By the time LACMA West closed "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" Sunday night, 937,613 visitors had viewed the ancient Egyptian artefacts from its June 16 opening to its 24-hour marathon closing weekend.

While it will remain overshadowed by the 1.25 million visitors to the 1978 blockbuster "Treasures of Tutankhamun," officials at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art clearly were delighted with the result. The museum reported that 46 percent of Tut customers said it motivated them to visit LACMA for the first time, and more than 20,000 purchased memberships. Some 150,000 children saw the exhibit, 60,000 of them on field trips.

"In addition to providing an opportunity to experience outstanding works of art and to learn about ancient Egypt, 'Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs' helped draw significant new audiences to the museum..."

937,600 see 'Tut' during 5-month LACMA run, LA Daily News, California, USA, November 23, 2005.