Last week my husband and I took a road trip to Seattle with the express purpose of visiting the National Geographic Society‘s sponsored exhibit of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs. On display along with artifacts from Tut’s tomb were over 70 items from other royal tombs, most from the 18th Dynasty (1539–1292 B.C.), although some dated back more than 4,500 years. The exhibit, which has been at the Pacific Science Center since May, closes tomorrow, so we were pleased to be able to view the exquisite items before they return to the Egyptian National Museum in Cairo.

The Science Center is located on the grounds of the Seattle Center, site of the 1962 World’s Fair and, therefore, the iconic Space Needle. Today it draws visitors and hometown folks alike with scores of events and activities, with sporting events at Key Arena and Memorial Stadium; performances at the Seattle Children’s Theater, Seattle Rep and McCaw Hall; and hands-on exhibits and displays at the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum and the Science Center.

Our first stop was for lunch in the Center House (now called the Armory), where the main floor hosts a variety of vendors offering local, fresh food. Sharing the floor space with diners’ tables were a local jazz ensemble playing holiday tunes and an enormous miniature holiday village and model railroad. The scene, flooded as it was with families with young children (the interactive Seattle Children’s Museum is downstairs), took me back to the days when we lived nearby and brought our girls here often to enjoy the plentiful offerings within the Seattle Center grounds. 

We enjoyed a full two hours exploring the Tutankhamen exhibit, my first opportunity to see these treasures up close and in person. The artistry and detail in the ancient pieces amazed me (and I still can’t imagine how the Egyptians wore those enormous, heavy earrings!), and it was astounding to consider that even the most delicate items had survived the centuries so well. The tour whetted my appetite for our upcoming trip in May, when we hope to visit Alexandria and Cairo.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor