New exhibit: 150+ artifacts from ancient Pompeii now open in Salt Lake City
KUTV — (UPDATE) -- The exhibit is now open until May 3, 2020.
(KUTV) -- Utahns will get a chance to step back in time nearly 2,000 years as more than 150 priceless artifacts from Pompeii will be part of a new exhibit at The Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City.
The ancient city of Pompeii, in modern-day Italy, was frozen in time in 79 A.D.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the city and its inhabitants under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash. The ash preserved the buried contents extremely well for more than 1700 years.
"POMPEII: The Exhibition" will debut at the museum on November 23 and will run through May 3, 2020. This is the final stop on an exhibition tour before the artifacts return to Italy.
John Norman, managing director of exhibitions at IMG and producer of "POMPEII: The Exhibition" said:
We wanted to bring this historical event back to life and allow visitors to relive it vividly. The Leonardo’s stellar reputation in the worldwide exhibition community makes Salt Lake City an easy choice when it comes to an international tour of this importance. The exhibition allows visitors to explore the treasures and experience life in the bustling city of Pompeii before time essentially stopped.
Ten artifacts in the collection are on their first tour anywhere in the United States and will make their debut at The Leonardo.
"Those items include a first-century, bronze gladiator helmet; a Citharist bronze statue of Apollo, dating to 50 A.D; and several remarkable fresco paintings, including one of Dionysus and Silenus, dating between 50- 79 A.D," a news release stated.
According to The Leonardo, the exhibition experience will include:
- An introductory theatre where the scene is set in a video with dramatic reconstructions that describes Pompeii and the nearby volcano.
- Visitors are then transported back in time to 79 A.D. and find themselves in a reproduced atrium from a Roman villa, where they will embark on a journey through the ancient city.
- Through the use of projections, audio, video, photographic murals, and graphic reproductions of frescoes and mosaics, visitors will experience different locations that existed in the city, including a market, a temple, theater, and baths.
- Over 150 authentic artifacts will help bring the story of Pompeii to life. These remarkable objects include: Mosaics and frescoes, gladiator helmets, armor, and weapons, a ship’s anchor, lamps, jugs, cups, plates, pots and pans, and other household objects and furniture, jewelry, medical instruments, and tools.
- A simulated 4D eruption theater will allow visitors to experience the deathly impact Mount Vesuvius had on this ancient city, culminating in the reveal of full body casts of twisted human forms, asphyxiated by extreme heat and noxious gases and forever frozen in time.
Alex Hesse, Executive Director of The Leonardo Museum said:
Having Pompeii’s archeological treasures visit Salt Lake City is truly an honor, as these pieces rarely leave Italy. Combining the exhibition with a robust calendar of programming with local experts will give our community a unique cross-disciplinary look at one of the most fascinating ancient civilizations.
Get your tickets by clicking here.
- Members of The Leonardo: $9.99
- Adult general admission: $24.99
- Children (3-15): $19.99 (2 and under are free)
- Seniors: $21.99
- Military (With valid ID): $21.99
- School groups: $8.99
- Groups of 15 or more: $18.99
Learn more about the exhibition here.