansion, fueled by Boston Dynamics’ technology, the two companies promise to deliver new experiences that aim to push the envelope of entertainment and animatronics.

Welby Altidor, Group Chief Creative & Innovation Officer of NEON, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership.

“With Boston Dynamics, ANIMAX will embark on a journey where advanced robotics and storytelling converge, embracing our ‘Get Closer’ mantra to create intimate, immersive narratives that bring technology and audiences closer than ever,” Altidor noted.

Meanwhile, Boston Dynamics Chief Strategy Officer Marc Theermann also expressed his excitement over the collaboration. 

“By joining forces with NEON, a frontrunner in immersive storytelling, we’re blending our cutting-edge technology with their enchanting storytelling expertise,” he shared. 

While details surrounding their projects have yet to be unveiled, the two are set to make a big announcement before the end of 2024.

The Excellence of NEON and Boston Dynamics

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, NEON-ANIMAX has over 30 years of industry experience, establishing themselves as a frontrunner in creative robotic entertainment.

In the past, the two have been involved in the makings of Avatar: The Exhibition, Jurassic World: The Movie Exhibition in China, and Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, where they brought iconic characters and magical creatures to life through animatronics. 

Subsequently, Boston Dynamics has been at the forefront of robotics innovation, developing advanced robotic systems that showcase impressive capabilities.

Its projects include Spot the Robot, which has been deployed in various industries, including construction, inspection, and research. 

Atlas, a humanoid robot created by the company, has also been one of its strongest feats as it demonstrated capabilities such as dynamic walking, running, and performing acrobatic maneuvers.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has announced that it has partnered with Boston Dynamics through its fully-owned subsidiary ANIMAX, a leading creative robotic entertainment company. Together the companies are placed to reshape the media and educational sectors.

This partnership symbolises the future of immersive storytelling and brings together creativity and state-of-the-art technology. Through this strategic partnership, NEON’s creative expertise and Boston Dynamics’ robotics technology will be combined to create captivating experiences that will capture audiences worldwide.

Advancing robotics & storytelling

The collaboration is underpinned by Boston Dynamics‘ technology and NEON’s experiences and operational expansion. It is an extraordinary advancement which offers a leap into the future, where technology enhances human encounters in ways that were previously unimaginable.

It also offers ANIMAX, a creative robotic entertainment powerhouse based in Nashville, Tennessee, the chance to further advance its R&D. With over 30 years of industry experience, the collaboration will leverage the Group’s IP experiences across the globe. The worldwide desire for experiential entertainment prompted ANIMAX to strategically expand, and in this partnership with Boston Dynamics, the field of robotics and animatronics has never had more promise for innovation and growth.

Welby Altidor, group chief creative and innovation officer of NEON, says: “With Boston Dynamics, ANIMAX will embark on a journey where advanced robotics and storytelling converge, embracing our ‘Get Closer’ mantra to create intimate, immersive narratives that bring technology and audiences closer than ever.”

“Our partnership with Boston Dynamics represents the union of master artisans and innovative technology, creating a story that is transforming the animatronics industry,” comments Michael Mattox, executive vice president of ANIMAX. “Our combined knowledge and expertise push the envelope of entertainment and advance us to the highest level of performance. This collaboration not only supports the global expansion of ANIMAX but also fulfils the growing need for immersive entertainment experiences worldwide.”

Marc Theermann, chief strategy officer of Boston Dynamics, adds: “We are thrilled about the collaboration with NEON and ANIMAX for the development of fully untethered entertainment robots. These exceptionally interactive creatures are poised to captivate consumers through novel and exciting engagements. By joining forces with NEON, a frontrunner in immersive storytelling, we’re blending our cutting-edge technology with their enchanting storytelling expertise.”

This collaboration has the potential to reshape the entertainment landscape by delivering the most interactive and immersive storytelling experience ever seen in this sector. It establishes a solid basis for NEON, ANIMAX, and Boston Dynamics to create a deep and lasting impact, revolutionise the way stories are told, and establish relationships that cross the digital divide.

The joint endeavour will culminate in a reveal that will engage, inspire, and astound viewers at the end of 2024.

Earlier this month, NEON and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment announced the opening of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at the ODYSSEUM in Cologne, Germany. The new experience sold more than 130,000 tickets in advance of the opening day, 8 December 2023, and won Ticketmaster Germany’s ‘Blockbuster Pre-Sale Award’ for the firm.

The new experience in Cologne, Germany, sold 160,000 tickets over the opening weekend

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment have announced the opening of Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at the ODYSSEUM in Cologne, Germany.

The new experience, which takes visitors on a journey into the Wizarding World, sold more than 130,000 tickets ahead of the opening day on 8 December 2023. These record breaking pre-sales, earned NEON the ‘Blockbuster Pre-Sale Award’ presented by Ticketmaster Germany.

Over the opening weekend, ticket sales surpassed 160,000, and it is now sold out for the next few months. It will be open to visitors until 2 June 2024.

“Harry Potter fans in Germany are about to experience something absolutely spectacular and unlike anything they’ve seen from our iconic franchise,” says Peter van Roden, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “This experience harnesses the best of art and technology and brings them together in a unique way that will allow fans to explore elements and locations of the Wizarding World that have never been seen in a touring experience.”

Immersive storytelling

“Harry Potter: Visions of Magic embodies the immersive power of storytelling and the enchanting allure of the Wizarding World, inviting fans to celebrate the mystical realms they’ve cherished for years,” says Ron Tan, executive chairman and group CEO of NEON.

“With such overwhelming response in our pre-sale ticketing, we are excited to unveil this fascinating experience together with our valued partners – Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Explorado Group, to bring our fans through this wondrous journey into the Wizarding World.”

Andreas Waschk, CEO of Explorado Group GmbH, adds: “We are thrilled that the long-awaited opening day has finally arrived, allowing us to showcase this extraordinary and awe-inspiring art experience to our visitors in Cologne for the very first time. We take immense pride in presenting the world premiere at ODYSSEUM. The response from fans has been overwhelming – the ticket pre-sales for the exhibition are among the most successful of all blockbuster exhibitions in Germany.” says Andreas Waschk, CEO of Explorado Group GmbH.

A 3,000 square metre immersive art experience, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and NEON. It explores some of the most mysterious corners of the Wizarding World, featuring creative and fascinating scenes modelled after iconic spaces like the Ministry of Magic, Newt’s Menagerie, and the Room of Requirement.

Stunning multi-sensory displays are created by combining innovative acoustics, bold architecture, and responsive video content, while interactive technology allows guests to bring their magical dreams to life.

For more information and for tickets, please click here.

Earlier this year, NEON announced that Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore welcomed two million visitors within its first 11 months of operation. 

Many fans of the Harry Potter series have probably already wanted to immerse themselves in the magical world surrounding the famous magic student. In the new interactive exhibition “Harry Potter: Visions of Magic” they can – at least a little.

“Harry Potter: Visions of Magic”: This is available on 3,000 square meters

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, NEON and the Explorado Group have built a paradise for Harry Potter fans in the Odysseum in Cologne. Visitors can discover mysterious places on over 3,000 square meters.

Among other things, you can walk through the Room of Requirements, where dusty chairs are stacked up to the ceiling and huge chess pieces seem to be waiting for the first move. The Hall of Prophecies is also a visual highlight. In it there is one glass ball next to the other, a prophecy floating around in all of them. Light effects make the shelves shine or envelope the room in complete darkness. In Newt’s Menagerie, the cute Nifflers, who are very reminiscent of moles, are looking for treasure and crawl across meter-high projection surfaces. The brave can also take a walk through Knockturn Alley, the dark counterpart to the friendly Diagon Alley.

Interactive Harry Potter exhibition: In search of magical traces

In addition to these worlds, there is a lot more to discover – what will not be revealed at this point. In any case, the fans who were allowed to take a look before the actual opening were enthusiastic. “I have been a fan from the very beginning and have read both the books and watched the films,” says Birgit Lauschus, who traveled to Cologne from Dinslaken. “It’s so much fun to be able to immerse yourself in the worlds. Plus, I felt like a kid with the magic wand.”

26 hours of Harry Potter in the cinema: Some preferred to fall asleep

Opening with star guests from the Harry Potter films

Oliver and James Phelps, who played the Weasley twins Fred and George in the Harry Potter films, had a similar experience. As surprise guests, they were allowed to visit the exhibition before anyone else. “We went through it yesterday and it really blew us away. I immediately remembered how much fun it was to wave the magic wand back then,” says James Phelps.

Wands are a good keyword. At the beginning of the art experience, each visitor is given a magic wand and is allowed to train a bit with it. Then we look for traces of magic that hide as little clouds of mist in the exhibition. A flick of the magic wand makes them disappear and great surprises appear – be it an owl, the golden snitch or colorful fireworks.

Harry Potter fans become wizards’ apprentices

The whole experience is of course accompanied by appropriate sound effects and atmospheric music. The changing light effects create a very special atmosphere. As Harry Potter fans delve further and further into the magical world around Hogwarts, they quickly lose their sense of time. Well, you were just standing in the Ministry of Magic and suddenly someone was waiting around the next corner to collect the magic wands again. Just as quickly as you become a sorcerer’s apprentice in Cologne, you also become a Muggle again – i.e. a perfectly normal person without any magical powers.

Opening hours and prices:

From December 8th to June 2nd, 2024, fans of the world’s most famous sorcerer’s apprentice can explore the magical settings of the books and films in the Odysseum.

Armed with magic wands, the visitors make their way through dark corridors. Around every corner there is a new room waiting to be discovered and its secrets to be revealed. There is the “Knight Errant” bus, which races through the streets of London at murderous speeds, or underwater worlds through which magical beasts with sharp teeth and tentacles swim.

Actors present at the opening

You can tell: magic has come to Cologne. Tomorrow, Friday, the Harry Potter exhibition “Visions of Magic” will celebrate its world premiere at the Odysseum in Kalk. “This is a great honor for us,” says Andreas Waschk, managing director of the Explorado Group, which operates the Odysseum. With the show you “immerse yourself in what Harry Potter actually stands for.” Waschk brought an exhibition about the magic student to the Odysseum nine years ago, “now the journey continues”.

This continuity is also reflected in the guests who traveled to Cologne for the performance of “Visions of Magic”. James and Oliver Phelps, who once played the twins Fred and George Weasley in the “Harry Potter” films, were at the opening in 2014 and this time too they didn’t miss the opportunity to take a look at the show in advance. “Practice your wand skills, people,” advises James Phelps, grinning.

The new experience world was devised by the production company Warner Bros., which was also responsible for the Potter films, and the Neon company, which specializes in immersive experiences. The organizers emphasize that “Visions of Magic” is not actually a classic exhibition, but rather an “interactive art experience”.

In this, fans of the most famous sorcerer’s apprentice in the world can explore various places and settings that played an important role in the eight-part film series and the spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. These include, for example, the mysterious “Room of Prophecies” or the ministries of magic in various countries.

Search for traces of magic

Guests can also stroll along the eerie “Knockturn Alley”, a kind of shopping street for witches and wizards where you can buy all sorts of magic potions, spiders and bats – including ground fog for the spooky atmosphere. The original film music is played as you walk through the different rooms, providing a good dose of nostalgia for die-hard Potter lovers. “Visions of Magic” definitely has an attention to detail.

During their journey, visitors must always keep their eyes open for “traces of magic”: small reflections of light that can be activated using the magic wand they have previously taken with them. The traces form the interactive element of the show; Anyone who finds them can use the magic wand to make hidden images, objects or information visible.

Even before the opening there was a huge rush for tickets – 130,000 tickets had already been sold in advance. The show is completely sold out for December, and in January you can only get remaining tickets for during the week. The fans obviously don’t want to miss the experience.

The first reactions are positive: “I think it’s really beautiful and well done,” says Jana from Wermelskirchen. Like many of her generation, the 24-year-old grew up with Harry Potter. Friend Anna (27) from Bochum sees it similarly: “When I was in first grade, the first film had just come out. It was formative for my youth!” She also thinks the show and its effects were successful, but would have liked to wave the magic wand even more: “Especially at the beginning, I would have liked a little more interactive stuff.”

Prices and opening times

The best way to buy tickets is online . They cost from 20.90 euros for children (from 5 years) and from 26.90 euros for adults (from 16 years). There are family and group tickets (for groups of 10 or more) as well as special prices for seniors, schoolchildren and students.

The show is recommended for children aged twelve and over; younger visitors should have an adult accompany them. “Visions of Magic” can be seen at the Odysseum until June 2, 2024. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, during holidays as well as on public holidays and bridge days in North Rhine-Westphalia from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (crb) 

Walk through well-known locations from the Harry Potter saga and create magic yourself with a magic wand – this is possible from Friday in the Cologne Odysseum.

Cologne It is somewhat reminiscent of the arrival of new magic students at Hogwarts boarding school. Right at the beginning, each visitor is given a magic wand and immediately afterwards an introduction to how to use it. There is no need for a magic spell, the magic wand works at the push of a button that makes it glow. This means that traces of magic can be found and activated during the tour. The wands aren’t quite as powerful as those in Harry Potter, but they’re still fun to try out.

“Harry Potter – Visions of Magic” celebrates its world premiere this week at the Odysseum in Cologne. This Friday the adventure world around the famous magic student in Kalk opens its doors. Around 3,000 square meters are available for the tour. According to the organizers, the demand for the tickets is huge. December is already sold out. More than 130,000 tickets have already been sold.

While at the first Harry Potter exhibition it was the props and costumes from the Harry Potter films that thrilled fans, they now get an interactive experience in a magical world that they can immerse themselves in with their magic wand. Right at the start of the almost hour-long tour there is a bus ride, with the slanted double-decker appearing in the dark room as if from nowhere.

Inside, the fast-paced ride in the “Revenue Knight” continues; instead of seats, there are large beds for the passengers. From Grimmaultplatz with the large family tree of the Black wizard family and the magical paintings that fans already know from Hogwarts Castle, the path leads directly to the Ministry of Magic, the seat of government for the magical community of witches and wizards. Everywhere visitors can expand the experience a little with traces of magic – for example when they use the magic wand to set the stones on a wall in the ministry in motion.

Weiter geht es in die Halle der Prophezeiungen – eine geheime Kammer mit vielen Flüsterstimmen, wo die Vergangenheit auf die Gegenwart und die Zukunft trifft. Magisch ist auch Magisch ist auch Newts Menagerie. Wer dieser außergewöhnlichen Sammlung gegenübersteht, begegnet fantastischen Tierwesen wie Nifflern und Mondkälbern. Mit dem Zauberstab können hier Wesen aus den Eiern schlüpfen oder sich in Bewegung setzen.

Knockturn Alley is a dark side street of the legendary Diagon Alley, where in the films Harry, Hermione and Ron get the necessary equipment for their future wizarding lives. Here, too, you can use the magic wand to create magical effects and feel like the protagonists in the middle of the film. The Room of Wishes brings together strange objects that now need to be discovered. Here too, the magic wand helps before the big final show in the Pensieve.

“Harry Potter fans in Germany can experience something absolutely spectacular that they have never seen before in our iconic film series. “This experience draws on the best of art and technology and brings them together in a unique way,” enthuses Peter van Roden of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, the creator of the new show. 100 employees put together the show for around two months, and the actors James and Oliver Phelps, who played the roles of the twins Fred and George Weasley in the film, also traveled to Cologne for the preview.

Service: “Harry Potter – Visions of Magic” (recommended for children aged twelve and over) until June 2, 2024 at the Odysseum, Corintostraße 1. Tickets are available for children from 20.90 euros and for adults from 26.90 euros at:

www.harrypottervisionsofmagic.de

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic – Magical exhibition delights fans in Cologne

In Cologne, the dream of many Harry Potter fans comes true: the exhibition “Harry Potter: Visions of Magic” takes visitors into the world of magic. From the Hall of Prophecy to Diagon Alley, even Muggles can experience magical powers and wield a wand. The exhibition includes impressive props from the films and is supported by the Weasley twins, aka James and Oliver Phelps. The magical places such as the Hall of Prophecy and the Room of Requirement delight visitors like Cosima and Rebekah. The exhibition officially opens on Friday and is already proving popular, with December tickets already sold out.

World premiere of “Visions of Magic”

Until June 2nd, 2024, visitors to the Odysseum will be transported into the world of magic. Familiar faces from the films came to the preview.

James and Oliver Phelps, better known as Fred and George Weasley, are difficult to tell apart. When filming the Harry Potter films, the British actors took advantage of this to prank the crew and cast: “We swapped roles a lot,” reveals James Phelps with a laugh. Today that no longer works: James wears his hair long, Oliver wears it short.

Actors of Fred and George Weasley visit Cologne

On Wednesday afternoon, the twins welcome members of the press to the exclusive preview of “Harry Potter – Visions of Magic” at the Odysseum in Cologne . The official opening is on Friday. They themselves were allowed to stroll through the interactive art experience a day earlier: “360 degrees around you is Potter, the world of magic,” says Oliver in an interview with the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. James added: “It completely blew us away. It took us a day to process this. But now it’s great to see how other people experience it. “Everyone uses their wand differently,” says James.

That’s right: every visitor gets their own magic wand with which they can experience the exhibition. When you press your finger in the right place, the tip lights up in different colors. This then takes you to the Knight Bus, the British, American and French Ministry of Magic or the Hall of Prophecy. The tour lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes. The different rooms are designed with a mix of projections on the walls and props, with a focus on atmospheric light and sound effects.

New exhibition relies on light and sound effects

In some places the projections on the walls are interactive; in the British Ministry, for example, optical effects can be triggered with a magic wand. “Every detail is intentional, even if visitors don’t notice it,” says Sherrie Dai, creative director at Neon, which designed “Harry Potter – Visions of Magic.”

This also applies to the transition from Borgin and Burke’s shop in Knockturn Alley via the Vanishing Cabinet to the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. A true Harry Potter fan understands.

There are already many ways to immerse yourself in the world of magic. In London, visitors to the studio tour can admire the original sets, and there is a real Hogwarts castle at Universal Studios in Orlando. So why this exhibition? Peter van Roden, Vice President of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment explains: “We always think about our fans. Do all of our fans travel to London or Orlando?” Hardly.

There was also a traveling exhibition with props that stopped at the Odysseum almost ten years ago . The new exhibition should focus less on the films and characters and more on the world as such. Harry Potter himself only appears as a projection in the last room, modeled on the Pensieve, and engages in an epic battle with Lord Voldemort.

Sold out in December, few tickets left for January

The lavishly designed exhibition can be seen in the Odysseum until June 2, 2024 – and the rush is already big right from the start, says Andreas Waschk, managing director of the Explorado Group, which operates the Odysseum: “With 130,000 tickets in advance sales, we have at least one National record set.” December is sold out, in January and February there are only tickets available during the week. Waschk is “hopeful” that they will be able to unlock more tickets after a test phase.

