Atlanta

The rest of our trip to Atlanta went well. We got up very early on Saturday to pull out of our driveway by 8 am. Our mission for this trip was to see the  King Tut Exhibit and the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit, which were both in Atlanta at the same time. We arrived at the Atlanta Civic Center to see King Tut at lunch time. I will give my opinion about this exhibit for those who may be interested in attending. First let me add in my disclaimer ~ I was raised in the Washington, DC, area and spent my days in some of the greatest museums our country has to offer. Also,  my parents are trained artists and my Father works in the National Gallery of Art. I saw the King Tut exhibit at the National Gallery of Art ... when I was just 2 years old. However, all I remember is my Mother's voice encouraging me to take in all that I was seeing. I also remember all that GOLD. So, in other words, I am spoiled when it comes to art. With that said, I will continue....

KING TUT -- The exhibit was very nicely laid out, and they did a great job of staggering people so that you could really see the displays. The guards were easygoing. Also, the exhibit was dark, which was very soothing to my younger sensory son and really allowed him to get the most out of it. Because we had studied Ancient Egypt for the past month, the kids really understood the displays and ended up educating other visitors, even adults. We even got a comment from one person that said, "They must be homeschooled!!" The exhibit had many artifacts from many pharaohs from the Middle and New Kingdoms. The kids liked King Tut's bed and all that GOLD. However, we were all disappointed that there was not a single mummy in the whole exhibit! The kids and I thought we were going to see King Tut!! Also, even his burial mask was not present. Honestly, I could have seen just as many Egyptian artifacts by going to several other museums. However, for the Egyptologists, at least a lot of it was all here in one place. All that said, the price was high, in my opinion, for what you got to see. We did not pay the extra for the 3D movie.



The next morning we went to the King Center, and after lunch we headed for the High Museum. The ticket price for the museum got you into the Terracotta exhibit, but we bought our tickets in advance to make sure they did not sell out. They typically sell out on the weekends.

HIGH MUSEUM -- The Terracotta Warriors were very impressive. I think there were 15 complete ones, plus a few broken ones. There were also lots of other artifacts in the exhibit. Even though we haven't studied this period of time yet, the kids really were excited to see the warriors. It was a bit crowded since they did not stagger the folks as well as the King Tut guards did. There were some nice seating areas spread around so that we could regroup/rest while others got ahead of us. The guards throughout the museum were great.  They gave a parent enough room to parent their children but not so much room that the parent had to be solely responsible for the safety of the artwork. I have found that, when I travel to a museum with three little ones, we are usually tracked for awhile until the guards see that I have the kids under control. That is fine with me. I know they have a job to do. My children are taught early not to point at pictures but to point with their elbows. A fully extended arm on a small child really worries the guards. From a sensory standpoint, the High Museum was rough on both of my sensory boys. They found the high ceilings, echoing halls and large crowds too loud and almost painful to deal with at times. Overall, this exhibit and museum were great.  The High Museum is the largest in the Southeast. This is the last year to see the Louvre exhibit which covers three floors of one building in the High Museum, should you want to go. My Big Teen saw two Michelangelo drawings in the Louvre section.  We really enjoyed our visit there with a few adjustments made for the sake of the boys. 
 
If you have a chance to see either of these exhibits, they will be in Atlanta through April. I highly recommend the Terracotta Warriors and recommend the King Tut exhibit, if you are interested in that time period.

Blessings, Dawn