March 6–July 11, 2021

Hours
Wednesday–Sunday 10 am–5 pm

Monday and Tuesday Closed

Tickets 

Ticket prices with taxes and fees:

• $23.60 Adults
• $20.38 Seniors, military, and college students with ID
• $17.16 Youth 7–18
• FREE for member’s first visit; subsequent visits 50% off
• Free entry with college ID every Friday, 3–5 pm (Please note: capacity is very limited, and tickets must be reserved in advance by contacting help@ncartmuseum.org.)

Please note, children 2 and under do not require tickets.

There are eight mummies in the exhibition. None have been unwrapped, and all retain their original portraits and mummy coverings; some remain in their coffins. They continue to be preserved in the way they were intended to be. Digital CT scans of three mummies allow visitors to see through the wrappings to view 3-D interpretations of the remains found within. (The actual bodies are not visible on the scans.)

The gilded mummies were discovered at Hawara in 1888–89 and 1910–11, at a time when Egypt was under British rule. Archaeology, while seeking to learn more about ancient peoples and culture, was nonetheless a colonial enterprise that perpetuated racist views of Egypt and Africa and promoted Eurocentric supremacy at the height of the British empire. Egyptologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie, who directed the Hawara excavations, was not only renowned for his scientific excavation methods but also was a proponent of eugenics, using prejudiced opinions to argue for racial hierarchies. The exhibition and the associated publication seek to bring these colonial and racial biases to light and help the field of Egyptology take a critical look at its past.

Please note the entire exhibition has low lighting, so please use caution. Additionally, many mummies are in floating casework in the middle of rooms. Finally, some of the films contain loud noises. Thank you for coming.

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period is the lavishly illustrated publication that accompanies the exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt.

Written by Manchester Museum Egyptologist Campbell Price, the book is not a typical exhibition catalogue with entries for each of the works of art. Instead the author offers a deep dive into the themes of the exhibition, discussing each within its religious, cultural, and sociopolitical context. Readers  gain a greater understanding of the funerary traditions of the people who lived and died in Graeco-Roman Egypt; learn more about archaeological and colonial context of Flinders Petrie’s 1888–89/1910–11 excavations at Hawara, where these gilded mummies were unearthed; and discover how the material ended up at Manchester, an important center for mummy studies since the early 1900s.  

BUY CATALOGUE 

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period

By Campbell Price
Soft cover, full color
250 pages
9 1/4 x 11 3/16 in.
ISBN 978 1 526199 67 6

Store

Visit the Exhibition Store directly in front of Golden Mummies of Egypt to extend your “golden” experience by browsing unique objects and gifts with a focus on fair-trade Egyptian merchandise and products by local artisans. The beauty of Egypt comes alive through jewelry, exclusive locally made candles, cocktail syrups, chocolates, and more. The Store also offers Plaza-side pickup and shipping options. Contact help@ncartmuseum.org with requests or questions.

Golden Mummies Exhibition Café 

The Golden Mummies Exhibition Café is located in East Building on Level C, serving hot entrées, fresh salads, desserts, coffee, beer, wine, and more. Hours are Wednesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm. Click here to view online menus for the Exhibition Café and for Sip Coffee Bar and Café, located in West Building.

Shareable social media graphics

Click here to see the full album of social media graphic. Download them to your phone or computer and share!

Spotify playlist

Enjoy this playlist of classic and modern Egyptian artists, curated in honor of the exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt.

Become a member today to enjoy special savings!

Become a Member 

Enhance your experience of all special exhibitions and our world-class collection with these exclusive benefits:

• Free admission for all special ticketed exhibitions (plus 50% off any subsequent visits)
• Exclusive Member Mondays during select ticketed exhibitions
• Invitations to exhibition openings and other celebrations
• Discount on summer concerts in the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park
• Discount on NCMA Cinema tickets
• Free admission to summer movies
• 10% off purchases in the Museum Store
• Preview, the Museum’s members publication, mailed to your home
• Members e-newsletter

Golden Mummies of Egypt Self-Guided School Groups

Self-guided school group tours are available for Golden Mummies of Egypt. Groups of 10 to 20 students on a school-sponsored trip can receive free entry to this special exhibition. Availability is limited by capacity restrictions. Only available Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Students must be divided into groups of five students with one chaperon per group. Each group of five students will need to be in a separate gallery and follow the arrows through the space to ensure social distancing.

To inquire, reach out to the manager of tour experiences by email or by calling (919) 664-6820.

Location

2110 Blue Ridge Road 
Raleigh, NC 27607-6494 

Parking
Visitor parking is free and available in the Blue Ridge lot, on the right after entering the Museum drive. Overflow parking is behind West Building, on the left after entering the Museum drive. Visitor drop-off is located between West and East buildings and can be reached by turning left after entering the Museum drive and following the signs.

• A Suggested Visual Schedule of Golden Mummies of Egypt Exhibition 

Policies

• Nonflash photography for personal use is permitted, except where noted otherwise.
• Sketching with pencil/graphite only is allowed at the discretion of security staff.

• (Please note, exhibition opening date has changed to March 6) North Carolina Museum of Art Announces Golden Mummies of Egypt to Open in February 

Off the NCMA campus, community partners are celebrating Golden Mummies with custom cocktails, tea, and chocolate. See list below for the treats and check individual location websites for availability.

Raleigh
Good Day Good Night at Origin Hotel Raleigh: “Gold of Egypt” cocktail with Remy Martin V, Taylor Falernum, salted caramel syrup, pineapple, and golden berries.

Heirloom Brewshop: “Eternal Gold” tea drink.

Videri Chocolate Factory: Custom-packaged sea salt chocolate bar. (Available at their store and in the Exhibition Store!)

Chapel Hill
Honeysuckle Lakewood: “Golden Goddess” cocktail with bourbon and ginger liqueur, featuring a honey-gold rim.

Honeysuckle Tea House: "Egyptian Sunset" tea made with chamomile, lemon balm, fall gold gingko leaf, ginger root, and oat straw. 

Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews: Gold-covered, Egyptian-shaped puerquito, a Mexican treat made of cane sugar, as well as a honey-based drink. Plus, check out their related display of Golden Mummies inspired books. 

The NCMA partners with Crabtree Valley Mall to celebrate art, history, culture, and artistic expression surrounding the Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition. 

We invite local individuals to create a portrait of themselves for a community portrait art initiative.

Select portraits will be enlarged, printed on vinyl, and displayed in frames on a barricade at Crabtree near the food court. Other portraits will be featured on the digital walls at Crabtree and on social media.

Individuals can submit work between Monday, April 26, and Thursday, May 13, at Crabtree Valley Mall Guest Services. Portraits should be on 8.5-by-11-inch white paper. Name, city, and email and/or phone number are required. Alternatively high-resolution images can be sent to marketing@ctvmanagement.com.

More information is available here.