Since John and I both have the day off today, we decided to check out the Body Worlds exhibit at the local museum. Lucky for us, the county museum is free on Mondays for county residents, and the special exhibits are deeply discounted. So we pretty much got in for half price, plus we didn’t have to pay to park because we can just walk the 50′ to the entrance.
We were both impressed and the exhibit was a lengthy and thorough one. Sometimes you pay a small fortune only to see a half-assed exhibit (I thought the Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago was an example) and then you leave unsatisfied. But this one is good. Maybe it didn’t quite live up to its hype (which would be hard to do, regardless), but we still found ourselves fascinated. If only the douchebag med student behind us in line would have shut his damn yapper, I might have enjoyed it even more.
I think my favorite piece was “Rearing Horse with Rider” because it was so massive.
I also really liked the Reclining Pregnant Woman, but of course it was sad too.
I realize that there is now a Body Worlds 2 and 3, so most of the specimens in this collection were older (made from 1995 and up) and you could tell some of them had seen better days. Those not encased in glass seemed dusty, and the plastinated artery systems had broken bits in their cases. The funniest things, to me anyway, were the taped cross-sections of the human body. Since they are so fragile, I’m sure cracking and breaking is common. But I could see the tape, and it pretty much just looked like packing tape.
There was also a station where you could handle plastinated organs, which John really loved. I, on the other hand, passed this one by. I don’t need to touch somebody’s lung that has been handled by millions of germy hands. The other thing that stands out in my mind is the ratio of male to female exhibits. Be prepared to see some wang… a LOT of wang. According to John, “There were waaaaaaaay too many preserved penises in my opinion. One would have been fine.” Plus, many of the exhibits show diseased organs, which scared the hypochondriac in me. It makes me think that it’s pretty much a miracle that I’m even alive and I probably won’t make it much farther. *sigh*
Anyway, we had a good time and maybe we’ll have to go again (albeit on a cheapie day). And now you’ve all been warned about the wangs.
5 comments
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January 21, 2008 at 7:51 pm
carrie
I felt the same way about the Tut exhibit (if it was the same one that was in Philly, that is). Way overblown and overpriced for what it was. It was nicely designed, but there wasn’t much there, there.
I think I’ll skip Body Worlds… I think it would make me too sad. That pregnant lady picture got to me, and that’s just a photograph. I’m a big ‘ole softie.
January 21, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Mentle
I’ll have to go, just for the wang.
January 22, 2008 at 1:57 am
Julia
My hubby is working at the museum for that exhibit and brought home the DVD. I thought the same thing about WANGS! I can’t wait to go [not for the wangs necessarily, but because I love that stuff]. Glad you liked it!
January 22, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Meghan
I am even more excited about going now. Mostly for the wangs.
February 28, 2008 at 12:35 am
Andrea
I love your comment about the wangs! Half way through the exhibit I couldn’t take it any longer and whispered to my hubby “Apparently there are a lot of men on display here…” He gave me a look as to say “grow up!” but I think he was amused..ha!