James and Oliver Phelps will not be able to attend the opening on Friday. This time they don’t have time for 1. FC Cologne either: on their last visit to the Odysseum for the German premiere of the traveling exhibition ten years ago, they attended a game in the Rhein-Energie-Stadion and also took a photo with Billy Goat Hennes, say the Phelps- Twins. “I follow the Bundesliga, it’s sad where FC is at the moment,” says Oliver. He hopes that things will go better in the second half of the season.

Tickets for “Harry Potter – Visions of Magic” are available from 26.90 euros, reduced prices from 20.90 euros. More information can be found at harrypottervisionsofmagic.com/en .

• Exhibition includes 182 artifacts from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
• Mostafa Waziri: It also contains the king’s coffin, which was transported in a majestic procession with the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum … to the National Museum

CAIRO: Some 110,000 tickets have been sold this month for the exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said the exhibition included 182 artifacts from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

He added: “It also contains the king’s coffin, which was transported in a majestic procession with the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum … to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.”

The Sydney exhibition received an overwhelming response from the public when it opened to visitors on Nov. 18.

A delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; John Graham, the minister of arts, music and tourism in Australia; and more than 500 other invitees attended the official opening, along with Waziri, on Nov. 16.

Waziri said: “The exhibition also includes some other artifacts from the excavations of the Egyptian mission … in Saqqara, in addition to some at collections from several Egyptian museums that highlight some of the distinctive characteristics of ancient Egyptian civilization from the era of the Middle Kingdom until the Late Era.

“The exhibition also includes a collection of statues, jewelry, cosmetics, paintings, stone blocks decorated with carvings, and some colorful wooden coffins.”

Mai Sayed, a journalist specializing in tourism, told Arab News: “Since the beginning of the ‘Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition, its journey outside Egypt has been successful. Since its first stop in November 2021 in the American city of Houston, it has achieved great success.”

She added: “The same situation happened on its second stop in August 2022 in the city of San Francisco in the United States of America, and then its third stop in April 2023 in the French capital Paris where it attracted 820,000 visitors.”

Sayed said that the exhibition’s success confirmed the world’s fascination with Egypt, adding: “That is why I see that there should be exploitation and a continuation of these exhibitions in the many capitals of the world.”

A series of exhibitions in the country spotlight the enduring appeal of ancient Egypt for modern audiences

A rare slice of ancient Egypt arrived at Sydney’s Australian Museum this month, with the blockbuster “Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition making the fourth stop on its international tour. The immersive show, which premiered in Houston in 2021, offers an expansive look into the reign of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon—a beloved father, incomparable warrior and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural,” says Kim McKay, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO, in a statement. “Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever peace treaty and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations.”

Of the exhibition’s 181 objects, the star is Ramses’ sarcophagus. Unearthed in 1881, it had never been shown publicly outside of Egypt until this year, writes the Guardian’s Kelly Burke. Other artifacts demonstrating the artistic innovation of the pharaoh’s reign include golden masks, carved sarcophagi, ornate jewelry and even a mummified lion cub.

The exhibition, which runs until May 19, 2024, also presents multimedia and immersive elements. One such technological feature is a recreation of the 1275 B.C.E. Battle of Kadesh, Ramses’ greatest military achievement, that uses a layered display and CGI, or computer-generated imagery. In 2022, Smithsonian magazine’s Emma Schkloven called the recreation a “feat of technology.”

An offshoot of the exhibition offers a virtual reality tour of the ​​historic Abu Simbel temple, guided by the pharaoh’s first wife, Queen Nefertari, though the Guardian notes that this experience eschews historical accuracy in favor of entertainment value.

“Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” is the latest of several Egypt-focused shows to travel to Australia. Next month, the National Museum of Australia will open “Discovering Ancient Egypt,” comprising more than 220 objects from the collections of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities. In 2024, “Pharaoh,” the largest international exhibition the British Museum has ever presented, will debut at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

These Egyptian exhibitions arriving in a row is largely thanks to the pandemic’s disruption of museum schedules and loans for two years, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Linda Morris reports.

“These things do happen,” Miranda Wallace, NGV’s senior curator of international programs, tells the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s like buses: There’s nothing for ages, then three come along.”

For now, oversaturation doesn’t seem to be an issue: Ahead of the Ramses exhibition’s opening weekend, the Australian Museum announced it had already presold more than 100,000 tickets to the show. Indeed, the NGV is hoping that its show will help attract new visitors to the usually painting-focused gallery, Wallace tells the Sydney Morning Herald.

These experiences are just the latest in a long line of Egyptian-centric exhibitions. Australian institutions hosted at least seven such shows between 2007 and 2018, writes Ania Kotarba-Morley, an archaeologist and cultural heritage professional at the University of Adelaide, for the Conversation. Australia’s fascination with ancient Egypt is part of the larger obsession the West has with the subject—a phenomenon that prompted the coining of the term “Egyptomania,” which can be traced back to Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt in the late 18th century, Kotarba-Morley writes.

Visitors continue to attend exhibitions like “Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” because they offer the chance to see what life was like in an ancient society, McKay tells the Sydney Morning Herald.

“It’s that human interest, that curiosity to go back in time,” she says. “It’s the same level of curiosity an adventurer might have exploring a new ocean or a new shore, a new country.”

“Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” is on view at the Australian Museum in Sydney through May 19, 2024.

A harmonious blend of ancient wonders and modern innovation that explores the life of the illustrious pharaoh, Ramses the Great.

While Tutankhamun may be the most known pharaoh in modern pop culture, it is indisputable that Ramses II was among the most powerful and celebrated.

Ramses II (1303-1213 BC) ruled over a stable and prosperous Egypt, overseeing many accomplishments, including securing its borders, bringing unparalleled wealth, widening trade and facilitating massive building programs. Living to over 90 and reigning for an astonishing 66 years, his death shocked his subjects, who were mostly born under his reign.

It is this lauded royal’s sensational story and riches that grace the Australian Museum’s highly anticipated blockbuster exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. With 180 immaculately preserved artefacts still reminiscent of their glory, everyone will certainly find something to admire and contemplate.

Walking through the exhibition, visitors are taken on an enriching yet beautifully presented journey detailing different aspects of Ramses’ life and qualities. The exhibition’s multisensory nature heightens the sense of wonder, interweaving modern technology and ancient splendours to make us feel as if we are getting to know Ramses personally.

We learn that Ramses was a prolific builder, overseeing one of the most extensive ancient building programs – the scale of his buildings such that they towered over those built by previous pharaohs. Interspersed throughout the exhibition, TV screens play detailed reconstructions of Ramses’ various projects, revealing their complexity and opulence. This includes fly-throughs within the Ramesseum and his prosperous capital city of Pi-Ramesses.

Finely crafted mini replicas of temples such as Abu Simbel, complete with artificial sunlight, add another layer of dimension in depicting Ramses’ building prowess. Artefacts from Deir el-Medina are especially interesting, highlighting the lives of Egyptian craftsmen whose sole purpose was to build spectacular tombs carved out of the mountains for Ramses and his wife, Nefertari.

Visitors are also captivated by explanations of how Ramses ensured Egypt’s peace and security through military campaigns and expert diplomacy. The multimedia animation of the Battle of Kadesh, undoubtedly Ramses’ most renowned campaign, does exceptionally well in captivating onlookers with its energetic pulse and vivid storytelling. It is incredibly educational, exploring how the battle led to the world’s first known peace treaty, as well as being utilised as a propaganda tool.

Ramses’ skill as a master propagandist underpins the entire exhibition, with his position cemented by the frequent appearance of his image across Egypt – on stelae, obelisks and monuments to having his cartouche engraved onto other pharaohs’ works. The towering limestone and pink granite colossus statues that dominate the start and end of the exhibition, are remarkable and jaw-dropping depictions of his excellence.

Another enchanting piece is the statute of Ramses II as a sphinx offering holy water to Amun, encapsulating his absolute power and connection to the gods. Charmingly artistic faience tiles also depict Ramses as a warrior pharaoh, with a vibrant one of him smiting three of Egypt’s traditional enemies, a Syrian, Libyan and Nubian.

Of course, an Ancient Egyptian exhibition is incomplete without a section about their fascinating religion and death processes. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs has an entire final section dedicated to this. Although Ramses’ tomb was mostly looted in ancient times, we gain a sense of its opulence through viewing the prized funerary goods of other Egyptian nobilities, including exquisitely intricate jewellery made of various precious materials, gold funerary masks and canopic coffinettes.

Cultivating an other-worldly atmosphere, a major highlight is Sennedjem’s outer coffin and the surrounding wall projections. They depict scenes from the ancient Egyptian funerary text, Book of the Dead, detailing the journey through the Underworld en route to the Field of Reeds, which is a paradise without sorrow where all Egyptians aimed to continue life. However, the show-stopping and central piece is the sarcophagus of Ramses II, a truly stunning artefact that can be marvelled at for ages and which Sydney has been very fortunate to become only the second city outside of Egypt to exhibit.

To add, the VR experience must not be missed – an extremely entertaining and innovative new way of transporting visitors into history. Flying through the Sahara, viewers are guided by Nefertari’s spirit around two of Ramses’ most stunning works: the grandiose Abu Simbel temple and Nefertari’s very own tomb, renowned as the “Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt”. Like an educational ride, the cinematic motion chairs do a magical and exhilarating job in painting the sensation of being around such architectural magnificence.

Although the cancellation of the Tutankhamun exhibition in 2021 disappointed many ancient history students and enthusiasts, this spectacular experience more than makes up for it. Living up to its world-class appeal, if there is any indication of what the future of museum exhibitions will look like, it is showcased in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is on view now until 19 May 2024 at Australian Museum; tickets from $29.

The capital city of New South Wales is falling under the spell of the ancient Egyptians with the visit of the Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, reports Nevine El-Aref

“Journey back 3,300 years to the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, where you will immerse yourself in the pulse of ancient Egypt. Explore the captivating era of the nation’s most renowned Pharaoh through a ground-breaking exhibition, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs, marking its debut in Australia.”

With these words, Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales in Australia, was conquered by the “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition, now on its fourth leg outside Egypt after two stops in the US and the French capital Paris that saw 817,000 visitors.

The features of king Ramses II can be seen everywhere in Sydney, including in restaurants and residential buildings, while the golden mask of the 21st Dynasty King Amenemope is decorating the streets and metro and bus stations.

The façade of the Australian Museum has been transformed into a Pharaonic gate decorated with enormous replica colossi of Ramses the Great. Images of the king’s coffin and some of the exhibition’s artefacts have appeared on the front pages of many Australian newspapers and magazines, some of which have devoted issues to the Great King’s treasures, history, and the discovery of his mummy in the Luxor Cachette.

On the day of the exhibition’s opening, strains of oriental music and the songs of the renowned Egyptian singer Um Kolthoum could be heard at the Australian Museum as it welcomed invitees to the opening ceremony. All November tickets have been sold out, and almost 110,000 tickets sold.

The groundbreaking exhibition offers a multisensory journey, granting visitors a unique perspective into the life and achievements of Ramses II throughout his 67-year reign as the second-longest reign of any Pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. 

Exclusively showcased in Sydney, the exhibition presents a collection of 182 priceless artefacts, encompassing Egyptian treasures and rare relics. Among these items are representations of the extraordinary Pharaoh himself, with many never having left Egypt before. 

The wooden coffin of Ramses II, considered the most remarkable ever unearthed from ancient Egypt, is among the objects showcased in the exhibition. It has never ventured beyond Egypt’s borders except for the exhibition’s third leg in Paris before making its way to Sydney.

The exhibition also features a virtual reality experience that takes visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Temples of Abu Simbel and that of his beloved wife queen Nefertari. Seated in dynamic motion chairs, attendees can soar through temples, navigate sandstorms, and encounter the mummy of Ramses II in this thrilling animated adventure. 

Before going into the exhibition, visitors enter an immersive environment that begins with a four-minute introductory film on a 120-degree screen meant to take them on a journey back in time to admire the history of the great ancient Egyptian king. 

In the centre of the screen, a digital clock counts backwards from the present. The years flash back past the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, past the time of Christ and the Roman and Greek Empires, to over 3,000 years ago, over 100 human generations, stopping abruptly at the year 1304 BCE.

The image then expands to fill the entire screen and transitions into stunning drone footage that soars over the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx and zooms down into ancient Memphis. A new king has just ascended to the throne, one who will come to epitomise the power and wealth of ancient Egypt at its height, who secured peace with his neighbours, and is still considered the greatest of all the Pharaohs.

Historians report that when news of the 92-year-old king’s death emerged, the Egyptians were devastated. Few could remember a time before he was Pharaoh. Even in the age of Cleopatra 1,000 years after the death of Ramses, Egyptians still held him above all other Pharaohs. His name and exploits have remained well-known throughout history and his fame extends far beyond Egypt, enshrined in books and films.

Animations in the exhibition show how Ramses II pushed back invasions by Nubians in the south, Libyans on the western border, pirates on the Mediterranean coast, and Hittites on the Syrian border of Egypt. 

Kadesh, his most famous battle with the Hittites, was recorded for posterity on many of the statues and temples he erected. This war ended when Ramses negotiated and signed the world’s first known peace treaty, cemented by his marriage to the daughter of the defeated Hittite king.

Successful trade agreements, abundant harvests, and an expanding economy ushered in a period of stability and prosperity that allowed Ramses to undertake an ambitious campaign of construction that continued throughout his reign.

The narrator of the film explains the history of the king, adding that in 1817 the Egyptologist Giovanni Belzoni uncovered the entrances to the spectacular Temples at Abu Simbel, built by Ramses to celebrate his queen Nefertari and enshrine himself as a god.

Footage takes the visitor high above and through the Temples among other remarkable edifices attributed to Ramses II such as the temples at Karnak, Abydos, and the Ramesseum, his mortuary temple.

ENTERING THE EXHIBITION: Visitors then enter the world of Ramses II himself, viewing the splendour that this great king owned as well as royal statues, sarcophagi, spectacular masks, magnificent jewellery, and ornate golden treasures that reveal the fabulous wealth of the Pharaohs, the astonishing skill of ancient Egyptian tomb builders, and the superb workmanship of Egyptian artists. 

Recently discovered animal mummies, including those of cats, lion cubs, and a mongoose, from the Saqqara Necropolis are on view, as well as fabulous treasures discovered in the royal tombs at the Dahshur and Tanis archaeological sites. The exhibition also includes precious objects from several other periods of Egyptian history to showcase the opulence of Egypt’s ancient civilisation and the beauty of its treasures. Many of these precious gold and silver objects come from intact royal tombs of the Middle Kingdom.

A projected interactive multimedia timeline includes descriptions of key moments in Ramses II’s life illustrated with images that include artefacts from the exhibition. A large mural of the spectacular and unique Temples at Abu Simbel fills one wall. All the graphics emphasise the scale of the Pharaoh’s accomplishments. Full-colour, fly-through animations on monitors recreate buildings as they appeared in antiquity. Artefacts include a column drum and a relief featuring figures of deities, both with cartouches of Ramses II, and a stelae that shows one of the king’s barques.

A limestone block depicts Ramses trampling on his enemies. In a semi-circular side room, the story of Ramses’ military victories including the Battle of Kadesh unfolds in a dramatic multimedia presentation. A giant 3D relief map of Egypt and its neighbours is projected, and miniature figures, including military leaders from the different warring factions as well as Ramses and his sons, together with war chariots and archers move around the map as the story progresses.

Hundreds of arrows aimed at enemy forces by crack archers fly across the map’s terrain with the use of projection mapping. Further projections show battalions of horse-drawn chariots race across the scene, heightening the drama and storytelling as the narrator recounts some of Ramses II’s defining military campaigns, including one of the most famous battles in history.

Near the exit, visitors learn that after overseeing a period of peace, stability, and economic prosperity in Egypt, Ramses died at the age of 92 and was buried in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor.

Artefacts and panels showing the King’s tomb and its builders are on show among those displaying the necropolis in Luxor where the tombs of Ramses II and his family are located, with the surviving funerary collection of the king also being on display.

IN AUSTRALIA: The exhibition is the Australian Museum’s most prestigious cultural exhibition in over a decade, and one “where Sydneysiders, for the next six months, will enjoy an exclusive, extended period of gold-imbued awe and wonder,” said CEO and Australian Museum Director Kim McKay.

She describes the exhibition as “epic and exquisite.” Epic, because 3,000 years on from this sovereign’s life and times, the 182 one-of-a-kind artefacts help tell the story of Ramses the Great, as he was known, including his stunning cedar sarcophagus. Exquisite, because so much of the exhibition is hewn from precious metals, predominantly gold.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon,” said McKay and explained that he was a beloved father, incomparable warrior, a peacemaker and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural. “Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever peace treaty, and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations.” 

She pointed out that the museum has created an innovative experience that enables visitors to enjoy this with all their senses. “It marks a new chapter in the way we share culture with our visitors to the Australian museum, and we know you will experience the same awe and wonder we have felt in crafting this once-in-a-lifetime blockbuster experience,” McKay concluded.

Former Egyptian minister of antiquities and curator of the exhibition Zahi Hawass emphasised how the exhibition unveils the world Ramses II and his role as Pharaoh.

“The contemporary world starkly contrasts with ancient Egypt, and through this exhibition visitors will delve into Ramses II’s world, encountering a vastly different way of life,” Hawass said. He added that the allure of ancient Egypt persists, captivating people worldwide, as attested by the ongoing excitement over new archaeological discoveries in Egypt.

Hawass said that the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, including statues, jewellery, and carvings, were crafted with the intention of honouring and immortalising the Pharaohs. Many of these artefacts, still preserved today, effectively breathe life into the stories of these revered leaders. 

“The exhibition features a selection of these exquisite items, offering a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of ancient Egypt in which the greatest of the Pharaohs, the king of kings, Ramses II lived,” he said.

“Australian audiences have a rare opportunity to explore the unparalleled craftsmanship and refinement of objects and artworks spanning from the Bronze Age to the Classical Age.”

New South Wales Minister for the Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism John Graham expressed his gratitude for the presence of these invaluable and historic artefacts in Sydney. He noted that the rarity of exhibitions of such magnitude meant the time-consuming efforts of hundreds of individuals and years of negotiations. 

Reflecting on the Australian Museum’s award-winning renovations, he highlighted that the new spaces were purposefully designed for exhibitions like “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs”, showcasing these remarkable artefacts that have endured for 3,000 years.

Encouraging the public to seize this unique opportunity, Graham urged everyone to journey back in time by visiting the exhibition. He emphasised the exceptional chance to explore ancient Egypt’s wonders without venturing beyond Sydney, underscoring the significance of this cultural experience.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mustafa Waziri said that all the tickets available for November have been sold out, and he expects that by the end of its six months in Sydney, the exhibition will reach one million visitors. He recalled other cities the exhibition has visited during the past two years, such as Paris, where it received 817,000 visitors during a five-month stay.

