I found myself unexpectedly in LA on Saturday, October 1, and thought "what should I do for the day"? A quick scan through the local paper and it was suddenly obvious....check out the 'Tut Exhibit' at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) which is on a limited 15-month engagement that ends November 15, 2005. The controversial exhibit, which I have written on before, features a number of spectacular objects that rarely leave Egypt and were last in the USA in the 1970s.
Perhaps the Roman goddess Fortuna (good fortune) was smiling on me that day, because unlike many of the good citizens of LA who I saw in line, I received 'royal treatment' which made the exhibit far more enjoyable. 
Tip #1 - The Right Building. Tut is not in the main LACMA museum building, but in the annex known as LACMA West at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax. See map. If you are only going for Tut, don't bother going to the main museum...they do not even sell tickets to Tut there (and are likely to give you inaccurate information about next available ticket times if you go there and ask). The reason is because the Tut exhibit is basically a business venture for the Egyptian Antiquities Authority and is being run as a self-contained event, with a big slice of all the proceeds (from tickets to concessions to souvenirs and corporate sponsorships) heading to Cairo. I made the mistake of going to the main building and walking back down to LACMA West. Not a long walk if you are fit and enjoy walking, but it is a good brisk 10 minute walk ... you may want to conserve energy because the rest of the day involves a lot of standing!
Tip #2 - Parking. Again, I parked closer to the main building. See the map above. The most convenient parking is on Ogden. Parking is reasonable....I parked for $6 in the next lot over.
Tip #3 - Membership Has its Benefits. The museum doles out tickets based on hourly entry to the Exhibit. When I arrived at 1pm, I was originally told the nice lady at the ticket window that 8pm was the first available ticket. Wanting to see the exhibit, I was disappointed but figured I would take it. Tickets are $30 on Sat/Sun ($5 cheaper during the week and Senior discounts are available). Members pay only $20.50 on Sat/Sun. While I am not a member of LACMA, I am a member of the Boston Museum of Fine Art, which has reciprocal privileges with LACMA. When I asked if they would accept my MFA reciprocal card, the ticket lady said "no", but said I could double-check at the Members Window.
When I did, the nicer lady there without hesitation accepted my MFA card, and not only gave me the discounted ticket price, but also gave me a temporary card for the day for discounts throughout the shops and free admission into LACMA East. Further, I had special access through the members line which bypassed what appeared to be at least a 1-1/2 to 2-hour queue in a large warm tent basking in the afternoon LA sun. Even though it moved steadily, it still required at least 30 minutes to maneuver through the member's line and into the Exhibit hall. If you live in LA and are not a member of LACMA, do it before you visit Tut! If you are from outside and a member of a major museum, check on reciprocal privileges.
Tip #4 - Spring for the Audio Tour. The objects are spectacular and the descriptions are easy to read. But the audio has several advantages. It reinforces some key points you may miss in the display tags; it provides far more color and background on each object; the headphones block out a lot of ambient noise allowing you to concentrate on the experience; and the narration is well done and entertaining (it is Hollywood, after all!). $6 for the audio tour; of course as a member it was only $4!
Tip #5 - Mind the Gap. Before going into the exhibit you watch a short documentary. At the end of the documentary everyone plows into the first room which is just being vacated by the previous group. Because of the flow of the rooms, it is marginally less crowded and you will be able to be get closer to the objects if you stay toward the back of your group (and slightly ahead of the next incoming group). This advantage only lasts for the first few rooms before the crowds homogenize. But it made the first few rooms a little more enjoyable.
Tip #6 - Enjoy and Don't Miss. The are a number of spectacular objects - large and small. The objects span roughly a 300 year period from 1539-1292 AD. Don't miss the wonderful painted wood and gesso bust of Tut; the colossal statue of Amenhotep IV (hard to miss this one!); the scarab pectoral with the throne name of the King, the spectacular white calcite canopic jar lid of Tut; and the gold fan and falcon pectoral from the Valley of the Kings.
Have you attended the exhibit? Post your tips!
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