A family-friendly celebration of the new Egypt Galleries with artifacts, hieroglyph workshops, puppet theater, and activities for all ages.
The Penn Museum is reopening its Egypt galleries on Saturday, December 12, with a full-day celebration. The new galleries, titled Life and Afterlife, cover 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian history through artifacts and interactive displays. It's a project the museum describes as a monumental milestone a century in the making, and the galleries had been closed for renovation until the day of the celebration.
The big draw is the Tomb Chapel of Kaipure, a 4,300-year-old chapel that's the museum's most remarkable archaeological treasure. It was excavated more than a century ago at Saqqara, an ancient necropolis near modern Cairo, and this is the first time in 30 years it's on view in its entirety. You can step inside and see the whole thing.
The day is built for families, with a traditional Egyptian hand-puppet theater, a chance to learn to write hieroglyphs, music, storytelling, games, and hands-on activities for all ages. There's also a gallery tour and a short pop-up talk about one extraordinary artifact from the collection. If you want more Egyptian art, it's on view throughout the museum in Ancient Egypt: From Discovery to Display and Ancient Egypt in Watercolors.
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The celebration runs from 10 AM to 5 PM, and it's included with museum admission. If you're a member, there's a member morning preview from 9 AM to 10 AM, which is free for members.