He describes Ramses II as “a man of war and peace” because he proved his bravery in the war against the Nubians in the south, the Libyans on the western border, and pirates in the Mediterranean. He signed the world’s first peace treaty with the Hittites.

Waziri described Ramses II’s reign as “a golden and flourishing moment,” as he branded his reputation through immense construction work across Egypt. “The exhibition showcases the story of Egypt’s greatest Pharaoh and those Pharaohs who came before and after him through demonstrating these treasure troves,” Waziri said.

“It is and immense honour to create this magnificent touring exhibition,” executive chairman and group CEO of Neon, the organiser of the exhibition, Ron Tan said. 

He added that Sydney is the only city in the southern hemisphere to showcase this exhibition and thanked the Australian Museum for providing such a spectacular setting and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their cooperation in bringing this exhibition to fruition.

The “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition officially opened to visitors at the Australian Museum in Sydney on Saturday.

The exhibition began its journey outside Egypt with its first stop in November 2021 in Houston, then in August 2022 in San Francisco, USA, then its third stop in April 2023 in the French capital, Paris.

Now in Australia for the very first time, the exhibit will showcase 182 exquisite antiquities direct from the pyramids and museums of Egypt, together with their extraordinary stories.

The opening ceremony was held on Friday evening and witnessed by the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri, Minister for Roads, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy of Australia, John Graham, and Director of the Australian Museum Kim McKay, Ambassador Mohamed Khairy, and Consul General of Egypt in Sydney, along with official participating delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The ceremony was also held in presence of more than 500 invitees, including senior public and governmental figures, members of the museum’s Board of Trustees, archaeologists, tourism specialists in Australia, the dean of the Egyptian community in Australia, alongside a number of influencers, bloggers, and Australian celebrities.

Sydney’s own Egyptology enthusiast AJ Lamarque is here to help you look clever at Sydney’s exclusive exhibition

Sydney’s exclusive exhibition of Ancient Egyptian artefacts has finally landed, and lovers of history and all that glitters are trying to remain cool. That overly-excited, Prince-doppelganger in the pictures (and in Time Out’s First Look video of the exhibition) is me, AJ Lamarque: comedian, presenter and amateur egyptologist. I suppose anyone can call themselves an amateur egyptologist in the same way that anyone who’s ever been to Holey Moley can call themselves an amateur golfer. But I did spend a year learning Hieroglyphs at UC Berkeley (instead of actually doing my course subjects) so I do have some credentials to back up my claim. 

Like many people, I was enamoured by Ancient Egyptian culture from a young age, and that fascination has only grown as I’ve gotten older. The grandeur and mystery of this civilisation that spanned more than 3,000 years has captured the minds and imaginations of nearly every culture since its demise in the early BC. As soon as I heard that the Australian Museum had managed to secure this exhibition, I knew I had to get my nerd on.

Now, the fact that this exhibition even is in Australia is quite a big deal in itself. So, unless you venture to Egypt yourself, there’s a very good chance that this may be the only time in our lifetimes to see these items in Australia.

With some 182 priceless artefacts on display, there’s definitely a lot to check out. To help, I’ve picked out some highlights from the exhibition to give you the lowdown on the history behind them and what makes them so exciting. (You can also steal these notes so you can sound like a pro to your mates when you check out the exhibition too!)

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is at the Australian Museum until Sunday, May 19, 2024. Definitely don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of Ancient Egypt.

You can also catch me in person as I interview bioarchaeologist Professor Ronika Power as part of the Tomb Talks program. Learn more about it here. 

3 incredible Ancient Egyptian artefacts you can see in Sydney

Direct from Egypt, the highly anticipated exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, opens to the public at the Australian Museum on Saturday 18 November 2023.

This spectacular new exhibition – in Australia for the very first time, will showcase 182 exquisite antiquities direct from the pyramids and museums of Egypt, together with their extraordinary stories. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see treasures of these ancient wonders, right here in Sydney.

Ancient Egypt, the land of pharaohs, extraordinary art, cultural splendour, and home to the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World: the pyramids, has captivated the imagination of people across the globe and across generations.

The name of its legendary pharaoh – Ramses the Great, has also endured. Now, visitors to Sydney can discover the legacy of Ramses the Great and the treasures of the ancient pyramids for themselves.

Director and CEO, Australian Museum, Kim McKay AO said that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is the most prestigious cultural exhibition to be hosted by the AM in over a decade.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon – a beloved father, incomparable warrior, and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural. Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever Peace Treaty, and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations” said McKay.

“The era of Ramses the Great was also a time of incredible artistic innovation. This is all on display in this extraordinary exhibition through signature pieces including: the famous coffin of Ramses the Great, the priceless golden masks of Amenemope, the exquisite carved sarcophagi of Sennedjem, the extraordinary necklace of Psusennes, and mummified animals including cats, crocodiles, and even a lion cub.”

“The exhibition also reveals the unique and sophisticated artistry of the era, as well as the spiritual life of the people during this time. With many priceless treasures from the ancient tombs and pyramids, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs will also entrance audiences with interactive, multimedia elements and a thrilling VR experience that takes visitors right inside his tomb,” McKay explained. “This is a truly immersive exhibition that puts one of history’s most legendary figures into context with dynamic, modern storytelling.”

Curator of the exhibition, renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, Dr Zahi Hawass said the one of the most wonderful things about this exhibition is that it reveals the world Ramses took over when he became pharaoh.

“Our modern world is so different from Ancient Egypt. With this exhibition visitors will be immersed in the world of Ramses and discover a completely different way of life,” said Dr Hawass. “Ancient Egypt is a part of history that continues to reveal itself and inspire people across the globe. Even today, the world is thrilled with each new discovery that’s unearthed. It holds an enduring fascination for us all.”

“Works of art – statues, jewellery, carvings – made by Ancient Egyptians were intended to honour and immortalise revered pharaohs. They’re well on their way to doing so, given so many still remain today, bringing their stories to life. These are just a few of the exquisite items included in the exhibition.”

“This is a rare opportunity for Australian audiences to discover the unique craftsmanship and sophistication of objects and artworks dating from within the Bronze Age of 3000 BCE to the Classical Age 1st century CE,” added Dr Hawass.

For those interested in learning more about Ancient Egypt, the AM is presenting Gateway to Egypt, an exclusive season of lectures, conversations, and experiences. Experts, Scholars and Curators will provide a glimpse into life on the Nile Valley and help us understand how the ancient Egyptians viewed their world.

To extend the visitor experience, there are a range of activities, talks and experiences including a thrilling Virtual Reality experience that takes you on a whirlwind tour of the Abu Simbel temples and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari.

In cinematic motion chairs visitors will fly through temples and sandstorms and even come face-to-face with Ramses’ mummy in this electrifying animated journey. Individual Audio Tours are also available, providing a compelling narrative for visitors as they walk through the exhibition and there is a full colour catalogue available for sale, containing essays and in-depth background information about Ramses the Great by Dr Zahi Hawass.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon/Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Adventure World and Accor Hotels.

NSW Minister for the Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism, the Hon John Graham MLC, said that
Australians are fortunate to have these irreplaceable and historic artefacts here in Sydney. “Exhibitions of this scale don’t come around very often – they’re complex undertakings that involve hundreds of people and years of negotiation,” said Mr Graham.

“Following the AM’s award-winning renovations, we now have the kind of exhibition the new spaces were made for with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and these superb artefacts that have survived 3,000 years.”

“I urge everyone to take a trip back in time to see Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, an incredible opportunity to visit Ancient Egypt without going further than the Sydney CBD!” said Mr Graham.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney
Exhibition: 18 November 2023 – 19 May 2024
Entry fees apply

For more information, visit: www.australian.museum for details.

Image: Funerary Mask of King Amenemopet – courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

The Australian Museum in Sydney is now the temporary home to one of history’s most enigmatic leaders, Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great.

For the first time in Australasia, visitors can witness the coffin of the pharaoh who ruled Egypt for nearly seven decades.

The exhibition, titled Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, showcases over 180 artefacts from Ramses II’s era, including his intricately designed coffin.

Kim McKay AO, director and chief executive of The Australian Museum, expressed her excitement.

“This is a monumental occasion. We’re bringing a piece of ancient history to life, right here in Sydney.”

Discovered in 1881, the coffin is not only a significant archaeological find but also a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship.

Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and a descendant of Ramses II, said the moment was full circle.

“Seeing these artefacts, especially the coffin of King Ramses, is like stepping back in time,” he said.

“It will be something different when you come here and feel it. You’re just centimetres to be away from the statue of King Ramses”

Ramses II, who reigned from 1279-1213 BCE, was known for his extensive building programs and numerous military campaigns. He was also a prolific father, with over 100 children to his name.

The exhibition’s highlight is undoubtedly the coffin of Ramses II. It represents a unique opportunity for visitors to connect with a past that shaped the world’s history.

“We decided a couple of months ago to bring the coffin to here and it’s the first time all the visitors are going to see the coffin of King Ramses standing up like this,” said Waziry.

Some of those artefacts that will be seen for the first time include one of Waziry’s own discoveries, the animal mummies, which have never left Egypt before now.

“I’m very proud that some of these pieces here in this exhibition are from my excavations in the Saqqara,” said Waziry.

“I discovered the animal mummies by my hand, you can imagine the feeling. I will never ever forget for the rest of my life.”

Of those discoveries include a rare lion cub, one of five ever discovered, mummified scarabs which served as a world-first discovery too, and a crocodile.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens tomorrow.

It’s been just over 100 years since the discovery of Egyptian boy pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings

The discovery immediately started a worldwide mania for all things ancient Egyptian that was reflected in art, furniture, fashion and songs of the day.

Today, none of that enthusiasm has abated, and with the arrival of the Australian Museum’s Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition in Sydney this November, be prepared for an onslaught of Egypt mania all over again.

The exhibition will feature182 mostly priceless artefacts, with the highpoints including the sarcophagus of Ramses II, one of the most impressive royal coffins to be discovered, jewellery, masks, amulets and animal mummies.

“This is the biggest cultural exhibition that Australia has had in at least 10 years in terms of the range of objects, the value of them, the rarity of the objects and the fact that it is a multi-national exhibition,” Fran Dovey, head of exhibitions, Australian Museum said.

The exhibition came about via a circuitous route, with a back story almost as mysterious as ancient Egypt.

“We were meant to get the Tutankhamun exhibition, but that fell through and we were left in the lurch,” Dovey said.

In step the Indiana Jones of Egyptology, Dr Zahi Hawass, and Kim McKay, Australian Museum CEO, who had a long-standing relationship.

A deal was struck between Hawass, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions that resulted in Sydney becoming the second city in the world, after Paris, to exhibit the coffin.

“Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world,” Kim McKay said in a statement.

While Tutankhamun is probably the best know pharaoh, he lived only a short time and left no great mark on ancient Egypt, while Ramses II lived to around 90 years of age, won many significant battles that lead to peace and an extensive building campaign which included many monuments to himself.

Married to Nefertari, who is also represented in the exhibition, Ramses went on the sire over 100 children with his numerous consorts.

Nine more pharaohs would take his name after his death.

The main shipment of objects, including the coffin, began arriving in specially built air-conditioned crates under armed guard at the Museum last week.

“Any of these objects that travel are incredibly valuable, and right from the beginning we have been working with the conservation team to create the atmosphere controlled crates and to make sure that they are stored in conservation grade facilities,” Dovey said.

“No expense is spared to make sure that an object leaves Egypt and gets around the world in one piece.”

To make sure that the exhibition goer can see the artefacts in the best conditions the Museum is installing specially built plinths and new lighting.

“Many of the objects are in perfect condition and you can get quite close to them, and the lighting is so exquisite they just glow,” Dovey said.

“They are what you would expect from Egyptian jewellery, the lapis lazuli, the gold with gods represented, and there is a section about the people who built the tombs with some of their objects and doodles.”

In addition to the exhibition there is a Virtual Reality experience with motion chairs, where the viewer can take a journey through the ancient village of Abul Simbel, the place where Ramses was worshipped and four colossal statues representing him have been discovered.

In an extraordinary loan from Egypt, the ornate sarcophagus of the Pharaoh will be on display at the Australian Museum

There has been lots of excitement building around Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, the blockbuster exhibition of Ancient Egyptian artefacts coming exclusively to Sydney this year. And the Australian Museum just dropped another announcement about the upcoming cultural event that is sure to level up the spectacle when it opens on November 18.

On October 24, it was revealed that the actual sarcophagus of Ramses II – one of the most impressive royal coffins from ancient Egypt ever to be discovered – will be travelling to Australia for the upcoming exhibition. Exclusive to the Australian Museum and on direct loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ramses’ coffin is rarely permitted to leave Egypt. Sydney will become only the second city in the world, after Paris, to showcase the extremely valuable artefact. 

Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay, said the sarcophagus will be the “star attraction” of the exhibition, and it will be “a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life”. 

McKay continues: “Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

Dating from the late Eighteenth Dynasty, the carved cedar coffin of Ramses II and its occupant was discovered in 1811 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari – an Egyptian archaeological site located on the west bank of the Nile River, opposite the city of Luxor and east of the Valley of the Kings. The recumbent king is represented as Osiris, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. Arms crossed on his chest, he holds two royal sceptres and wears the Nemes headdress decorated with the erect cobra and a false beard braided beneath his chin. A number of inscriptions can be found on the coffin – on its lid, two large cartouches recall his birth name of “Ramses, beloved of Amun” and throne name “Powerful is the Maat of Ra, he whom Ra has chosen”. 

The coffin of Ramses II joins more than 180 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, including one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, magnificent jewellery, spectacular royal masks, exquisite amulets – many of which have never left Egypt before. All of the objects in the exhibition have come from museums and historical sites in Egypt and are on loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

This exceptional loan is the result of a long-standing working relationship between McKay and Dr Zahi Hawass, the curator of Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and the former head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, as well as the exhibition partners, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions.

We reckon this remarkable addition certainly gives Sydney’s Egyptian blockbuster show an edge over Pharoah, the other big Ancient Egypt exhibition heading to Melbourne in 2024. (But that could just be our fierce inter-city rivalry – which runs as relentlessly as the River Nile – talking?) 

Calling all amateur Egyptologists, we’ve rounded up everything else we know about Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs over here. 

The sarcophagus of one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful Pharaohs, Ramses II, is on its way to Australia thanks to a rare loan to Sydney.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is days away from opening and if you weren’t already excited for it, this might pique your interest. The Australian Museum has managed to score a royal coffin all the way from Egypt and it could be one of the most monumental ones to ever be discovered. The ornate sarcophagus of Ramses II is coming to Australia for the Sydney exclusive exhibition courtesy of a direct loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The royal coffin has rarely ever left Egypt and Sydney will be the only city in the world aside from Paris to showcase it at the blockbuster exhibition.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs Exhibition, Sydney

The epic exhibition is set to open in Sydney this November and features over 180 Egyptian treasures including sarcophagi, animal mummies, royal masks and many more artefacts, some of which will be travelling outside of Egypt for the very first time. Making the stacked list even more grandiose is the coffin of Ramses II, one of the most powerful Pharaohs to have ever ruled Egypt.

“The beautiful sarcophagus of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition and is a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life,” Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO, said of the striking coffin.

“Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

The exhibition is an extensive look into the life of King Ramses II or Ramses the Great and chronicles his influential reign where he built more monuments than any other Egyptian king. The travelling exhibition is coming to Sydney after a successful run in Houston, San Francisco and Paris making it the fourth city out of 10 to be able to experience the extraordinary showcase.

Catch it at the Australian Museum in Sydney from November 18 to May 19, 2024. Tickets are on sale now. Get more information about the exhibition and book your tickets at the official Australian Museum website.

Egyptian and Australian officials said they are optimistic about the success of the 4th stop of the temporary historic exhibition “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs”, set to open on November 17, in Sydney, Australia. Australian curators said they already sold 100,000 tickets a month before the opening.

During a press event to unveil the exhibition’s details on Monday, Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), said he’s delighted to lend the coffin of Ramses II, which he described as “one of the most prominent antiquities displayed at NMEC”, adding that “it represents a great addition to the exhibition given the fame of Ramses II”.

The CEO believes that the participation of this coffin at the exhibition is “the best ambassador of Ancient Egypt and its eternal civilization.”

In its debut at the Houston Museum, US, in 2021, the exhibition hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors, and few more during its stop in San Francisco in 2022; but its third stop in Paris, at Lafayette Gallery during the first half of this year, it welcomed, 817,000 visitors within five months, according Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

Waziri hailed the “great interest” the Australian museum has showed in hosting and promoting the exhibition, which promises success similar to that achieved in Paris.

He also expected the exhibition to achieve “a huge turnout and boost the influx of Australian tourists to Egypt in the near future, similar to the influx the country saw following the exhibition’s stop in France.”

The “Ramses and The Gold of Pharaohs” displays 181 antiquities from the collection of the Egyptian Museum, dating back to the Ramses II era, in addition to some antiquities discovered by the Egyptian expedition in the Bubasteum area in Saqqara.

Speaking at the press event, Zahi Hawass, a renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, described Ramses II, who ruled for 66 years, as the “King of Kings” and “ruler of the greatest and strongest Egyptian era”, noting that he was also known as “master of builders” because he built temples, statues, and obelisks more than any other king in Ancient Egypt.

For his part, John Norman, president of the firm curating the exhibition, expected the event to bring major success as over 100,000 tickets were sold before the opening.

“The coffin of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the exhibition,” said Kim McKay, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO, adding that “exhibiting this priceless antiquity, a strong symbol of one of the greatest leaders in the ancient world, is a remarkable success for our museum. Sydney is the world’s second city, after Paris, to display it. It’s an amazing opportunity for the Australian audience to see it alongside the other unique antiquities.”

The royal coffin rarely leaves Egypt, but it has been given permission to travel Down Under to display at the Australian Museum.

How do you make a blockbuster ancient Egypt exhibition even bigger? At the Australian Museum‘s upcoming Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, adding the royal coffin that provided the resting place for the showcase’s namesake will do the trick. Already set to feature more than 181 rare artefacts and treasures, the Sydney event has now confirmed that the sarcophagus of Ramses II will also be on display Down Under — giving audiences a rare treat.

It isn’t often that the coffin is permitted to leave Egypt; however, it will head to the Harbour City after also recently displaying at the exhibition’s stop in Paris. When that happens, Sydney will become just the second city in the world outside of Egypt to show the 3000-plus-year-old item.

“The beautiful sarcophagus of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition and is a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life,” said Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO.

“Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

“The coffin of Ramses II was one of the most popular objects in Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Paris, so we anticipate Australian audiences will find this priceless artefact equally enthralling. Shown in Australia for the very first time, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and the extraordinary loan of the coffin direct from Egypt, highlights how dynamic international relationships develop across the globe,” added World Heritage Exhibitions CEO John Norman.

This piece of history is carved from cedar, and discovered with the pharoah’s body more than two centuries ago, in 1811 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari.

