Tips for making the most of Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Editor's note: This exhibition is organized by Arts and Exhibitions International, AEG Exhibitions and the National Geographic Society, in association with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is the proud cultural partner of the exhibition and American Airlines is the official airline. The Houston presentation of Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs is made possible by Apache.

To fully enjoy an exhibit the magnitude of Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it’s wise to do some advance planning and stay plugged into the museum for the full slate of events surrounding the exhibit. From lectures and hands-on experiences to guided group tours and book clubs, there is something to bring out the inner Egyptologist in everyone.

If there’s one phrase that sums up the exhibit, it would be “once-in-a-lifetime.” You hear it used often by museum curators and exhibit creators. Because of the priceless nature of the exhibit, the MFAH is expecting large numbers of visitors and has taken steps to create an enjoyable and informational experience.

Want to beat the crowds? Visit King Tut and all the other royals in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. Education is one of the museum’s missions, and school groups are often at the museum before noon during the week. The story of great Egyptian kings and queens unfolds throughout the exhibit, but for those who want a lay of the land, the MFAH has a detailed, color-coded map of the gallery. It's also smart to purchase tickets in advance online to ensure the time you want to visit isn't sold out.

The MFAH offers many parking options, including the Visitors Center Garage ($6), the free MFAH South Lot at 1001 Bissonnet and the free unpaved grassy lot at Southmore between Fannin and San Jacinto, available as space allows until 9 p.m. METRORail also stops at the Museum District Station right next door to the MFAH.

There is no doubt that once visitors see Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, they will want to learn more, and the MFAH’s full calendar doesn’t disappoint. The lecture series kicks off Oct. 27 with Embodiment of Empire: Tutankhamun and the Pharaohs of Egypt, hosted by Dr. Bob Brier, aka “Mr. Mummy," Senior Research Fellow at Long Island University and a host of the Learning Channel’s acclaimed series The Great Egyptians. The event is free.

From Mr. Mummy to marvelous scents, the museum presents The Scent of Empire: Perfumes and Alluring Aromas in the Time of King Tut, Oct. 28 and 29. Cheryl Ward, director of the Center for Archaeology and Anthropology at Coastal Carolina University leads the lecture, which is free with a general admission ticket to the museum or with the purchase of a King Tut exhibition ticket.

From the dazzling gold jewelry to towering statues, the galleries engage visitors of all ages and the schedule of family programming reflects the same. Step into the past Oct. 30 during Ancient Encounters: A Special Archaeology Program, held in collaboration with The Houston Society of the Archaeological Institute of America. Families can grab a pith helmet and investigate the home of a tomb-builder and explore the wisdom of Egyptian technology by working with a large model of a shaduf, a machine that moves water from a lower to a higher place. The event is full of hands-on activities that are fun and educational and is free with general museum admission or the purchase of a King Tut exhibition ticket.

For those who want to dig a little deeper, look to the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University, which routinely teams up with the MFAH, to explore a wide range of non-credit courses related to the museum’s permanent collections and major exhibitions.

Another benefit offered by the MFAH is the Online Book Club, which connects literary works to art in the museum. For Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, the books Cleopatra: A Life and Voices from the Other World: Ancient Egyptian Tales have been chosen. Book clubs can download accompanying discussion guides and use them to facilitate conversation in their book clubs.

The array of programming and events offered at the MFAH in celebration of the exhibit is as vast and impressive as Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs itself.

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs runs October 16, 2011 to April 15, 2012 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Caroline Wiess Law Building at 1001 Bissonnet. For more information, call 713.639.7300 or visit mfah.org.

For tickets, call the King Tut Ticket Hotline at 1-888-931-4TUT (4888)

Tut Exhibition Entry Times are:
Monday-Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Opens at 9 a.m., closes at 5 p.m.)
Thursday- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Opens at 9:30 a.m., closes at 9 p.m.)
Sunday: 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Opens at 12:15 p.m., closes at 7 p.m.)