The Denver Museum of Nature and Science had to evacuate more than 3,000 disappointed visitors during a power outage on Sunday. The letdown was especially significant among those who were on hand to see Body Worlds 2, an exhibit so popular it has become the third most popular exhibit in the museum’s 105-year history.
Body Worlds seeks to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and inspire visitors to consider healthy lifestyle choices. The exhibits teach about human physiology – including diseases, the effects of tobacco consumption and the use of artificial supports.
The eye-opening anatomical displays are the result of Gunther von Hagen’s invention of plastination, a process that replaces water in the body tissues with fluid plastics that harden after vacuum-forced impregnation.
Body Worlds features more than 200 human specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices. They make the exhibit a must-see for those who aren’t too squeamish.
Denver has enjoyed the highest daily viewing of any North American Body Worlds venue. Director of communications Julia Taylor says the museum has heavily promoted the exhibit with billboards, promotions and collaborations with Centura Health and other health organizations.
The PR certainly paid off. From the March 10 opening to Sunday’s closing, Body Worlds 2 attendance at the museum will likely exceed 675,000, well above the museum’s original goal of 400,000. It trails only the 909,000 visitors to the Ramses exhibit (Oct. 17, 1987-March 18, 1988) and 712,000 to the Aztec exhibit (Sept. 25, 1992-Feb. 25, 1993).
The numbers aren’t the only way to measure success. “The majority of visitors state in exit polls that the exhibition inspired them and … motivated them to surrender unhealthy lifestyles,” Taylor says.
The exhibit will close at 10 p.m. this Sunday, after a week of extended hours. Body Worlds 2 is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight until Thursday, and then it will be open for 64 straight hours starting Friday at 7 a.m. These hours provide a last-gasp opportunity to view the exhibit, but it is essential to obtain tickets beforehand because it has been selling out, with no walk-up tickets available.
Individual ticket prices range from $6 to $20. While officials won’t release revenue results, they say profits from the exhibition will be used to expand future museum educational activities.
