Get Lost in Egypt Before It’s Too Late

When it comes to entertaining your kids on a rainy day in St. Louis, a trip to the Saint Louis Science Center can’t be beat. Even if you’ve explored this beloved local destination many times before, there’s always a new exhibit to see, or a favorite attraction (in our family, the giant hamster wheel) to enjoy once again.

It was with this in mind that my children and I headed there a few weeks ago to check out the Lost Egypt exhibition currently on display. They were excited because they heard the word “mummies;” I was excited for the prospect of at least three peaceful hours during which I wouldn’t have to hear the phrase “I’m bored.”

I’m not sure how many times a 5 year-old can actually say those words in a three-month period, but I’m almost certain mine has set some sort of record this summer.

In retrospect, I probably should have researched the details of Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science, as well as the accompanying OMNIMAX film Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs, a bit more carefully before our trip.

We enjoyed both, but there were more than a few moments when I questioned the wisdom of my decision to bring a 5 year-old and a 9 year-old to see graphic, real-life, up-close images of the mummified (but still decaying) bodies of ancient rulers who have been dead for centuries.

Fortunately, my kids aren’t easily traumatized, so even though I had to look away from the screen a few times (because, yes, dead bodies make me squeamish) they didn’t seem scared by Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs at all. Still, they clearly didn’t comprehend the more scientific parts of the film, which focused on explaining the process of mummification and its implications in modern medicine.

They were just disappointed to learn that real mummies look nothing like what they had been led to believe.

“When are they going to show the mummies come to life?” my 5 year-old whispered during the film. And that’s when it finally dawned on me that everything my children know about mummies can be traced back to an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place. Also that they have spent way too much of their summer making sure we’re getting our money’s worth on our Netflix subscription.

Eventually, my kids started to understand that – no matter what happens to Justin and Alex on The Disney Channel – real mummies never chase or enslave you, nor are they likely to be wrapped in toilet paper. After that they were both sort of over the whole mummy thing, so we ended up spending our time in the Lost Egypt exhibition building miniature pyramids, digging for artifacts like archaeologists, and learning how to write our names in hieroglyphics.

With its wide variety of hands-on activities and fascinating historical artifacts, Lost Egypt is an entertaining exhibit that is suitable for all ages. If you have younger children who are easily frightened, though, or if you aren’t ready to have some frank conversations about death and the afterlife, Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs may not be the best choice for the little ones in your family.

Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science runs at the Saint Louis Science Center through September 2, so if you want to check it out, you only have a few more weeks to do so. Tickets to the exhibit are $12 for non-member adults and $10 for non-member children; $6 for member adults and $5 for member children. Tickets to the OMNIMAX film Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs are $9 for adults and $8 for children, with discounted combo prices available for guests who wish to see both.

For more details and pictures of the exhibit, download the educator's guide here