If you need a reminder on your Egyptian history, Ramses II ruled over the country from 1279–1213 BCE. When Saturday, November 18 rolls around this year, a collection of items from the pharaoh’s rule will gleam in Australia, as first announced back in 2021 — including animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler’s tomb, plus now Ramses II’s coffin.

Focusing on Egypt’s third pharaoh from its 19th dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses the Great, who enjoyed the second-longest reign of any pharaoh, and is considered a symbol of the country’s prosperous ancient New Kingdom period — the overall showcase is set to be big. The Australian Museum has dubbed it the largest cultural collection Down Under in more than a decade, in fact. While the hefty number of objects featured is impressive, so is their rare status; some of the pieces included haven’t ever left Egypt before.

Bringing a slice of history to Australia’s shores, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be filled with items from museums and historical sites in Egypt, which are being loaned to the exhibition by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Also included: letting attendees enter two of the ruler’s monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel — virtually.

Presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and also funding from the NSW Government’s Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs heads to Australia after showing in Houston and San Francisco in the US, as well as its recent season until September in Paris.

Australia will also play host to another huge exhibition about ancient Egypt in 2024, with Pharaoh set to feature at Melbourne’s NGV International from June.

Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, from Saturday, November 18, 2023–Sunday, May 19, 2024 — head to the exhibition’s website for further details and tickets.

Around 100,000 tickets were sold a month before the official opening of the 10-city tour exhibition. 

The Australian Museum will host the exhibition where the coffin of Ramses II, one of the most impressive royal coffins discovered in ancient Egypt, will be among its collection that will be unveiled to Australian audiences; this rare artefact is on loan to the museum.

Ramses’ coffin is rarely permitted to leave Egypt and Sydney will be the second city in the world, after Paris, to display it.

Before the discovery of the Deir El-Bahari royal mummies cache in 1881, ancient Egyptian kings were nothing but stories transmitted by travellers and historians, or scenes recorded on the walls of temples and tombs and the paintings of painters and epigraphers, said Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the NMEC.

Ramses II is one of those royalties, whose fame spread all over the world, even before discovering his mummy, due to the architectural monuments he built like the monumental structures and colossi in Luxor and Karnak temples, the great funerary Ramesseum temple, and Abu Simbel temples, he added.

“Ramses II’s coffin, which was exhibited in the NMEC and will be displayed in Sydney, would be the ambassador of ancient Egypt and its great civilization,” Ghoneim pointed out.

“Egyptian treasures have always mesmerized the world for centuries,” said Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), highlighting the enigmatic nature of Egypt’s origins, religions, and monumental architecture, many of which were constructed during Ramses II’s rule. 

“I expect the exhibition in its fourth stop in Sydney to be another success, as it received 817,000 visitors during the five-month stay in Paris,” Waziry asserted. 

“Egyptians have secured an eternal place in history due to their ability to transcend age and time. I invite visitors to discover why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time,” he added.

While Zahi Hawass, the renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, was reviewing his recent excavations in Ramses II’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor during a press conference, he told reporters that Ramses, as one of the longest-lived pharaohs, identified himself as “King of all the Kings” and that his 66-year reign is considered Egypt’s most glorious time.

He was also known as the “Master of Builders” as he erected more monuments than any other ancient Egyptian pharaoh. So, he was regarded by the Egyptians as “Ramses the Great.” Thus, Egyptologists expected his tomb to be full of wonderful treasures, especially if compared with the tomb of a minor king like Tutankhamun, Hawass added.  

He explained that currently the tomb’s state is not as expected as it underwent many difficult conditions like successive thefts, random digging in search of hidden treasures, and severe rain floods that destroyed its beautiful reliefs and inscriptions.

The tomb’s passages and internal rooms were completely blocked, so many archaeological missions failed to clean it from the debris and reveal its secrets.

However, the Egyptian excavation mission, which was in January 2021, could remove all the debris and thus revealed secrets about the construction and pictorial program of the tomb.

“It is in fact the only royal tomb full of inscriptions, decorations, and of course architecture in the Valley of the Kings,” Hawass asserted.

The excavations revealed many new scenes depicted on the tomb walls, representing important chapters from the ancient Egyptian funerary afterlife books like the “Book of Gates” and the “Book of Imy-Duat,” or “What is in the Afterlife.”

The tomb’s shaft, the deepest among the shafts of the Valley of the Kings’s royal tombs, was also uncovered completely for the first time. “Surprisingly, it is decorated like the walls, carrying three marvellous scenes and inscriptions that represent other chapters from the afterlife books,” Hawass noted.

The mission also could measure the size of Ramses’s funerary treasure using a measurement system, showing evidence that the king’s huge funerary furniture was moved outside the tomb not by robbers but by the priests of the Egyptian god Amun in the Late Period, Hawass pointed out.

The excavation showed that the priests and their architects could not take the large-size objects outside the tomb in the same way the king’s men brought them inside. So, they had to dig the floors and ceilings to expand them and thus remove the treasures. Given the fact that these treasures were not destroyed or taken by robbers, there is still a possibility of discovering them, he added.

Hawass described the exhibition as an unprecedented event which aimed not only to spread the magic of the pharaohs in the West but also for all the nations to see the greatness of that civilization which “combined perfection in workmanship and absolute beauty.”

“We are excited to bring these treasures to the land down under! I’m sure it will be a big success,” said John Norman, president of Neon Creative, celebrating the opening of the exhibition.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has played an instrumental role in fostering this spirit of friendship and cooperation that started in 2005 with the launch of the Tutankhamun exhibition in Los Angeles, Norman explained, praising its efforts in promoting Egypt as a tourist destination, which opened the door for countless travellers to explore its beauty and wonders.

“As we celebrate this milestone of two decades of friendship and support, let us not forget the importance of preserving and cherishing this heritage for future generations. May we continue to work hand in hand, nurturing the bond between our nations and sharing the wonders of Egypt with the world,” Norman added. 

The carved, wooden coffin will be the star attraction in the exhibition, which includes over 181 rare objects, like glittering golden masks, exquisite jewellery, amulets, and animal sarcophagi, said Kim McKay AO, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO.

“This beautiful sarcophagus is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin,” McKay explained. 

“This international collaboration between the two countries, as well as our exhibition partners, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions, marks a new chapter in the way we share culture with our visitors and is an opportunity for the Australian Museum to enhance its global reputation and consolidate these valuable partnerships,” he added. 

Through the priceless artefacts of the exhibition, the whole world will see how the pharaohs made their glory through work and creativity.

The exhibition’s journey abroad had its first stop in Houston in November 2021, second stop in San Francisco in August 2022, and third stop in Paris in April 2023.

The sarcophagus of one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs is set to make the rare journey to Australia after the Australian Museum negotiated a loan of the priceless antiquity for its upcoming antiquity blockbuster exhibition.

The sarcophagus once contained the mummified remains of Ramses II, who ruled for almost 67 years during the 13th century BC and oversaw major military conquests and monumental construction projects while fathering more than 100 children.

It will join 181 priceless artefacts and ornate treasures to go on public display at the museum next month, with the sarcophagus the star attraction of its Ramses & The Gold of the Pharoahs blockbuster. It’s the first of three exhibitions on Ancient Egypt opening in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne in the next several months.

The exceptional loan was announced by the Egyptian government in Cairo on Monday evening Australian time as renowned archaeologist, Dr Zahi Hawass, revealed his team had made major discoveries while excavating the burial chamber of the 19th Dynasty king. These include never-before-seen funerary texts and burial chamber reliefs ushering the king into the afterlife, and showing Ramses’ god-like status in ancient Egypt.

Archaeologists say they are inching closer to finding the passage linking Ramses’ burial chamber with that of his sons in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor. The cedar coffin of Ramses II now on its way to Sydney had been included in the Paris leg of the multi-city exhibition tour of ancient Egyptian artefacts, in recognition of the French conservators who helped save the mummy from decay 50 years ago.

It was to have returned to Cairo until museum chief executive Kim McKay intervened.

“I walked up to the Minister of Tourism in Egypt, a very charming man, and introduced myself, and he did this beautiful thing of kissing my hand. And I said, ‘I’m Kim from Australia, and I want that coffin’. He laughed. We got chatting, and he said he would see what he could do.

“This beautiful sarcophagus is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

Costs of transporting the coffin to Australia will be covered by ticket admission, Ms McKay said.

Hawass says proceeds the Egyptian government receives from the ten-city blockbuster tour, of which Sydney is the fourth stop, is helping conserve the tomb and its newly discovered contents including those showing Ramses with the Lord of Death and Rebirth, Osiris.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has announced that Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore has welcomed two million visitors within its first 11 months of operation. Produced by NEON, the immersive experience made its debut in the Cloud Forest on 28 October 2022, and on 9 October 2023, Alex Wu, visiting with his family became the 2,000,000th guest.

This historic occasion was celebrated by NEON in collaboration with its prestigious partners, Gardens by the Bay, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and Lightstorm Entertainment, which is led by James Cameron and Jon Landau.

The success of this experience has been ascribed to the huge popularity of the Avatar movie, as well as outstanding reviews and the recent Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards, which was revealed in May 2023.

On 12 August 2023, Avatar: The Experience had 11,000 visitors in a single day—the largest daily attendance since the venue’s opening.

Explore Pandora’s wonders

This immersive experience has captivated both local and foreign viewers, drawing inspiration from the first and third highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. In order to give more attendees the chance to experience Pandora’s wonders, the event is scheduled to run through 1 January 2024.

Executive chairman & group CEO of NEON, Ron Tan says: “It is beyond our imagination to be able to welcome our 2,000,000th visitor in less than a year right here at the iconic Cloud Forest.

“The support from our collaborators at Disney Location-Based Experiences, Lightstorm Entertainment, the Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay, has made Avatar: The Experience a truly spectacular creative endeavor, and one that continues to delight the people of Singapore, and travelers from all over the globe.”

Avatar: The Experience, housed in the spectacular Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, enhances visitor experiences with remarkable, engaging, and eye-catching content spread over five distinct zones inside the 4000-square-metre glass dome. Here, visitors explore the alien planet Pandora, taking in its bioluminescent settings, interacting with its enigmatic wildlife, and learning about the fascinating Na’vi culture.

Earlier this month, NEON Group Ltd. announced a new partnership with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. establishing the foundation for its strategic expansion in Japan.

Top image: From left to right: Mr Alex Wu and his family, Ms Olivia Sim, executive director, international business integration and global development, The Walt Disney Company, Mr George Gross, senior vice president and managing director, Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Walt Disney Imagineering Japan, and Mr Welby Altidor, NEON Group chief creative and innovation officer.

Atlanta’s own Isla Nublar is coming to a close in November, the perfect opportunity to meet your favorite dinos while you can. Grab your tickets!

The Jurassic Exhibition is one of its kind in Atlanta, harnessing the power of state-of-the-art animatronics and the nostalgia of the beloved Jurassic World saga to bring a true prehistoric wonderland to life. As you step through the magnificent Jurassic Park arch (and fight off the urge to hum that legendary theme song), Isla Nublar stands in all of its glory. 

Dinosaurs like the towering Brachiosaurus, the scary Indominus Rex and the adorable Little Bumpy come out of the screen and onto the floors of Pullman Yards. Young and old alike will get to learn more about those (sometimes not so) gentle giants, especially at the Hammonds Creation Lab, where John Hammonds’ theories come alive. Kids will get to excavate fossils, unleash their inner paleontologist and so much more. 

You’re gonna want to run to Pullman Yards to discover Isla Nublar in its luscious fullness — Grab tickets before the experience leaves the ATL next month!

“Isla Nublar is just a few minutes away.” What a crazy thing to say, and yet the world of the acclaimed cinema franchise is so close to reach. At ATL’s historic Pullman Yards, you’ll find this luscious prehistoric land — waiting only on you to be discovered. Aided with the latest animatronics technology, Jurassic World: The Exhibition recreates your favorite dinos in XXL! Run a hand through their pebbly skin and feel what it must’ve been like to pet an actual dinosaur… scales and all. 

That’s probably what John Hammond had in mind when he got the idea for Jurassic Park: bringing people from all walks of life to discover the magic of dinosaurs. And while that promise didn’t quite hold up in the movies (let’s be honest, the films kept on showing us why it was such a bad idea), you have the opportunity to fulfill his dream, right here in the ATL! No need for tranquilizer guns, since you won’t actually be chased by any dinosaurs — and you can bring the entire family since it’s a super safe environment. A few thrills here and there, but no jump scares, we promise! 

Jurassic World: The Exhibition has been charming ATLiens since its opening last May, and since then it’s amassed great reviews: 

“Our family had an awesome awesome time. We really didn’t expect the experience. It was fantastic, from our youngest at 3 to oldest, 70.” Sandy A.  

“Such an awesome experience! The detail was great and I really appreciated the smaller groups to ensure we were all able to see everything.” Madison S. 

“Wow!! Definitely surpassed my expectations. This was very well done you can tell they put a lot of work into it.” Rachel M.

Group enters joint venture with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd.

NEON Group Limited, a global leader in creating and producing immersive experiences, has announced a new partnership with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. establishing the foundation for its strategic expansion in Japan.

This collaboration offers NEON the opportunity to benefit from the expert knowledge and extensive network of Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd.’s various business lines. This will facilitate multi-faceted projects, including identifying and securing venues in cities across Japan for NEON Group Limited’s internationally acclaimed IP experiences.

Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of NEON, comments: “This joint venture is a testament to our unwavering commitment to creating epic experiences for our audiences in Japan and around the world.

“The evolution and convergence of experiences and real estate is an emerging and inevitable trend and we are excited to embark on this journey with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. to bring about extensive business opportunities for us as well as for our prominent venture partners here in Japan.”

Strategic expansion in Japan

Through this partnership, NEON will have the opportunity to take advantage of the vast networks and operational excellence of both the Itochu Group and the FUJI SANKEI COMMUNICATIONS Group. This will help to accelerate the Group’s expansion plan in Japan and create new, exciting opportunities for NEON and its valued collaborators.

NEON remains committed to delivering immersive experiences that will enchant visitors across the globe, as the Group develops its activities and engages a bigger audience in Japan.

Last month, NEON revealed that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which is showing in Sydney later this year, will be the largest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over a decade.

The exhibition will be on show at the Australian Museum and is a collaboration between World Heritage Exhibitions, NEON Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. 

The dinosaurs will continue to roam Mississauga for a few months longer.

A collection of prehistoric giants that took up residence right beside Square One Shopping Centre this past April will stay in town until early January.

Organizers of Jurassic World: The Exhibition say the 20,000-sq.-ft. touring show that allows guests of all ages to get up close with life-size versions of the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, in addition to the ferocious Velociraptors and the more friendly Brachiosaurus, and many more, will continue until Jan. 3, 2024.

In an email to insauga.com, a spokesperson for the exhibit, which features up-close looks at 16 dinosaurs, said the show is being extended at Square One “due to phenomenal demand.”

The spokesperson added that the extended show will allow “dino-loving families and cinephiles to have the ultimate dinosaur experience through the holiday season.”

The opening at Square One back in April marked the touring show’s Canadian debut.

Organizers said at the time that people were in for a real treat when coming to see the show.

“Humans and dinosaurs have never shared a planet together, but that doesn’t stop our endless fascination with the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago,” organizers said earlier of the interactive exhibit that features life-size dinosaurs, cutting-edge technology and richly themed prehistoric environments.

“Now, for the first time in Canada, audiences will be treated to one of the most compelling, life-like dinosaur exhibitions touring today.”

Inspired by one of the biggest blockbuster movie series in cinema history, Jurassic World: The Exhibition provides to visitors a “cinematic universe come to life through innovative animatronic technology and immersive installations including Land of the Giants, Creation Lab, T. rex Kingdom, The Raptor Experience, Gyrosphere Valley and more.”

The exhibition is located on a stand-alone space beside Square One, at 199 Rathburn Rd. W.

It’s produced by NEON, a global leader in immersive and epic experiences, and presented in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment.

For more information and tickets, click here.

It takes a lot to compete with the blockbuster-level magic of the Jurassic World film franchise, but Jurassic World: The Exhibition rises to the occasion. Billing itself as “the closest you’ll come to live dinosaurs,” the immersive exhibition is the latest interactive experience to come to Pullman Yards, the former industrial complex located in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood. The 25,000-square-foot experience, produced by entertainment company NEON, allows visitors to come face-to-face with life-size, meticulously rendered animatronic dinosaurs. Exhibit environments are just as carefully considered, showcasing memorable locations from the films, such as the Hammond Creation Lab, which houses baby dinosaurs and a wall of amber-preserved mosquitos. 

The spectacle starts early. After walking through the iconic main gate from the Jurassic World park entrance, visitors will emerge into a forest of ferns and be greeted by a sky-scraping Brachiosaurus. Other highlights include a “feeding” of the Jurassic World trilogy’s hybrid dinosaur, Indominus rex; a training session with Blue, Chris Pratt’s prodigious Velociraptor; and a fearsome encounter with fan-favorite predator, Tyrannosaurus rex. Helpful tour docents and numerous hands-on educational features—from dig sites to touch screen kiosks—add real-world context for the many extinct animals throughout the attraction. 

Jurassic World: The Exhibition premiered in 2016 and has since traveled to several major cities across the globe, including London, Madrid, and Seoul. “The sheer size and detail of these dinosaurs create a sense of awe and wonder that’s hard to replicate elsewhere,” says Zoe Tan, senior vice president of business development for the Americas at NEON. “The exhibition draws in enthusiasts and families looking to engage with the series in a tangible way.” It’s a little taste of the ancient world—no time machine required.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has revealed that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be the biggest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over 10 years when it goes on show in Sydney later this year.

The exhibition will open on 18 November at the Australian Museum, where it will include an exclusive interactive experience. In this, visitors will be able to see 181 exhibits, many of which have not been seen outside of Egypt before. Gold treasures, jewellery, mummified animals, royal masks, amulets and sarcophagi are among the objects to go on show.

Most powerful pharaoh of all time

All of the items in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs are on loan to the exhibition from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and originated from Egyptian museums and historic sites. Dr Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and renowned archaeologist, began the Ramses countdown at the Australian Museum.

Waziry says: “Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture – many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II, 1279 to 1213 BC. This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs gives visitors a glimpse into the life and achievements of King Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. Ramses the Great had the second-longest reign of any Ancient Egyptian pharaoh and ruled the country for nearly 67 years.

He lived to be approximately 92 years old and came to symbolise Ancient Egypt’s strength and prosperity during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC, when Egyptian civilisation was at its peak. Ramses was known as a powerful warrior who brought peace among his neighbours, oversaw a vast building scheme – which featured numerous massive monuments to himself – and is thought to have fathered more than 100 children.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs also includes a virtual reality tour of two of Ramses’ most remarkable monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

Inspiring Australian Egyptologists

The Australian Museum in Sydney will be the next host of the exhibition, which is a collaboration between World Heritage Exhibitions, NEON Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Sydney is the only city in the region to host Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, and this leg of the exhibition tour is funded by the NSW Government through the Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative.

