It’s not too late to visit Pompeii at the Orlando Science Center. Running until January 24, this exhibit combines genuine artifacts, historically accurate models, and multimedia presentations to depict the famous disaster and daily life of these ancient peoples.
Before visiting, be aware that Pompeii: The Immortal City is hyper focused on ancient Roman life and practices. The majority of the exhibit entails early processes for medical work, food storage, and other necessary tasks. A relatively small percentage of the information is actually focused on the disaster. While this surprised me, I do recognize that Pompeii’s ultimate global contribution is it’s incredible preservation – allowing archeologists a unique and uncensored view into first-century life.
The Experience
360 Film Introduction
Your introduction to Pompeii and the exhibit will begin with a 360 video experience. In this film, you’ll see the streets of Pompeii, watch its citizens live their normal lives and then experience the powerful explosion of Mt. Vesuvius and subsequent burial of an entire town. It’s a short but very powerful depiction of the disaster.
© Exhibits Development Group
Exhibit Hall
Once you finish the film, you’ll be allowed into the exhibit hall to peruse 80 genuine artifacts and 10 historically accurate models. The displays are not arranged in any narrative order, so guests are allowed to move throughout the rooms at will. This freedom promotes social distancing and crowd control throughout the exhibit.
Beyond Orlando: Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
While the first information you’ll encounter is a detailed timeline of the explosion date, it is immediately followed by displays and text cards depicting early Roman life. There are a variety of large displays with multiple, unrelated items and small displays with more focused collections – such as medical tools.
One of the most interesting artifacts is an actual loaf of bread – preserved by the intense heat and ash of the explosion. You can also see jewelry, large jars, a bathtub, and other instruments used in everyday life.
But the exhibit doesn’t only use artifacts to tell its story. Large models depict various contraptions and inventions that the early Romans used to lighten their work burdens. Models in the exhibit include a crane, olive press, odometer, and water wheel.
Body Cast Room
At the very end of the experience, you’ll find a short video and narrative wall explaining how a body cast is formed. In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, victims of the Pompeii disaster were eventually buried beneath layers of volcanic ash and lava. As these materials hardened, the bodies left impressions within the material before decomposing. When filled with plaster, these impressions become detailed casts that reveal, in excruciating detail, the final resting positions of these individuals.
Once you’ve finished watching the video, you can enter the last and most impactful room of the exhibit.
Using projections, lighting, and music; exhibitors have created an immersive and respectful environment to display two body casts. The bodies are not kept away in a glass case or displayed on a high platform. Instead they are directly before you, lying on a low table. It’s a sobering experience to be confronted so plainly with the pain and suffering of this event.
How To Get Tickets
Due to the popularity of the exhibit, it is highly recommended to virtually purchase your ticket prior to the day of your visit. You can reserve a museum entry and timed Pompeii ticket on Orlando Science Center’s website.
Members will receive free entry to the exhibit, but advance booking of their entry time will incur a fee of $5. Non-member pricing for the exhibit is $26 for an adult and $18 for youth.
Freaky Thoughts
Prior to visiting this exhibit, I expected an in depth analysis of eruption and its aftermath. In reality, there was very little information about the disaster and a whole lot of data pertaining to ancient Roman life. While it was still an interesting exhibit, I was a little disappointed by the content and pacing of the experience.
Depending on your interests and expectations, however, you may enjoy Pompeii: The Immortal City. It’s a quality exhibit with a variety of genuine artifacts and fascinating information. Just remember to examine your own presumptions before purchasing a ticket.
If you decide to visit Pompeii, remember that the exhibit’s last day is January 24. Dates may fill up, so make your reservation early!
