Box office gold: Australian Museum’s most successful exhibition

Local and international visitors have flocked to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, making it the most popular exhibition in the Australian Museum’s history, with more than 350,000 tickets sold.

Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO, said it's a privilege to connect so many visitors to the extraordinary exhibition, which features 182 priceless artefacts, treasures and one-of-a-kind relics, some of which have never left Egypt before.

“For most people, Ancient Egypt has largely been explored through books and films. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a great way to experience Ancient Egypt’s civilisation through the dramatic display of exquisite and rare antiquities, the thrilling VR experience, and the dynamic storytelling at the heart of the exhibition,” McKay said.

McKay said seeing audiences interact and enjoy the exhibition made the years of negotiations and planning worthwhile.

“We have a variety of additional events and experiences to enrich the visitor experience, including audio guides and an extensive program of workshops, talks and activities with experts and scholars. We encourage everyone to discover the world of Ancient Egypt before mid-May when the exhibition closes.”

Minister for the Arts, the Hon Minister John Graham, said strong visitor numbers from NSW, interstate and overseas demonstrated the broad appeal of the exhibition.

“This spectacular exhibition has been a huge highlight of the cultural calendar for NSW, and visitors to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs have injected more than $2 million to NSW-owned businesses as well,” Minister Graham said.

Executive Chairman & Group CEO of presenting partner NEON, Ron Tan, said: "We are deeply heartened by the overwhelming response from visitors to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the NSW Government, the Australian Museum, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt for their confidence, trust and support, which has been instrumental in bringing this unparalleled experience to fruition."

"Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs has captivated audiences worldwide and we are thrilled to see the positive response continuing to soar, reaffirming the timeless allure of Ancient Egypt. We are excited to welcome more guests to explore the mesmerising world of Ancient Egyptian culture and to bring this golden experience to even more parts of the world.”

Responding to the exhibition's unprecedented popularity, the Museum will extend opening hours until 9pm Monday to Wednesday. And during the upcoming school holidays (from 13 April), the Museum will open until 9pm every day until 19 May.

Book now, don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Whether you’re an Egyptophile or just Egypto-curious, check out the Museum’s A Gateway to Egypt programs for a richer understanding of Ancient Egypt. Let leading experts, scholars and curators show you a glimpse of life on the Nile Valley in this exclusive season of lectures, conversations and experiences.

Teachers, bring your students to Ramses, explore the Museum’s other exhibitions or attend an educator-led session, with our A Day At The Museum program. Through the generous support of the Australian Museum Foundation and the Neilson Foundation, schools with an ICSEA value <1000 can access this incredible exhibition for FREE.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is presented in partnership with Neon, World Heritage Exhibitions and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Adventure World and Accor Hotels.