In April, Union Station will be the first venue in North America to host The Discovery of King Tut. The exhibition marks Union Station's largest to date, and includes 1,000 reproductions of artifacts found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
A 1922 expedition led by British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered steps leading to a burial chamber: the 3,300-year-old tomb of Tutankhamun. Inside, there were thousands of objects, including furniture, jars of perfume, ostrich feathers, gold, and the mummy of King Tut, wearing a golden death mask. After a three decade search, it was, as Carter wrote, "a discovery that far exceeded our wildest dreams."
Visitors return to the time of the excavation in The Discovery of King Tut, exploring "the tomb and its treasures as they were at the exact moment of their discovery." Due to their fragile nature, many of the original objects are no longer permitted to tour outside of Egypt.
Premier Exhibitions, Inc., a presenter of museum-quality exhibitions, retains exclusive rights to tour the exhibition in North America. Union Station has presented other exhibitions offered by the company, such as Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, and most recently, Real Pirates.
The Discovery of King Tut exhibition opens at Union Station on April 4, 2014.