The Hon John Graham, NSW minister for arts, music, night-time economy, jobs and tourism, comments: “Egypt was one of the most powerful civilisations in the centre of the ancient world, and we are thrilled some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. This is a magnificent exhibition, set to produce a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists. I encourage all Australians to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificently preserved 3,300-year-old artefacts at the Australian Museum.”

“The Australian Museum is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history first-hand,” adds Kim McKay AO, director and CEO of the Australian Museum. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

John Norman, World Heritage Exhibitions CEO, concludes: “Our team has created an amazing experience celebrating the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history and the reaction from people has surpassed our highest expectations. We are so excited to bring the exhibition to Sydney and know Australians are going to be similarly amazed.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a touring exhibition and has previously been shown in Houston, San Francisco and Paris.

NEON celebrated a scholarship with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) earlier this year. NEON is a leader in providing immersive IP experiences to audiences worldwide, yet its dedication to the entertainment industry goes beyond delivering exceptional experiences. It also recognises the importance of education, with a focus on preparing the younger generation for the evolving demands of the sector.

“Mummies of the World: The Exhibition” opens at The Corner Gallery in the Playhouse Square District on Sept. 23 for a limited engagement, open to the public on Thursdays through Sundays, according to a news release from organizers.

The exhibition will bring visitors face-to-face with ancient history with a collection of ancient mummies and artifacts from Europe, South America and Ancient Egypt.

“There are interactive kiosks throughout. There are multimedia displays,” said David Greene, Playhouse Square’s Senior VP of Marketing. “So you can interact with and do a great deal of learning about the mummification process, about the science behind it. All of the mummies are real people; they all have stories.”

The Corner Gallery is located at 1305 Euclid Avenue.

For more information on the exhibit and to purchase tickets, click here.

“Mummies of the World is one of the most popular traveling exhibitions in North America, and we are thrilled to host it at Playhouse Square in The Corner Gallery,” said Playhouse Square Senior Vice President of Programming David Greene in a press release. “We are excited that this exhibit will allow us to further activate the Playhouse Square District and give guests – both new and returning – different, exciting and memorable experiences when they come and visit.”

“Mummies of the World” is described as the largest exhibition of real mummies and related artifacts ever assembled. Previous stops in Miami, St. Louis and Hartford featured the mummified remains of 40 humans and animals, though the exhibition’s producer, World Heritage Exhibitions, says content may vary by market. The collection includes mummies from Europe, South America and Ancient Egypt. Artifact displays provide a window into these ancient civilizations, while multimedia exhibits illustrate how modern science plays a role in unlocking their mysteries.

“We say that ‘inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told’ and Mummies of the World tells thousands of years of captivating history,” said John Norman, President of World Heritage Exhibitions. “Visitors to the exhibition are in for a fascinating journey highlighted by real stories of real people. Throughout this exhibition, we really get to know these individuals and families, who, in many cases, were everyday people just like you and me. It’s that common humanity which truly connects us and brings history alive, creating a unique learning experience for visitors or all ages.”

In its announcement, Playhouse Square cautioned the show might not be suitable for younger children and acknowledged there are differing cultural and religious views on the display of deceased individuals. “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition” will run Thursday-Sunday through at least January at The Corner Gallery at 1305 Euclid Ave. Tickets, ranging in price from $10 for students to $24.95 for adults, are available now at playhousesquare.org/mummies or by calling 216-241-6000.

The new venue, along with the upcoming opening of Fresh Garden Café in the former Dynomite Burgers kiosk in U.S. Bank Plaza, is part of an effort to liven up the city’s theater district. Included in that is the free outdoor concert by Andy Grammar and new marquee lighting ceremony on Sept. 28.

“Between our incredible line-up of performances in our theaters to our fantastic eateries and the addition of these new venues and special events, the Playhouse Square District will be brimming with energy, and we are excited to welcome everyone to take part in these experiences,” Playhouse Square President & CEO Craig Hassall said.

Don’t fret, this isn’t a bunch of scientists trying to recreate the dinosaur species, even though it may look that way. The engineers behind this incredible exhibition are playing with life-like animatronics. 

Your journey through the exhibition will begin onboard a ferry taking you to Isla Nublar, the island where dinosaurs were bred in Jurassic Park. Here, you’ll be able to walk through the iconic ‘Jurassic World’ gates and encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex. Younger fans of children’s show Camp Cretaceous will be able to snap a selfie with baby dino, Bumpy.

Rex Kingdom is the highlight, set up with replica high-voltage fences from the films and a moving, life-size meat-eating T.Rex that will make those with nerves of steel jump. The exhibition is family friendly, this might be one you want to skip if you have younger kids in tow as it could be nightmare inducing.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be presented starting Friday, September 22, for a limited time at the newly reimagined 3,000 sqm SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Admission starts at $39 for children (ages 3+) and $49 for adults (ages 16+). For more information or to book, visit jurassicworldexhibition.com.au

Yes, a dino roamed around one of Australia’s most famous beaches.

Yes, obviously it wasn’t a real dinosaur, but fans of the Jurassic franchise will be happy to go along with it. And yes, this clever girl did look supremely lifelike. Also yes: life really does find a way.

The velociraptor was first spotted at Marks Park, then made its way to the beach’s south end. Next, following a stint near Icebergs, it ventured up around Bondi Pavilion. That’s where it was captured — or, really, where the promotional stunt for Jurassic World: The Exhibition came to an end.

Letting a realistic-looking dino loose on Bondi was all about letting people know that the Jurassic World showcase that’s been touring the world will hit Sydney this spring, and celebrate 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie rampaged through cinemas in the process. Before now, the exhibition has made its way to London, San Diego, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Shanghai, Toronto and more, complete with life-sized and lifelike versions of the movie franchise’s animals.

What do Bondi Beach and Isla Nublar have in common? Dinosaurs now, although Bondi didn’t score its own version of the famous Jurassic Park and Jurassic World gates. That entryway will be on show at the exhibition, however, when it arrives at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22.

Tickets are now on sale for Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which is another reason for the promo stunt. Sadly, there were no sightings of Sam Neill, Laura Dern or Jeff Goldblum at Bondi today — just the raptor.

Add an ancient critter to the list of attention-grabbing Bondi pop-ups in the past year, including a Stranger Things rift, a giant rainbow sand sculpture in the countdown to Sydney WorldPride and a mass installation for photographer Spencer Tunick, which briefly turned the sandy stretch into a nude beach.

It’s been a big few years for pop culture-themed pop-ups in Australia, too, including Borat, Nicole Kidman, Homer Simpson and the creepy Red Light, Green Light doll from Squid Game also making an appearance in Sydney. Homer Simpson’s huge head made its way to Queensland, too, while Melbourne has scored an Everything Everywhere All At Once-style multidimensional laundromat and a massive Timothée Chalamet mural to promote Dune.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition’s website for tickets. 

While the ATL is full of surprises, witnessing imposing dinos roam freely across Pullman Yards is definitely not something we’d expect to see. And yet — the stuff of dreams landed right here, in Atlanta, last May when Jurassic World: The Exhibition opened its doors. Since then, we’ve wanted to see those Isla Nublar dinos for ourselves, fangs and all. 

For those of us who grew up watching the beloved franchise, the exhibition is a truly nostalgic journey that evokes cherished memories. The opportunity to encounter these majestic creatures up close is a dream come true that transports us back to the awe and wonder of our childhood, and the same can be said for those dino-obsessed kiddos who can’t seem to get enough of their figurines. The experience is a magical treat for young and old alike, transporting us to Alan Grant’s imagined park.

A remarkable blend of animatronics, captivating set design, immersive special effects and adorable charm truly makes the saga come alive — and after embarking on the incredible journey firsthand, we couldn’t wait to share our experience. Read on for our full review of the adventure… 

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

Our Jurassic World journey began on a ‘boat’ leading us to Isla Nublar, that mystical island inhabited by dinosaurs brought back to life. After receiving a fascinating briefing about the park through a voiceover, the legendary Jurassic Park gates stood tall before us, with the familiar and nostalgic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” theme song playing in our minds. 

Just then, we set our eyes on the towering brachiosaurus. We were amazed by the incredible animatronics that went into crafting every detail of the mighty dino — it really felt as though a giant creature was right there in front of us! We gazed in amazement for so long our necks felt the pain, but it was all worth it.

As we made our way through the rest of the experience, we couldn’t help but notice the transformation Pullman Yards had undergone: the venue was decked out in ferns and leaves, details of a true prehistoric wonderland. The resounding roars of dinosaurs added to the immersive atmosphere, making us feel as though we stepped through the screen and into the Jurassic World film. 

After being guided by wandering eyes through the foliage, we found ourselves at Hammond’s Creation Lab. Learning about the time period, exploring walls filled with dinosaur eggs, fossils, and even dino poop (yep) was both educational and fascinating. But the real highlight was undoubtedly our interaction with the tiny baby dinosaurs in the incubator!  

Filled with menacing jaws and rattling cages, the adventure is an adrenaline-pumping experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. One of those pulse-racing moments was coming face-to-face with the ghostly Indominus Rex. Its piercing gaze and menacing teeth gave us full body chills.

But despite the realistic nature of the exhibit, there’s nothing to be afraid of! You can leave your tranquilizer guns at home, since the chances of a dinosaur jumping at you through the cages are close to none. You’ll still get to witness the agility and intelligence of the dinosaurs in their movement, with a few jump scares here and there. 

If you came in the company of young children and are seeking a more lighthearted and kid-friendly adventure, Jurassic World: The Exhibition‘s got you covered as well! Little ones will have the chance to unleash their inner paleontologist by sifting through sand to uncover fascinating fossils, adding an educational and interactive layer to the experience.

But the excitement doesn’t end there for the kids: they’ll have the opportunity to interact with adorable dinosaurs like Bumpy, the Ankylosaurus from Camp Cretaceous. Just a heads up: if your kids want to take a cute dino home afterwards, don’t blame it on us! 

And of course, the thrilling conclusion of the experience is a show-stopper. The queen of the kingdom herself, the legendary T-Rex, makes a spectacular appearance in all her glory. The jaw-dropping special effects, performances, and realistic animatronics created an unforgettable atmosphere that had us — and the kids — gasping in surprise.

After the mesmerizing climax, we made our way to the gift shop: a treasure trove of Jurassic memorabilia and the perfect opportunity to take home some cherished souvenirs of our beloved adventure. We’ll definitely head back to Jurassic World: The Exhibition though, and we’d love to see you there! 

The incredible experience is an absolute must for anyone who loves dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park franchise, or simply wants to be transported back to the prehistoric era.

Immerse yourself in a world where ancient giants roam freely, right here in the ATL!

The exhibition features an interactive museum experience as well as bringing a collection of 181 dazzling objects to the city, many of which are newly discovered and have never left Egypt before. The exhibition features exquisite sculpture, precious gold treasures, sarcophagi, magnificent jewellery and amulets. Carefully selected from museums and historical sites across Egypt, these objects offer a captivating glimpse into the life and achievements of Ramses II.

Alongside the exhibits, visitors can enjoy state-of-the-art multimedia reproductions that vividly depict the opulence and splendour of ancient Egyptian civilisation. “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” installed in an adjacent gallery, is a virtual reality tour of King Ramses II’s magnificent monuments, such as the temples of Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb. Drone photography, immersive video settings, multimedia productions, and photomurals are used to recreate such events as the Battle of Kadesh, the largest chariot battle ever fought. 

“Egyptian treasures have dazzled the world for centuries,” said Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. He added that mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture, many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II. “This ability to transcend time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

Hon John Graham, New South Wales (NSW) Minister for Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs, and Tourism, emphasised that Sydney is the exhibition’s exclusive host city in the region, a development made possible by funding from the NSW government.

“Egypt was once among the most influential civilisations at the centre of the ancient world, and we are delighted that some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with this magnificent exhibition, which is set to inspire a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists,” Graham remarked. He encouraged all Australians to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Kim McKay, Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, expressed her excitement about showcasing historical objects of exceptional significance and astonishing beauty. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I am confident that Ramses and The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

CEO John Norman of World Heritage Exhibitions, which designed the exhibition, reported that “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” has been breaking attendance records worldwide. “Our team has created an extraordinary experience to celebrate the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history, and the response from people has exceeded our highest expectations. We are thrilled to bring the exhibition to Sydney, and we believe Australians will be equally amazed.”

The exhibition’s international tour began in November 2021 in Houston, Texas. It later travelled to San Fransisco, and is currently captivating audiences in Paris.

The exhibition reveals the fabulous wealth of the pharaohs, the astonishing skill of ancient Egyptian tomb builders, and the superb workmanship of Egyptian artists. It also includes recently discovered animal mummies, including those of small cats, lion cubs, and a mongoose, from the Saqqara Necropolis, on view for the first time, as well as treasures discovered in the royal tombs in Dahshur and Tanis, many of which had never travelled before, as well as precious objects from several other periods of Egyptian history, much of it from intact royal tombs of the Middle Kingdom and the 21st and 22nd dynasties, Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period.

“This is an opportunity to experience ancient Egypt like never before,” said Norman, adding that visitors will not only see priceless historical artifacts, but will also be transported to Egyptian temples in an electrifying virtual reality journey across the sands of the Sahara. “We are proud… to bring these immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences to visitors across the globe.”

www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/pompeii/

Address:

Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL

5700 S Lake Shore Dr

Chicago

60637

Cross street:

at 57th St

Transport:

Bus: 6, 15, 28, 55. Train: Metra Electric or South Shore Line to 55th, 56th and 57th Street.

In 2019, NEON took a step further in supporting education by establishing the NEON – SUTD Scholarship. The aim of this initiative is to contribute to the academic success of aspiring talents and encourage academic and learning excellence by attracting outstanding students to pursue their undergraduate education at the prestigious Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Through this scholarship, NEON is providing students with a strong, multi-disciplinary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education that aligns with the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment industry.

Scholarship opens up possibilities

Over the years, the NEON – SUTD Scholarship has nurtured the academic growth of three individuals, each contributing to their respective fields of study. One of these people is Max Lee, who recently graduated from SUTD’s Engineering Systems and Design program. His success story is an example of the positive impact that the scholarship has had on the lives of its recipients.

The scholarship helped to ease the financial burden of higher education for his family and allowed him to also take part in the basketball club and the SUTD Ambassador’s club. He also went on a subsidised overseas community trip to assist underprivileged people in developing countries. Now that he has graduated, he is financially independent and can even help to provide for his parents.

Lionell Loh, an inspiring recipient in 2020, pursued his passion in Information Systems and Technology Designs in SUTD and through his dedication, he now excels as a Software Engineer at Meta, making an impact in the tech world.

Equally impressive, Glenn Teo, the scholarship recipient of 2021, turned to Engineering Product Development and has since grown his career at Red Hat, a leading provider of enterprise open source solutions, as a Technical Graduate. These shining examples not only reflect the success of the NEON-SUTD Scholarship in nurturing outstanding scholars but also serve as a source of inspiration for aspiring minds to dream big and achieve the extraordinary.

Robin Chua, director of the Office of Advancement and Development at SUTD, says that NEON’s support of the scholarship “impacts the world.” He adds: “By enabling us to provide a world-class education and opening up a multitude of possibilities to our students, Singapore’s young aspiring talent are equipped to go forth and change the world.”

NEON says it believes that just as it strives to create grand and immersive experiences for its audiences, the same level of dedication should be extended to the education experience of scholarship recipients. By providing the necessary support and recognition, NEON ensures that these talented individuals are empowered to realise their full potential.

Recently, NEON’s attraction, Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, won the Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2023, in the Experience Excellence category.

A stunning homage to the beloved franchise, Jurassic World: The Exhibition is an immersive experience that promises to bring fans face-to-face with some of films’ most iconic characters. Described as a ‘family-friendly’ exhibition, the new attraction gives you the chance to explore some key moments from the series, starting first by walking through the iconic “Jurassic World” gates.

From here, Jurassic World: The Exhibition reads like a geek’s wishlist. Hit the trail and you’ll encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and if you’re (un)lucky, even a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Better yet, the exhibit organisers have confirmed newer additions to the franchise, such as “Bumpy” from the popular Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series will make an appearance, as well.

The launch of Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Sydney comes amid the franchise’s 30th anniversary and follows a series of sold-out engagements across the globe. Over the last few months, the attraction has nabbed record ticket sales across London, Paris, Madrid, Shanghai, Cologne, San Diego and many more. Now, it’s finally time for Sydneysiders to step foot inside Richard Hammond’s beleaguered park of wonders.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition kicks off on Friday, 22 September 2023 and will run for a limited time. You can find the blockbuster new attraction at the newly reimagined SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, with the waitlist now open for tickets. 

Walk through the famous gates and get up close to lifelike dinosaurs to celebrate three decades since ‘Jurassic Park’ first hit cinemas.

If you’re a dinosaur fan in Australia, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. In Brisbane, the Dinosaurs of Patagonia museum showcase is currently displaying impressive fossils. In Melbourne and later Sydney, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience is about to hit. And also in the Harbour City, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will soon roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen.

Yes, it’s a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs right now — we’ve seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in the past two years, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized, lifelike versions of the movie franchise’s animals.

Expect to feel like you’ve been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga’s famed gates. From there, you’ll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say “clever girl” — and a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there’ll be baby dinos, including the show’s Bumpy.

Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital will be able to get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, from Friday, September 22 at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Exactly how long the exhibition will hang around for hasn’t been announced, except that it’ll be a limited stay. If it’ll head to other Australian cities afterwards also hasn’t been revealed.

Now, all that’s left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern’s palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill’s palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum’s mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course).

And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn’t have expected that this’d be the result three decades — and five more movies — later.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition’s website to join the ticket waitlist. 

Time Out says

Have you ever dreamed of walking with dinosaurs? Well Sydney, life finds a way. Jurassic World: The Exhibition is roaring into the Harbour City this spring following recent record-breaking engagements in cities around the world. This enormous and immersive experience celebrates 30 years of the film franchise that began with the ground-breaking 1993 movie Jurassic Park.

At this family-friendly exhibit of Jurassic proportions, you can walk through the iconic “Jurassic World” gates and encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and the most fearsome dinosaur of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. (We’re yet to receive confirmation on whether you’ll also encounter the glistening, exposed chest hair of Jeff Goldblum as you explore the richly themed environments.)

Visitors will be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures (the dinosaurs, not Sam Neil and the gang), and even interact with baby dinos, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (currently streaming on Netflix).

Are you finding yourself thinking that the mad scientists behind this experience “were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”? Well, hold onto your butts. They’re not playing God with real extinct creatures, but with life-like animatronics. So, Sydney should avoid an apocalyptic T-Rex escape situation.

The exhibition engages audiences of all ages in settings inspired by the Jurassic World franchise and is produced in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment, NEON, SuperLuna, Masterworks, Sony Music Entertainment Australia, and Animax Designs – the creators of the lifelike animatronic dinosaurs.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be presented starting Friday, September 22, for a limited time at the newly reimagined 3,000 sqm SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Admission starts at $39 for children (ages 3+) and $49 for adults (ages 16+). Family and group tickets are also available, as well as special pricing for senior citizens and students. Ticketmaster pre-sale commences at 10am on Wednesday, July 26. General Public sale commences at 10am on Thursday, July 27. The Sydney waitlist is now open at jurassicworldexhibition.com.au. 

The deep importance of animals in ancient Egyptian religious practices will be on show when a major exhibition of antiquities opens in Australia in four months’ time.

The Australian Museum’s upcoming blockbuster will feature recently discovered mummified animals, including cats, a mongoose and a 10-month-old lion cub, which are thousands of years old.

They were unearthed south of Cairo at Saqqara – an active Egyptian burial site for three millennia – where a treasure trove of ancient relics has been unearthed.

“They were just discovered a couple of years ago, so not even Egyptians have had the chance to see these pieces,” Dr Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities told AAP.

Dr Waziry, Egypt’s gatekeeper of all these finds, was visiting Australia from Cairo ahead of the opening of the ‘Ramses & The Gold Of The Pharaohs’ exhibition at the Sydney-based museum in November.

Archaeologists also came across scarabs, snakes, crocodiles, and a vervet monkey. Some of these animals had never been found mummified before, he said.

They also found a grave of 500 cats mummified as offerings to the Egyptian goddess Bastet, who was often depicted as a woman with the head of a cat.

It’s fascinating discoveries like these that keep Dr Waziry returning to dig at Egypt’s archaeological sites every week, after 30 years in the field.

“Whenever you discover something that nobody has seen for thousands of years, and you are the first one … it’s a feeling that you will never forget for the rest of your life,” he said.

The intrepid Egyptologist is the also star of two recent Netflix documentaries – the 2020 release Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, and the trending series Unknown: The Lost Pyramid.

Dr Waziry is pleased the shows have been a success but said the Lost Pyramid filmmakers were simply following archaeologists doing their regular work.

“Everybody in the world is talking about this one, and how happy they are to watch us doing excavating and digging,” he said.

Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs will showcase 181 priceless artefacts, many of which have never left Egypt before.

They include royal masks, jewellery, amulets, and sarcophagi, on loan from the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

It’s designed to give viewers an insight into the life and times of Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BC and is arguably the greatest of all the pharaohs, according to Dr Waziry.

Ramses the Great lived to the age of 92 and is believed to have fathered more than 100 children.

Much of Egypt’s monumental architecture was built during his reign, including scores of giant landmarks built as tributes to Ramses.

The exhibition will include a virtual reality tour of two of the most impressive: the tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite royal consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

The exhibition has already been to the US and is currently in France, where it has attracted record-breaking crowds, according to World Heritage Exhibitions.

The Australian Museum had organised another Egyptian antiquities show, ‘Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’ for 2021 but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will run at the Australian Museum in Sydney from November 18 until May 2024, with tickets available from Monday.

Why does an over 3000-year-old culture still pull audiences, and what is the lure of the Egyptian blockbuster for Australians?

It all feels very familiar – images of pharaohs and mummies – in an Indiana Jones-cum-Tomb Raider kind of way. As audiences, we have been tutored into the world of Egyptology via the big screen, coffee table books, TV documentaries and even graphic cartoons. So, what does it feel like to stand in front of these objects? And is it worth the cost of bringing these exhibitions to Australia?

This week, the Australian Museum (AM) gave us a teaser to its $2.6 billion exhibition Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, scheduled to open in November. The Museum was forced to cancel its 2021 blockbuster, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, due to COVID touring complications.

That was to be the first blockbuster presented by the AM after its $57.5 million refurbishment, and had received funding under the NSW Government’s Create NSW blockbusters funding initiative to do so.  ‘Obviously that blockbuster funding was cut with the exhibition not coming in,’ explains Fran Dorey, Archaeologist and Head of Exhibitions at AM. ‘However, with Ramses on offer, we had to reapply for new blockbuster funding, and we’ve been successful with that.’

But there is no loss to be felt with Tut replaced. Born circa 1303 BCE, Ramses the Great (Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BCE) lived longer than any other Egyptian pharaoh – including King Tut – had 100 children, and was a zealous architect and self-promoter. ‘Ramses would have been the rock star of the ancient world,’ Dorey tells ArtsHub.

Why is Ramses such a rock star?

Ramses lived to about 92, and came to epitomise the power and wealth during the New Kingdom period, with at least nine kings taking their name after him. Dorey says: ‘He was out there as a teenager being a great warrior and general in the Egyptian army. He became king when he was around 25 and ruled for about 66 years. He was also like a wanton PR machine. Wherever you go in Egypt – from the north all the way down to the south – he built temples, palaces and buildings with colossal statues of himself, and we’re talking 12- to 20-metre statues.

‘He also took over other people’s statues and ripped their names up and put his name on them. Egyptians would have seen him everywhere. We know he had at least eight wives and at least 100 children – so he was very prolific as a builder, a warrior, a politician and a breeder,’ Dorey continues.

And if that isn’t enough, Hollywood, in the iconic Cecil B DeMille film Ten Commandments, made him the pharaoh of the Exodus. The exhibition checks off all the boxes that the public expects to see, especially the mystery and mythology of ‘king as intercessor’ between gods and men.

Dorey says the story that surrounds the history is as exciting as the objects themselves. ‘These are the things you see in movies, and you see them in textbooks and marketing imagery, and there is that, “Oh, that’s pretty cool” response. But there is something about actually seeing the real thing, and standing in front of it. I always get this tingly feeling.’

She continues: ‘When I look at something, I think, “Oh, my God, somebody touched that 3000 years ago, and it’s got their fingers on it.” And then I think, “Someone found it 100 years ago, and what happened to it between then and now?” They’re not just objects. They are things with stories, and that history is right in front of you.’

A win in disguise: is Ramses better than Tut?

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs has been presented in Houston, San Francisco and Paris en route to Sydney. The AM is gearing up to welcome upwards of 500,000 people through its doors.

The Tut tour was managed by the US touring company IMG and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Culture. Essentially, a new breakaway company, World Heritage Exhibitions/Neon Global, is responsible for this new blockbuster.

The Tutankhamun exhibition was going to be the largest exhibition of his treasures ever to leave Egypt, but will now be confined to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which is due to open later this year. But Dorey doesn’t believe we’ve missed out, admitting to ArtsHub: ‘To be honest, I think [Ramses is] a better exhibition, I think there’s a lot more to do and see, and there is also a greater depth of objects.

‘One of the things that most people don’t realise, is that Tut’s tomb isn’t the only pharaoh’s tomb that was found intact. And, in fact, his had been robbed at least twice in antiquity,’ she says. Alongside Ramses, there are other pharaohs featured in this exhibition – Amenemope and Wendjebauendjed, with gold masks and a granite bust of Merneptah.

The exhibition of 181 artefacts also includes sarcophagi, animal mummies, jewellery and amulets. Dorey says her highlights are the aforementioned gold masks, and the recreation of a tomb from the Valley of the Kings. ‘We’ve got Ramses’ coffin, and it is displayed with wall paintings and roof paintings – so it’s like you’re going back into his tomb. It tells the story of the people who painted tomb, and cut the tomb and made the coffins, and I love that.’

That immersive experience is extended with a VR (virtual reality) element that will take visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite Royal Consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

Dorey says she has given the separate ticketed experience a whirl. ‘You sit in these fancy chairs that look like giant eggs and your feet are off the ground, and you have a VR headset on. So, if you can imagine a cross between an archaeologist taking you on a tour of Abu Simbel and a film director coming in doing their impression, and you do also meet Ramses – it’s very cool; I loved it.’

She adds of the $2.6 billion value of the show: ‘Once you add the value of the objects – which is the highest value for a collection that we’ve ever had – plus the VR technology, the exhibition furniture, such as the showcases and the audio guides, then that is about right.’

The Egyptian blockbuster is not a new thing

While VR may feel new regarding an Egyptian narrative, the Egyptian blockbuster is hardly a new thing. So what’s the lure for Australian audiences?

Dorey puts it simply: ‘We have to look at the history of the popularisation of Egypt. We had the ‘Egyptomania’ of the 20s and 30s, but it never goes away. That 100-year history of looking at the discoveries, we’ve all heard of it.’  By 1930 about 70% of the AM’s Egyptian Collection was assembled, following the global trend.

‘You can turn the TV on at any given day and there’s an Egyptian documentary. So it’s constantly in our mindset. But I think, when you look at the Egyptian art, and the way they made things and the way they bought in nature and animals, it’s very different – it’s engaging. And then there’s lots of gold – Egyptians loved gold.

‘I think all that combined suggests that it’s exotic, that it’s amazing. And yet, we all feel like we know something because we’ve all watched a documentary, which is nice,’ Dorey adds.

Audiences feel an additional layer of familiarity, having experienced their share of Egyptian exhibitions to date. Alongside the AM’s Ramses exhibition this year, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Perth is currently showing Discovering Ancient Egypt. It partnered with the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in the Netherlands, the National Museum of Australia and the Queensland Museum to bring over 240 objects together, including extracts from the Book of the Dead.

Regarding the exhibition’s section containing human remains (i.e. the mummies), Artshub reviewer Nanci Nott wrote: ‘More fascinating than morbid, here curatorial emphasis rests on the intrinsic value of historical knowledge, as opposed to the cheap sensationalism associated with early archaeology.’

Prior to this year’s offerings, the Powerhouse Museum presented Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives in 2017, while in 2011 Melbourne Museum presented the Melbourne Winter Blockbuster Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs – produced by National Geographic. And in 2007 the National Gallery of Australia presented Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre: Journey to the Afterlife.

The AM last presented an Egyptian blockbuster in 1998, Life and Death Under the Pharaohs, which led to a reported 51% increase in visitors to the Museum during its presentation. So clearly the repetition means it works.

And, on any given day of the week, visitors can see – free of charge – exhibitions at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, with its purpose-built The Egyptian Galleries: The Mummy Room and Pharaonic Obsessions (including four mummies), and the Museum of South Australia’s display The Ancient Egypt gallery, which was unveiled in 1939. While it is pretty much ‘as-it-was’ since opening with its sarcophagus and mummy of Renpit-Nefert – it remains a favourite with visitors.

Adding to that permanent offering, the AM is planning to refurbish its Egyptian galleries as part of its forward vision for 2027 onwards.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens 18 November at the Australian Museum, Sydney; ticketed.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition brings the iconic blockbuster to life at the heart of Atlanta’s very own Pullman Yards through November 12.

Since its arrival in Atlanta last May, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has captured the hearts of both young and old alike. And as proof of its resounding success, the immersive experience has announced it will be extending its stay! Prepare to be transported back to the prehistoric era, where dinosaurs once roamed the earth carelessly, and uncover the science behind it all at The Creation Lab. 

Don your explorer’s hat to encounter friendly favorites like the adorable Little Bumpy from Camp Cretaceous, come face-to-face with the daunting Tyrannosaurus-Rex and so many more. Whether you’re seeking pulse-racing or heartwarming encounters, Jurassic World: The Exhibition stays open through November 12 — the opportunity to explore Isla Nublar in its striking glory. 

Don’t miss the chance to embark on this unforgettable adventure and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Jurassic World.

Get ready for a full immersion into the groundbreaking universe of the iconic “Jurassic Park” franchise! As you step through the iconic archway, you’ll find yourself sucked into the breathtaking world of Isla Nublar, right here in Atlanta. The lush foliage, wild ferns, and vibrant leaves will make you feel like you’ve stepped right into the heart of the island, the perfect opportunity to recreate that iconic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” moment. But be wary as you explore, as curious eyes may be peering at you from the branches…

Thankfully, Jurassic World: The Exhibition offers all the excitement without the actual danger (realistically, no dinosaurs will be chasing you through Pullman Yards!). The interactive nature of the experience is perfect for kids, since they can witness their favorite dinosaurs come to life and interact with them in ways they never thought possible. And if you’re a die-hard fan of the blockbuster saga, this Jurassic World experience is the perfect opportunity to unleash the ’90s kid within you!

After a successful run in London and a current stop in Mississauga, the XXL exhibition is now open in Atlanta through November 12 — and visitors can’t get enough:

“Very realistic and perfectly done. I had the best experience! Angela T. “

“Wow!! Definitely surpassed my expectations. This was very well done you can tell they put a lot of work into it. Rachel M. “

“Did not disappoint! Worth the money! Star M. “

Secure your tickets to witness Isla Nublar IRL!

The Australian Museum in Sydney will host this Ramses the Great exhibition, which will feature items that’ve never left Egypt before.

From 1279–1213 BCE, Ramses II ruled over Egypt. When Saturday, November 18 rolls around this year, a collection of items from the pharaoh’s rule 3000-plus years ago will gleam in Australia. First announced back in 2021, and now locking in its dates and details, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will display more 181 rare artefacts and treasures at the Australian Museum in Sydney — including sarcophagi, animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler’s tomb.

Focusing on Egypt’s third pharaoh from its 19th dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses the Great, who enjoyed the second-longest reign of any pharaoh, and is considered a symbol of the country’s prosperous ancient New Kingdom period — this showcase is set to be big. The Australian Museum has dubbed it the largest cultural collection Down Under in more than a decade, in fact. While the hefty number of objects featured is impressive, so is their rare status; some of the pieces included haven’t ever left Egypt before.

Bringing a slice of history to Australia’s shores, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be filled with items from museums and historical sites in Egypt, which are being loaned to the exhibition by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Also included: letting attendees enter two of the ruler’s monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel — virtually.

“Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture — many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II,” said The Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr Mostafa Waziry, who is also an archaeologist, launching the countdown to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

“This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

“The AM is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history firsthand. Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike,” added Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO.

Presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and also funding from the NSW Government’s Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs heads to Australia after showing in Houston and San Francisco in the US, as well as its current season until September in Paris.

Sydney was also meant to celebrate a different Egyptian rule, Tutankhamun, a few years back; however, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, which was due to bring more than 150 items to the Australian Museum in 2021, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, from Saturday, November 18 until May 2024 — head to the exhibition’s website for further details, and tickets from Monday, July 17.

Big news, the incredible Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is headed to Sydney this summer.

Hosted at The Australian Museum in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the exhibition will feature 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures, making it the largest cultural exhibition to visit Sydney in over a decade. 

While the mystery of the pyramids and the splendour of Ancient Egypt is typically pretty distant for Sydneysiders—we’ll now get the opportunity to peer 3,30o years into the past, with one-of-a-kind archaeological finds like sarcophagi, animal mummies, jewellery, spectacular royal masks, and exquisite amulets. Many of the items on show have never left Egypt before.

The exhibition focuses on the life and times of King Ramses II, whole ruled over Egypt for 67 years during the height of their civilisation—an era known as the “New Kingdom” period of 1539-1075 BC. Ramses loved to build epic monuments, and included in the Sydney exhibition will be pieces from the Tomb of Queen Nefertari (his favourite Royal Consort) and the temple of Abu Simbel.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is heading to Sydney only, after showing in Paris, Houston, and San Francisco. 

Tickets will go on sale Monday 17 July at 10am. Head over here to grab yours. 

The Details

What: Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
When: From Saturday 18 November, 2023
Where: The Australian Museum, Sydney
Tickets: Online, here from Monday 17 July

Explore the fascinating and rich culture of Ancient Egypt in this blockbuster Australian-first exhibition in Sydney.

A blockbuster touring exhibition — Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, featuring 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures is making its way to Sydney. Set to be the largest exhibition in Sydney in a decade, the interactive display will be an Australian-first exhibition featuring objects and treasures from museums and historical sites across Egypt. It will take over The Australian Museum this summer in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the giant showcase promises to be fit for a pharaoh.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, Sydney

If you enjoy history and find yourself fascinated by ancient Egypt and its pyramids, this is your opportunity to get catapulted 3,300 years in the past and see it all up close.

The exhibition depicts the life and accomplishments of one of the most renowned and powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history — King Ramses II, more commonly referred to as Ramses the Great. He ruled Egypt for nearly 67 years, rebuilding several monuments and temples and was celebrated as a great warrior. He also became the embodiment of power and wealth in ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC.

Exhibition highlights

Among the highlights, visitors can look forward to exploring one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, stunning jewellery, royal masks, and beautiful amulets, many of which have never left Egypt before.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a virtual reality experience that will take visitors on a tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari — his favourite royal consort, which features vibrant colours and detailed artwork and the temples of Abu Simbel, a historic site comprising twin rock-cut temples.

Bringing to life the rich culture of ancient Egypt and shedding light on its enduring mythology the exhibition will feature 181 rare artefacts sourced from some of Egypt’s most renowned historical sites.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs dates and tickets

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs comes to Australia after sold-out seasons in Houston, San Francisco and Paris, where it is currently on display until September.

You’ll want to mark your calendars for November 18, 2023, which is when the exhibition opens at the Australian Museum in Sydney. Tickets go on sale this week from Monday, July 17 and you can join the waitlist here to get first dibs.

Sydney, 9 July, 2023: The Australian Museum, in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and World Heritage Exhibitions/Neon Global, is proud to present the blockbuster Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which will be the largest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over a decade when it opens in Sydney on 18 November this year.

Exclusive to Sydney, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is an interactive museum experience that features 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures, including one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, magnificent jewellery, spectacular royal masks, exquisite amulets – many of which have never left Egypt before.

All of the objects in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs have come from museums and historical sites in Egypt and are on loan to the exhibition from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and renowned archaeologist, Dr Mostafa Waziry, today launched the countdown to Ramses at the Australian Museum.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs provides visitors with a window into the life and accomplishments of King Ramses II, more commonly known as Ramses the Great, who ruled Egypt for nearly 67 years – the second longest reign for any pharaoh in Ancient Egyptian history. Ramses the Great, who lived to about 92 years of age, came to epitomise the power and wealth of Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC, when Egyptian civilisation was at its height. Ramses was known as a mighty warrior who secured peace with his neighbours, led an extensive building campaign that included scores of gigantic monuments to himself, and is believed to have fathered over 100 children.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs also features a virtual reality experience that takes visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite Royal Consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

NSW Minister for Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism, the Hon John Graham, said Sydney is the only city in the region to host Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, funded by the NSW Government through the Blockbuster Fund: “Egypt was one of the most powerful civilisations in the centre of the ancient world, and we are thrilled some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. This is a magnificent exhibition, set to produce a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists. I encourage all Australians to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificently preserved 3,300-year-old artefacts at the Australian Museum.”

Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO said the objects in Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs are drawn from Egypt’s finest museums and historical sites, and bring to life the fascinating, rich culture of ancient Egypt.

