Ancient Egypt meets nightlife at San Francisco museum’s sold-out event

By Andrea Nakano

A night at the museum looks nothing like the movie on the big screen. Thursday night in San Francisco, the de Young Museum held its latest installment of Late Night Editions, blending the extremely popular Treasures of the Pharaohs exhibit with an after-hours nightlife atmosphere.

There was dancing, drinks and dazzling artifacts at the de Young Museum Thursday night. Many got dressed up for the museum after-hours experience, including Carl Spitzer from San Rafael.

“This is my headdress,” Spitzer said. “Pharaonic headdress, which is typical of my people. No, I found this at a costume rental shop nearby. It seemed fitting.”

This is the second year of the Late Night Editions event for de Young Museum. This one in particular drew its biggest crowd, with roughly 3,000 people attending Thursday night.

“The one tonight is the most popular ever,” Gretal Menzies with de Young Museum said.

“We have sold out twice after expanding our capacity.”

The Treasures of the Pharaohs exhibit has been a huge draw. This is the U.S. debut of the artifacts from ancient Egypt, spanning 3000 years of Egyptian history. People got a glimpse of everyday life, but also the connection between life and death.

“It’s pretty extraordinary,” Spitzer said. “I’m just walking in and starting to see it, but particularly the funerary coffin. It really speaks to how profoundly advanced these civilizations were and how much they value art and beauty.”

This particular exhibit and this event is drawing people young and old. Anthony Ortega has been to Egypt and jumped at the chance to experience a piece of history in this vibrant setting.

“I love music,” Ortega said. “So, to have the nightlife event in the museum is pretty amazing. So, I just love hearing the music, just hearing people enjoy the museum and also the nightlife.”

This exhibit was a collaborative effort between the de Young Museum, and the Egyptian museum and government. San Francisco is just one of two stops in the U.S. and Treasures of the Pharaohs will be here through next January. Some say seeing this exhibit makes them want to visit where the ancient civilization all started.

“I’d love to see the Nile,” Spitzer said. “Of course, the pyramids. It would be beautiful to see these artifacts in their native land.”