King Tut Exhibition is Toronto Blockbuster

The first visitor numbers are in for the number of people visiting the King Tut exhibition. The Art Gallery of Ontario, which is hosting King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, announced that more than 100,000 tickets have been sold to date That works out to at least $3.2 million in sales (Canadian currency). The exhibit has only been open for one month.

Now I should caution that tickets have been available for three months (you could buy them in advance). I should also add that it doesnt appear as if Tutankhamun will top the 750,000 visitors it attracted in 1979. That show featured King Tuts death mask. You can read a comparison of the two shows here.

However the gallery was quite happy with the attendance so far.

Public response to the Canadian exclusive of King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs continues to be overwhelmingly positive, they said in a press release.

They announced that in response to the sales, extended visitor hours will continue until January 31, 2010. The gallery will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 9:30 pm.

I was at the media preview for the exhibit and can say that it is quite a treat. You can read my preview article here. I also found that taking a stroll through King Tut Virtual is a good way to round out the experience as you can see many of the artefacts that are not in the show.