“The AM is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history first-hand,” McKay said. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

Dr Mostafa Waziry, visiting Sydney from Cairo, said that Egyptian antiquities and treasures have dazzled the world for centuries: “Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture – many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II, 1279 to 1213 BC. This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

World Heritage Exhibitions CEO John Norman said Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs is seeing record-breaking attendance around the world: “Our team has created an amazing experience celebrating the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history and the reaction from people has surpassed our highest expectations. We are so excited to bring the exhibition to Sydney and know Australians are going to be similarly amazed.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs comes to Sydney after successful seasons in Houston, San Francisco and Paris, where it is currently on show until September.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens at the Australian Museum on 18 November 2023.

He was Ancient Egypt’s unrivalled builder, warrior and begetter of children – historians believe he fathered at least 100. But in the annals of popular history, the great Ramses II has long been overshadowed by a teenager.

This irks archaeologist Mostafa Waziry from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “Tutankhamun is nothing,” he said. “He died at the age of 18, or something. He did nothing to Egypt. Just a little boy playing with horses and chariots.”

Waziry hopes any lingering confusion about the pharaonic pecking order will be swept away by Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs, an exhibition of animal mummies, jewels and sarcophagi due to open at the Australian Museum in November.

While visiting Sydney to promote the exhibition before tickets go on sale on July 17, Waziry said Tutankhamun’s fame only arose from his tomb being found unplundered a century ago. “His tomb is the poorest in the Valley of the Kings,” he said.

“If you were to look at the tomb of Ramses – oh wow, what a tomb. He’s the greatest because of what he did to the history of Egypt. Wars? He was the greatest warrior. For the number of buildings or constructions or temples or kiosks or chapels, Ramses is the greatest.”

Historically, Australians have flocked to visiting exhibitions of ancient artefacts. A 1988 show, also called Gold of the Pharaohs, held attendance records at the Art Gallery of NSW for almost 25 years, followed closely by a show featuring China’s Terracotta Army in 1983.

A 2021 exhibition of treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb – which was to have crowned the Australian Museum’s $57 million renovations – had been expected to draw 800,000 visitors before it was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sydney will be the fourth international stop for the exhibition, which features Egyptian-owned artefacts and is run in co-operation with the Egyptian government.

Waziry said he would not raise the question of Australian ownership of Egyptian artefacts, such as the Mummy Room in the University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum, during his tour, saying it was once legal for archaeological teams in Egypt to keep half of their discoveries.

“I don’t mind if we have Egyptian artefacts in Australia,” he said. “They have thousands of pieces in the Louvre Museum. I don’t care. We have obelisks in Italy, in England, in America. They are for me like ambassadors in those countries.”

But there are four artefacts Waziry would like returned to Egypt; the Rosetta Stone, the Dendera Zodiac at the Louvre, the bust of Nefertiti at the Berlin Museum, and the statue of pyramid architect Hemiunu in Hildesheim, Germany. “They are unique,” he said.

In August 2022, Jurassic World: The Exhibition came stomping into London ExCel, sending ripples through many cups of coffee (although please note that no open-top beverages are actually allowed past the check-in point). This walk-through-style tour might have just been the most immersive and jaw-dropping experience in the entire Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise since the original 1993 film, so let’s break down everything it had to offer…

The Isla Nublar Ferry

After checking in, you boarded the Isla Nublar Ferry as seen in Jurassic World (2015), which transports guests from mainland Central America to the Costa Rican island Isla Nublar, home to Jurassic World. Of course, it isn’t an actual ferry, but it’s so instantly immersive that you’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto a real boat on the Thames (which is actually just a stone’s throw away from the venue). Between the accompanying Jurassic World “staff” and the “view” of the ocean horizon, you’ll be plunged into the world made famous in the blockbuster series.

The Gates

“What have they got in there, King Kong?” Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) once said, and this might be the first thing that comes to mind as you approached those towering Jurassic World gates at the start of the exhibition. It might not be a 50-foot gorilla that you’ll find on the other side, but you were greeted with a Brachiosaurus, a life-size animatronic whose long neck moves so fluidly you’ll be asking one of the Jurassic World staff if they’ve actually used fossilized DNA to bring prehistoric animals back to life.

The entire area was kitted out with foliage and appropriate fencing, and other man-made structures from viewing platforms to large crates. Nearby you also found a Stygimoloch in the back of a truck, and watch as it sticks its armor-plated head over the top from time to time. And then there’s a Jurassic World paleo-veterinarian, who has an infant Pteranadon cradled in their arms, something tailored a bit more toward those “younger versions of adults”.

The Labs

Beyond the first section of Jurassic World, you swapped the dimly lit “outdoor” jungle setting for a bleach-white, sterile laboratory environment named the “Hammond Creation Lab”, which housed display cases populated with prehistoric mosquitos fossilized in shiny amber, as well as a hatchery, where dinosaur eggs and life-like newborn Parasaurolophus, are on display. This area was no less interactive, though, and there was another Jurassic World employee with an infant dinosaur – this time, an adorable, wide-eyed Parasaur.

Velociraptors

Do you remember the scene in Jurassic World where Owen Grady’s four Velociraptors are muzzled and contained in individual holding pens, their bodies and jaws completely restricted? Well, in this part of the tour, you felt like you had stepped onto that set, as these movie-quality raptors look very much alive – they’re not just moving, they’re breathing. There was, however, a slightly concerning detail, as Blue’s pen is empty! In the next room, you’ll see her in a large holding pen with a raptor wrangler (no, unfortunately it’s not Chris Pratt)!

Indominus Rex

Then, it was onto the first of two main events – the Indominus Rex! Just like with Blue, you would enter a room where you’ll be faced with a dinosaur enclosure, however, this one doesn’t have wall-to-ceiling fences like the last one, as you’ll be able to see the dinosaur’s head emerge over the top as it creeps out of the dense foliage to feast upon a hunk of meat that a Jurassic World employee is dangling overhead using a crane. No words can describe just how startlingly real the Indominus looked here – it really had to be seen to be believed.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

While the Indominus Rex was designed to be the main selling-point of Jurassic World in the movies, there was simply no beating the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. After entering a similar room (though much bigger), the full-bodied Tyrannosaurus Rex (yet another frighteningly realistic animatronic creation) will breach its perimeter fence, forcing all the Jurassic World employees to burst into panic as they usher you towards the exit doors. This T-Rex meant business, and the way its flesh and muscles undulated as it moved and breathed, and the way its eyes blinked and rolled, and of course that deafening roar, left you frozen to the ground (which was probably for the best in this situation anyway).

And so once you had escaped the Tyrannosaurus Rex, that was the end of your tour, as you would find yourself in Jurassic World: The Exhibition’s giftshop, where you’re very likely to “spare no expense”.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition certainly delivered on its biggest promise – that it’s “the closest you’ll come to living dinosaurs”. The walk-through tour took roughly 45 minutes to enjoy, and there was also a couple of other smaller areas to take note of, such as a museum-style area where you’ll meet “Bumpy” – the infant Ankylosaurus from animated Netflix series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous – and a collection of Gyrospheres in a jungle setting (the gyroscopic vehicles from Jurassic World), which made for a perfect photo opportunity.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition opened on the 25th August 2022 and was meant to end in November, but due to the high demand and it’s popularity, it was extended until January 2023 and officially closed on 15th January 2023. Did you get to visit this amazing experience, should it return? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Warner Bros and Neon are working in collaboration to develop a new contemporary art experience based on the world of Harry Potter

A new contemporary art experience based on the Harry Potter franchise is making its way to a yet-to-be named European city ahead of a tour of Europe for the travelling exhibition.

A collaboration between Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and immersive experiential design firm Neon, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic explores both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie IPs, with the interactive art experience featuring locations such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and more.

The travelling exhibition will feature multi-sensory installations, with interactive technology inviting guests to “illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life”.

“This experience is going to leave our millions of Wizarding World fans around the world awestruck,” said Peter van Roden, senior vice president, Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “Art and technology have been masterfully harnessed and brought together with the Wizarding World to create a truly magical experience that puts the franchise on display like never before.”

Neon – formerly CityNeon – says more information about the exhibition and initial host city will be announced later this year. Former touring exhibitions from the company include Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., Jurassic World: The Exhibition and The Hunger Games: The Exhibition.

“We’re excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to deliver this unique experience for the first time ever,” said Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of Neon.

“Whether you have been a fan of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts for decades, or are just now discovering these rich stories, expect to be taken on a journey like none other.”

A number of Harry Potter attraction and exhibitions have toured the world, with Harry Potter: The Exhibition set for a stop in Macao, China, later this year. A major attraction based on the Wizarding World has also open in Japan, with the Harry Potter Studio Tour opening in Tokyo.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has announced that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to present Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. This new interactive art experience is inspired by the Wizarding World and will start its European tour this year, followed by global locations.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is a modern creative celebration of the enduring film series which aims to celebrate the worlds of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and explore some of the Wizarding World’s mysterious elements.

Guests can discover creative and evocative settings based on enigmatic locations in the magical world, like the Ministry of Magic, Newt’s Menagerie, and more. Multi-sensory works are created by responsive video content, striking architecture, and unique soundscapes, while interactive technology enables visitors to illuminate the invisible, exposing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.

Art and technology combine to bring the Wizarding World to life

“This experience is going to leave our millions of Wizarding World fans around the world awestruck,” says Peter van Roden, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “Art and technology have been masterfully harnessed and brought together with the Wizarding World to create a truly magical experience that puts the franchise on display like never before.”

“We’re excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to deliver this unique experience for the first time ever,” adds Ron Tan, executive chairman and group CEO of NEON. “Whether you have been a fan of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts for decades, or are just now discovering these rich stories, expect to be taken on a journey like none other.”

Later this year, more details regarding Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will be released, and the European city set to host the world premiere will be announced.  For priority access to presale tickets to the European location where you may be among the first to experience the spellbinding Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, sign up for the waiting list here. Subscribers will also be the first to receive information about upcoming tours planned for other locations around the world.

Earlier this year, NEON’s Avatar: The Experience received the Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2023, in the Experience Excellence category.

The man was barely 170cm tall and lived to the ripe age of 87, a wonder in itself. He was a warrior, peacemaker, and builder — the creator of an empire whose hazel eyes, set above an imperiously beaked nose, shone like the gold jewellery that hung from his slender frame. History knows him as Ramses II — or Ramses the Great, pharaoh of pharaohs. His name and feats more than 3000 years ago are etched in stone in the Valley of the Kings. To Zahi Hawass, the most celebrated Egyptologist of our time, it all could have happened yesterday.

We’re talking in Paris at the unveiling of the $2.4 billion exhibition about Ramses’ reign that Hawass has curated. Stay tuned, because after its run at the Grande Halle de la Villette, next stop for the blockbuster show is the Australian Museum in Sydney, a coup for director and CEO Kim McKay. She and Hawass are old friends — and that’s part of the rollicking background to how the deal was done to bring the collection to Australia in November. For now, let’s not be distracted from what’s on the bill: 181 exquisite pieces and possibly the carved cedar coffin that held the pharaoh’s mummified remains, never before seen outside of Egypt. There’s an 8kg necklace of rolled gold and gems inscribed for a successor, Psusennes I, and the Colossal Head of Ramses in pink granite that towers over the entrance gallery. Hawass, who is 76 but boyish in his enthusiasm, has had the hard-to-impress local media eating out of his hand.

“You see, this is how ancient Egypt captured the hearts of people everywhere. And why does it do that? It does it because this is history you can touch — it lives and breathes through these artefacts,” he tells The Weekend Australian Magazine as the French TV crews pack their gear away. “For me, I still live in the time of the pharaohs. I don’t live in the time of the people here … I found my love, and my love was ancient.”

Only someone as high-wattage as Hawass could say this with a straight face. Yet when he’s seated in front of the silver coffin of another pharaoh, Shoshenq II, debonair in a fashionably-cut navy suit, a touch of grandiloquence seems entirely in order. A smiling McKay is by his side, enjoying the performance. It’s quite the occasion for her, too, the culmination of years of painstaking work and perseverance to land the grand prize of Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs. And this is Paris. In spring. Blooming beautiful since they hauled away the reeking garbage that had choked the streets during the protests over Emmanuel Macron’s plan to increase the French retirement age. “I’m really excited,” she says. “I think Australians will be blown away. Now, if we can only get that coffin…”

You’ve got to hand it to her. McKay never gave up, not even when Covid-19 sank her carefully laid plans to launch a $57.5 million renovation of the nation’s oldest museum with a flourish in 2021. Hawass had phoned in the dead of night about a prestige exhibition that had toured America, France and the UK, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. “Would you like it, Kim?” You bet, she said.

No one has more clout than he as gatekeeper of Egypt’s state collections. Sporting his trademark work hat, he famously guided US president Barack Obama through the pyramids at Giza, pointing out the discoveries he had made, naturally. As a former minister of antiquities, he also knows his way around the corridors of power in Cairo, a must in his line of work. He was purged after the autocrat Hosni Mubarak was overthrown during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 and brought up on corruption charges, which he successfully defended. The Islamists under Mohamed Morsi were then toppled in a military coup led by the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, paving the way for Hawass to be rehabilitated. As ever, it pays to know where the political bodies are buried in the land of the pharaohs.

When the Tutankhamun show was pulled back by the Egyptian government at the height of the pandemic, McKay trusted him to make good on his promise to find her something better. “If anyone could do it, I knew Zahi would,” she remembers. There was a lot on the line if he didn’t come through. McKay had gone out on a limb, you see, to convince the NSW government to fund the upgrade of the Australian Museum at 1 William Street in Sydney. Tipped off that the project had not made it into the 2018 state budget, she pulled out the stops. McKay realised her only hope was to make the case directly to then premier Gladys Berejiklian — easier said than done when the budget was about to be locked in. As it happened, she had a lead on where the premier was going to be that Sunday. The museum’s chief scientist had been asked lo stand up with Berejiklian at a media conference at Taronga Zoo for a good news announcement about koalas. So McKay rolled up, too.

It wasn’t quite an ambush: she had told the premier’s office what she wanted to see her about, and cleared it with the zoo people. Berejiklian took it in her stride. She had a family lunch to get to so could they walk and talk? McKay gave her the spiel: the millions Tutankhamun would generate if it came to Sydney, the crying need for more room at the museum to attract blockbuster exhibitions. She even had an artist’s impression of the upgrade on hand. Berejiklian peppered her with questions. How much do you need, Kim? $50 million from the state, she replied evenly, and we’ll raise the rest. All upfront? No, we’ll take it any way you want. Leave it with me, the premier said.

The money duly came through, and the work was completed on time and within budget to create 3000sqm of additional floor space despite the travails of Covid. But now there was no Tutankhamun to open with; no option, either, of pulling in a replacement from overseas. McKay turned to the tried and true crowd-pleaser of dinosaurs.

The Australian Museum’s trove of prehistoric fossils is world renowned. Unfortunately, its Tyrannosaurs — Meet the Family exhibition was then on the road, about to open at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh after touring the US. This time she was the one pulling the plug. “I had to ring them and say, ‘Sorry, I have to recall it’. They were OK, they understood,” she says. “And as it turned out, it was the right thing to do. The exhibition was ours, created by our team, but it hadn’t been here for something like seven years. So there was a new generation of kids and families who hadn’t seen it. Dinosaurs are like gold to museums.”

Hawass hadn’t forgotten his promise, either. They’re something of an odd couple, the smooth-as-silk Egyptian archaeologist and his blunt-spoken Australian friend. Before taking charge of the museum a decade ago, McKay, 63, had an eclectic background in communications, the environment, event management, television production and non-fiction writing. Having grown up on Sydney’s northern beaches, she helped promote a nascent pro-surfing circuit before getting behind Australian of the Year Ian Kiernan’s Clean Up campaign, taking it worldwide.

She joined the Discovery Channel in 1997, moved to Washington DC and partnered with British producer Mark Burnett on a hot new show called Eco-Challenge: the Expedition Race. It was a template for reality TV and Burnett’s subsequent success with the likes of Survivor, The Apprentice, Shark Tank and The Voice. (“He’s gone on to make hundreds of millions,” she chortles.) Then it was on to the National Geographic Channel, where McKay ran global marketing and communications for the cable platform. She was weighing whether to make her home permanently in the US when her parents’ declining health made the decision for her: she returned to Sydney, co-wrote a series of books on the environment, True Green, and was brought on as a trustee of the venerable, 196-year-old Australian Museum.

She put her hand up for the director’s role after it became vacant in 2013. If the job was to clear out the cobwebs, she was up for it. Actually, no other woman had run the show before her. McKay, a people person, made it her business to break into the international “boy’s club” of her then peers. Clicking with Hawass certainly helped. While she was at NatGeo, he had led her through the secret depths of the Great Pyramid of Giza where he is convinced the tomb of the great pharaoh Khufu lies undiscovered. She loved it.

Hawass insists that the Ramses exhibition is worth the wait. Tutankhamun’s death at age 19, without an heir and before he could make anything of himself, would have relegated the boy king to a footnote in history had his burial chamber not been found intact with its treasures in 1922 by Howard Carter. Ramses’ reign from 1279-1213 BC, four generations on, was something else altogether.

He too ascended to the throne as a young man, scion of the 19th Dynasty founded by his grandfather, Ramses I. He was no pampered dilettante, though, having already proved his mettle in war. The new pharaoh fought the Nubians in the south, Libyans on the western border, pirates on the Mediterranean, and Hittites — with whom he signed the world’s first known peace treaty — through the Syrian littoral. Egypt entered a golden age of prosperity, one that was dutifully recorded on the countless monuments Ramses II raised to his own glory. It’s unclear if he was responsible for ordering the massacre of baby boys that led to the Exodus of the Israelites under Moses; attributing it to him was a Hollywood invention, some historians reckon.

Two of his numerous wives, beloved Nefertari and beautiful Isetnofret, became historical figures in their own right. A vibrant New Kingdom was at the zenith of its power and influence when the 13th of his 50 sons, Merneptah, succeeded him, aged 50. “T am telling you and I told everyone that this exhibition is a lot more than Tutankhamun,” Hamass says. “Ramses was a bigger name, a bigger personality in every respect. You see that in these 181 beautiful objects. This is why this exhibition will be a great gift from us to Australia and from me to my friend, Kim.”

It starts by transporting you back in time, past the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, beyond the birth of Christ and the rise and fall of imperial Rome, back more than 100 generations until you arrive at Memphis, seat of power in ancient Egypt. The exhibition’s introduction theatre, with its video projected in 180 degrees and rumbling surround-sound, is where 2lst-century tech meets early human civilisation. Drone footage soars over and then zooms in to the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx.

Headsets fixed, you move through a vestibule under the implacable gaze of a 2.3m bust in red granite, the Colossal Head of Ramses, a taste of the grandeur to come. The exhibition unfolds across nine galleries, each themed to a different aspect of his life: warrior, builder, living god, tomb maker. The artefacts are displayed alongside interactive elements including video timelines and scale models. For an additional cost, you can take a virtual reality tour of the majestic rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel and the Tomb of Nefertari, led by the spirit of Ramses” adored queen herself.

