The new Mummies of the World exhibition at Discovery Place in Charlotte is a must see attraction. My 7 years old daughter and I spent more than hour browsing the world’s largest collection of real mummies from Egypt, South America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. Tickets are for timed entries and include full day admission to the entire museum: $24 adults, $20 seniors and studends, $18 children 2-13 (tickets are $6 cheaper for members).

Things to know before you go
• The exhibit is very thorough. There are several dozen human and animal mummies from different regions of the world, spanning thosands of years. You learn about naturally and intentionally mummification processes. You are immersed in a variety of cultures, myths, medicinal rituals, and human diseases, family stories and tragedies. Here’s a preview from the exhibit official website.

• The most interesting mummy is the “Detmold Child”, an infant from Peru found in an incredibly well preserved state and believed to be the oldest mummy ever discovered. It is dated to 4504 – 4457 B.C., more than 3,000 years before King Tut’s birth!

• Did you know people (especially royalty in Europe) used to eat “mummy powder” not too long ago? Crushed up bones and skin from Egyptian mummies was sold as a magical cure to a series of illnesses from coughs to impotence…

• Line up 10-15 minutes before your entry time. Skip the photo opp to get in faster. The audio tour is an extra $5.

• Photography is not allowed inside the exhibit.

• After a short video introduction you are free to tour the exhibit on your own. Each mummy is encased in Plexiglas and has a detailed description.

• There are interactive computer stations where you can learn more about the artifact, the mummification technique and scientific tests performed. We enjoyed checking out the CT scans, DNA tests and X-rays to understand what clues each method revealed about the mummy.

More fun things for kids at Discovery Place

Design your own challenge course for the little robot. With the assistance of Discovery Place staff kids can use simple software to remotely control the robot and making it turn, spin and to follow a specific path.

Strike a thermal pose! Act silly and see yourself through the eyes of an alien…

The “Cool Stuff” gallery is filled with hands-on stations that explain in a very playful way the fundamental laws of physics, mechanics, electromagnetics, aerodynamics, and more.

All kids, but girls in particular, go crazy in the crafts section (conveniently located at the exit to the mummies exhibit). Make your own masterpiece using scraps of fancy fabric, leather, aluminum foil, colorful duct-tape (oh my!), and hot glue. Beware this place is loud and crowded…yet super fun.

If is cool science then is Discovery Place!

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