Head to this fascinating museum to teach your children all about ancient Egypt.
Architecturally inspired by the Temple of Amon at Karnak in Egypt, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts on exhibit in western North America. The museum today has more than 4000 objects, but the collection started out with just one statue. This belonged to H. Spencer Lewis, an American who founded an order of Rosicrucianism. Rosicrucians study the wisdom and teachings handed down from ancient civilisations.Lewis and other members collected enough artefacts to open a museum in 1927. The museum outgrew its original home in the 1960s and in 1965, Ralph Lewis, H. Spencer Lewis' son, went to Egypt and explored many tombs and temples the new Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum was based on what he saw. Now more than 100,000 visitors head to the museum each year.Upon arrival, the museum's stunning grounds are an attraction in themselves. The grounds are made up of several small gardens and contain buildings inspired by Egyptian and Moorish architecture.Inside the museum, most people immediately head to the most popular of its permanent exhibits: the mummies. At the Burial Practices and Afterlife section, you can examine human mummies as well as a mummified cat, gazelle and a selection of other animals. Ancient Egyptians believed in elaborate burial practices and you can see a replica of a rock-cut tomb and burial chamber from the Middle Kingdom (2,030 — 1,640 BC)Another of the permanent exhibitions is the Kings and Pharaohs section, which provides a fascinating insight into how Egyptian rulers maintained the world's most advanced ancient civilisation. Pharaohs were considered living Gods and here you can find out how they organised their courts.The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is located in the centre of San Jose, about 4 kilometres from downtown. Opening hours are from Wednesday to Sunday, except for major holidays, and there is a charge for admission. Free parking is available one block east of the museum. Buses and trains also stop nearby.