The story of the 1275 BC Batlle of Kadesh is vividly recreated through CGI, a spectacle of clanging swords and hissing arrows, paired with the display of part of a wooden bow from the time. The clash was trumpeted by Ramses as a smashing victory over the Hittite empire. In fact, the outcome was more like a punch-drunk draw. Five years into his reign, nearing his 30th birthday, the pharaoh had led his army into an ambush on the Orontes River near the present-day border of Lebanon and Syria. The Egyptians were facing disaster when the Hittites stopped to loot their camp; Ramses rallied his troops and drove the enemy into the river, forcing the survivors to swim for their lives. Yet his badly mauled forces lacked the strength to finish the Hittites, who fell back on the fortified city of Kadesh. Ramses also retreated.

No matter. By the time he secured his historic peace agreement with the Hittites — the treaty was inscribed on a silver tablet that today hangs in replica in the United Nations building in New York — Ramses showed he had absorbed history’s cardinal rule: it is written by the victor. Again and again as it turned out, chiselled into every available stone surface in his expanding realm. His cartouche or royal seal, etched in an oval pattern of hieroglyphs, litters the exhibition, just as it did in ancient Egypt. A gold-lipped obelisk even has Ramses’ name written over that of another king.

A time-lapse sequence depicts the new capital, Pi-Ramesse, that he established in the Nile Delta, complete with more than 50 towering statues of himself and sumptuous palaces for the royal family. They needed the space: he is said to have amassed some 200 wives or concubines and fathered at least 110 children, many of whom he outlived.

In a chamber dedicated to Ramses at Peace, we meet the pharaoh in his prime, his face round and youthful, a slight smile playing on his full lips. He holds the heka sceptre, a symbol of earthly power. The royal diadem with a uraeus (a stylised rearing cobra) representing the protective goddess Wadjet adorns his shaved scalp. The ancient Egyptians’ preoccupation with the afterlife was the measure of a precarious earthly existence, blighted by disease and often hunger for ordinary folk. The median lifespan was barely 19: people were old by their mid-30s, few and far between after 40. No wonder they hailed long-lived Ramses as divine.

Among the nobility, men and women alike used perfumed ointments, applied makeup and dripped in jewellery. Gold, the flesh of the gods, was worked into the funerary treasures with silver, electrum, lapis lazuli, obsidian, turquoise stone and chalcedony. You transit a dark corridor, ethereal music playing, to be dazzled by a glittering tableau of the pharaohs’ wealth. Enhanced by fibre-optic case lighting, the scene cuts across a number of dynasties; there are amulets studded with precious stones, gorgeous jewelled collars, 5em-long gold earrings adorned with heraldic dolphins, and heavy toe stalls that would have weighed on the entitled wearer, despite their ageless beauty.

The 8kg necklace named for Psusennes I, who reigned nearly 300 years after Ramses the Great in the 21st Dynasty, is a masterpiece of the goldsmith’s art forged from nearly 5000 disks arranged in five coils, flaring into a bib of gold chains finished with intricate gold bells. The funerary mask of one of his generals, Wendjebauendjet, exudes a very human warmth through eyes highlighted with glass inlay. An otherwise simple signet ring inscribed with the throne name of Ramses contrasts with the magnificent scarab ring with cartouche of Queen Tausret, one of the few women to become pharaoh and the last to rule in the 19th Dynasty. What a sight their courts must have been.

Sadly, the contents of Ramses’ tomb are long gone, plundered by thieves. But there’s a glimpse of the lost grandeur in the outer coffin and lid of the master artisan Sennedjem, a “servant in the place of truth” who would have decorated the royal crypt. Sennedjem’s own tomb was discovered untouched in 1886, filled with the accoutrements of everyday life including the bed he shared with his wife, Lyneferti, before she was interred by his side. Painted reliefs from the walls and ceiling of the chamber are reproduced in the exhibition, vividly charting their imagined progress from death into the afterlife. His wooden sarcophagus is finished in rich hues that look like they could have been painted yesterday, along with texts and vignettes from the Book of the Dead. In one scene, the couple are shown playing senet, a backgammon-like board game which had a dual function of connecting the living with the departed. Rich and poor alike were devoted to it.

Royal mummies were generally considered worthless by grave robbers and discarded. But during the 21st Dynasty the embalmed remains of New Kingdom rulers, Ramses’ among them, his haughty nose still recognisable, were hidden by temple priests inside an out-of-the-way cliff-face overlooking the Theban Necropolis at modern-day Luxor, between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. They lay there until archaeologists were led to them in 1881. The breathtaking Royal Cache is recreated in a stand-alone gallery with a cameo by the man credited with recovering the 50-odd mummies, German Egyptologist Emile Brugsch, in another piece of technological wizardry. “Soon we came upon cases of porcelain funerary offerings, metal and alabaster vessels, draperies and trinkets, until, reaching the turn in the passage, a cluster of mummy cases came into view in such number as to stagger me,” you hear him say. Sadly, the mummies themselves are too precious to tour.

But mummified animals that were routinely entombed with a pharaoh are displayed for the first time outside of Egypt in their form-fitting linen wraps: cats, mongoose, even a lion cub, its facial features sketched in. More CGI magic allows us to envisage how Ramses would have aged from the vigorous young warlord to hunchbacked old man, his face lined, a thatch of grey hair clumped beneath his bald crown, still clear-eyed and now all-powerful.

I ask Hawass what he would do if he could sit down with the great man. “We would play chess,” he answers. “And I would ask him many questions. But the most important question would be about his many wives. As someone who was deeply in love with Nefertari and who built this very important tomb to her, why did he marry the other queens? I wonder about that.”

Which brings us to the coffin, the showstopper in Paris. The cedar surface would have been stripped and painted yellow, with a handful of details highlighted in vibrant colours and the eyes outlined in black. Ramses is represented as the god Osiris: arms crossed on his chest, he holds the heqa (shepherds crook) and nekhakha (flail). The striped headdress depicts a rearing cobra; a false beard is braided beneath the chin.

The coffin last travelled to France 45 years ago, when the pharaohs fungi-infested remains were painstakingly restored at the Musée de l’Homme. The present loan was to be a one-off for the exhibition’s Paris sojourn, which began in April. But Hawass is adamant Australia will have it too. “I will get it for you, Kim,” he avows. “Definitely. For sure.”

If only it were that easy, McKay sighs. Bringing the coffin to Sydney will require ministerial if not presidential sign-off in Egypt. She’s optimistic, but knows it’s a big ask. Transporting the rest of the artefacts to the other side of the planet for the Sydney opening on November 18 is already an epic undertaking. Given the collection’s eye-watering value — $2.4 billion is probably conservative, McKay says — security must be airtight. Promoter World Heritage Exhibitions is understandably tight-lipped about the arrangements. “The insurers don’t like us talking too much,” says executive vice president Troy Collins. A team of specialist Egyptian conservators are to accompany the treasures, and the Australian Museum will be bringing in additional help to cope with the 500,000 people expected through the door. NSW Minister for the Arts and Tourism John Graham says: “Egyptian civilisation has captured the imagination of generations of Australians. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs is one of the most impressive exhibitions of the Egyptian golden age ever to come to Australia.”

Hawass will be on hand, of course, and he’s talking about springing some surprises. In Paris, he hijacked the media launch on the morning of the grand opening, teasing his “big news” on the hunt for Khufu’s tomb in the Great Pyramid and new findings on the cause of Tutankhamun’’s death. The boy king might have died in an accident or even been murdered, he said, promising all would be revealed in “four months or $0”, neatly in time for his visit to Australia.

“Zahi is such a showman,” McKay says admiringly. “Look at him up there … he’s completely taken over the event.” Energetic as ever, she’s working the room. One of Hawass’s successors as Minister for Antiquities, Mostafa Waziry, has flown in from Cairo and she takes him aside for a quiet word because there is always something you can do, someone else you to talk to when you’re chasing a new prize. Now, about that coffin…

Hear a T-Rex roar, walk through the famous Jurassic World gates, and encounter life-sized dinosaurs at the newest experience to open in Atlanta: Jurassic World: The Exhibition.

The 22,000-square-foot experience is now open at Pullman Yards following an overnight break-in on May 29, where the experience’s general manager said four people caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

The experience takes guests through both the rise of dinosaurs and showcases some of the famous scenes from the movie franchise.

More Atlanta Experiences

“All of the (dinosaur) models come from the movies, the same things that you have seen, so it’s a very rigorous process of getting all of the CG drawings, the 3D models, and then looking at how do you engineer it,” said Otelo Vizcaino from the exhibition..

If you love dinosaurs or the movies, organizers believe this is the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs.

“If you want to feel like you’ve walked into a place that you’ve only dreamt about, you have to come experience Jurassic World: The Exhibition.”

More than five million people around the globe have visited the experience over the last couple of years. This is the first time it has been in Atlanta.

Tickets start at $27 for adults and $25 for kids. Jurassic World: The Exhibition is in Atlanta through at least Labor Day.

Curious to know the kinds of artifacts you’ll see at the exhibit? Here are the five most remarkable mummies you’ll get to see at the exhibit and their untold stories

The largest touring collection of mummified remains and related artifacts ever assembled has arrived at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in downtown Miami.

Running now through September 4, Mummies of the World: The Exhibition will reveal the true lives of ancient people from all over the world.

The exhibit features the mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals and 80 rare artifacts from across the globe.

And how was it possible to study these mummified remains while keeping them perfectly preserved? Dr. Cassie Freund, director of science communication at Frost Science told NBC6 it was through modern science and technology, that their secrets are now revealed.

The exhibit highlights scientific methods used to study mummified remains, including Computed Tomography (CT), DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating, all of which allow researchers to learn about the lives, histories and cultures of these ancient people and animals.

“The use of technology, like CT scanning and X-rays, has allowed scientists to study mummified remains without disturbing the individuals or unwrapping them like they used to do,” Freund said. “We like to say, ‘inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told. So in that way, it makes their study much more respectful.”

Curious to know the kinds of artifacts you’ll see at the exhibit? Here are the five most remarkable mummies you’ll get to see at the exhibit and their untold stories.

MUMAB is the first authentic replication of the Egyptian mummification process done on a decedent body in 2,800 years.

Baron von Holz was a German nobleman found tucked away in the family crypt of a 14th century castle wearing his best leather boots.

The Orlovits Family, a mummified family discovered in a long-forgotten crypt of a small church in Vác, Hungary in 1994.

Shrunken heads from South America are typically associated with the Jivaro culture of Ecuador, where members of the group have traditionally shrunk the heads of enemies captured in battle.

At the exhibit, you will find mummies of Egyptian animals including a cat, falcon, snow rabbit, lizard, weasel and fish. Some of these which were deliberately preserved to accompany royals for eternity.

ATLANTA – You’ve seen the blockbuster “Jurassic World” movies — now, it’s your chance to star in one of your own!

“Jurassic World: The Exhibition” opens Friday at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards, allowing visitors to “step inside” the films and encounter full-sized dinosaurs around every corner. Those dinosaurs are the creations of Animax Designs in Nashville, and we caught up with the company’s executive vice president just ahead of the grand opening.

“It took 18 months to fully design, build, and construct the dinosaurs,” says Michael Mattox. “In my facility in Nashville, we have about 140 people; artists, engineers, creatives, painters, everything you can imagine to make these guys come to life.”

Creators say the experience should take around 45 minutes to an hour for visitors to walk through, although there’s no time limit for visitors once inside. Admission varies by date and time — and tickets are available for purchase here.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and we’re told it will remain at Pullman Yards (225 Rogers Street Northeast in Atlanta) through at least the summer and fall.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Have you ever wanted to see a dinosaur? A new exhibition opening in Atlanta is transporting you to Isla Nublar where you will come face-to-face with the fierce reptiles.

Animal behaviorist Rivka Deray and dinosaur creator Michael Mattox join Atlanta News First to talk about the 25,000-square-foot immersive experience.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition opens up to the public Friday, May 26th at Pullman Yards. Click here to get tickets.

Attraction at Gardens by the Bay received the award for Outstanding Attraction Experience

The Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt on Thursday reported thousands of visitors flocked to the exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” held in Paris from April 1 to September 17.

The display of the sarcophagus came at the request of the President and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which is organizing the exhibition.

The exhibition will be held in several major cities: Houston and San Francisco in the United States of America, Paris in France, and Sydney in Australia. It displays about 181 artifacts related to the ancient Egyptian civilization, which highlights the value of our ancient civilization.

Ramses II has the third longest reign in history, preceded by King Louis XIV who reigned for 72 years and Queen Elizabeth II who ruled for 70 years.

Ramesses II built a plethora of monuments throughout Egypt, including the Temple of a Million Years as well as the temples of Abu Simbel, which were built to glorify the pharaoh and his favorite wife, Nefertari.

King Ramesses II was a great conqueror who led many conquests to protect and expand his kingdom, with his army.

He had dozens of royal wives, including Sis-Nefert, Bintanat, and Nefertari. He also had more than 200 concubines, with whom he had a hundred children.

The dinosaurs of Isla Nublar will be coming to life in Atlanta! Sign up to the waitlist and meet some of your favorite gentle giants.

There’s an incredible exhibition coming to Atlanta in the spring — and it’s completely dinomite (pun intended)! From May 26, prehistoric life will take over Atlanta with Isla Nublar’s most gigantic creatures stepping onto the floors of Pullman Yards. Your favorite dinosaurs crawl their way out of the screen, with all their defining archaic features.

Expect to view them in all their robust teeth and scaly skin glory, channeling your inner Alan Grant as you step through the Hammond Lab to uncover the scientific mysteries behind our gentle giants. 

Sign up to the waitlist and get first dibs on tickets before they’re released to the public on April 20!

As you walk through the imposing wooden gates of Jurassic World: The Exhibition, it might feel a tad bit reminiscent of the iconic theme song. Make the most of that cinematic moment, and let that John Williams track mark the beat to your every step as you enter through the prehistoric wilderness. 

Pullman Yards will be transformed into a luscious jungle, adorned in leafy foliage and effervescent flora. All that vegetation might just fool you into thinking you’ve actually stepped into the hit franchise — with all the thrills that entails — so keep an eye out for creatures lurking through the branches. For all you know, curious little eyes may just be staring right back at you… 

Save your spot to be among the first to uncover this prehistoric world in Atlanta!

You’ll get to meet so many of the iconic dinosaurs from the saga at Jurassic World: The Exhibition. From the gigantic vegetivorous Brachiosaurus to the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex, each dinosaur has been recreated in extensive detail. The physical attributes of each species are distinguishable, from height, weight, all the way to jaw shape and teeth density. If you’ve ever wanted to stare straight into the eyes of a dinosaur (and why wouldn’t you), you’ll get to do so at this jaw-dropping exhibit — even if you have a penchant for baby raptors, Pterodactyl or even the adorable Bumpy of Camp Cretaceous. 

Plus, for an extra dose of sweetness, there are miniscule Parasaurolophus babies at the Hammond Lab who are gently resting in their incubator. You can pay them a visit as you discover the science behind the prehistoric era, truly stepping into your shoes as a self-proclaimed paleontologist. Spoiler: you might just discover how geneticists brought the dinosaurs of the Jurassic era back to life, with the help of a tiny mosquito embedded in amber for over a millennia.

The experience is a must for die-hard fans of the epic film saga, young and old alike. It’s the perfect experience for your little ones to experience the wowing exhibit in all its glory, marking their amazement at every single dinosaur. It’s also a great opportunity to nurture that inner child of yours who’s always wanted to be a paleontologist (no judgment!), so basically a win-win in our book. 

Get transported to Isla Nubla right here in Atlanta, and discover all the excitement of Jurassic World. 

The mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals are on view in ‘Mummies of the World’.

Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is launching the new ‘Mummies of the World’ exhibition on 27 May.

The upcoming exhibition offers the largest touring collection of mummified remains and related artefacts ever assembled.

On display through 4 September, Mummies of the World explores past civilisations and cultures from across the world, including Europe, South America and ancient Egypt.

It includes the mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals, and 80 rare artefacts. State-of-the-art multimedia will take visitors on a 4,500-year journey.

Mummies of the World features ‘Mumab’, the first authentic replication of the Egyptian mummification process done on a dead body in 2,800 years.

It also includes Baron von Holz, a German nobleman found in the family crypt of a 14th century castle, and the Orlovits, a mummified family discovered in a church crypt in Hungary in 1994. 

Additionally, visitors will see shrunken heads from South America, and Egyptian animal mummies, including a cat, falcon, snowshoe hare, lizard and weasel.

“This exhibition has proven to be one of the most popular exhibitions traveling the world,” said Cassie Freund, the museum’s director of science communication.

“It has an engaging way of providing insight into the lives and cultures of these ancient people, which is important because these were real individuals with unique stories.”

Mummified remains and shrunken heads

The exhibition unveils the scientific methods used to study mummified remains, which allow researchers to learn about the lives and cultures of the people and animals.

“Mummies of the World tells thousands of years of captivating stories. Through modern science and technology, their secrets are now revealed,” Freund added.

Mummies of the World is presented by neon, a global experience entertainment company, and World Heritage Exhibitions.

neon recently announced the Canadian debut of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, which opens in Toronto on 14 April.

The interactive exhibition immerses guests in settings inspired by the Jurassic World film franchise.

neon, a global experience entertainment company, has announced the Canadian debut of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, which opens in Toronto on 14 April.

The 20,000-square-foot interactive exhibition immerses guests in settings inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World film franchise.

Ron Tan, the executive chairman and group CEO of neon, said fans of the $6 billion film franchise in Canada “will be in awe at this immersive experience”.

“Thank you to our partners for making this possible and I look forward to welcoming huge crowds to our experience,” Tan added.

Visitors walk through the iconic ‘Jurassic World’ gates, explore themed environments, and meet life-size dinosaur animatronics including a Brachiosaurus, velociraptor and T-Rex.

Guests also get to interact with baby dinosaurs, including ‘Bumpy’ from the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Jurassic World on Netflix.

The exhibition is produced in partnership with Universal Live Entertainment, a division of Universal Parks & Resorts. It will be located at the Square One shopping mall in Mississauga.

Since launching in Melbourne, Australia in 2016, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has welcomed nearly five million visitors.

The attraction has been in London, San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It will soon open in Cologne, Germany.

Immersive settings inspired by films

“The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise have been thrilling audiences for decades and we are delighted to give fans the opportunity to see these magnificent dinosaurs up close,” said Universal Parks & Resorts’ president of global business development, Michael Silver.

neon also recently opened an immersive Avatar experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, which celebrates the highest-grossing film of all time.

Elsewhere, London’s Natural History Museum has turned one of its shops into a nostalgic replica of the store featured in 1993 film Jurassic Park.

“It’s a privilege to be celebrating 30 years of Jurassic Park,” said Paul Bufton, VP EMEA for Universal’s products and experiences division.