Toledo Museum of Art new exhibit

Toledo Blade (Tahree Lane)

"People keep saying ‘Where are the mummies?' What they really mean is ‘Tell me about the ancient Egyptians.' They want to know the whole story," said Sandra Knudsen, creator of the exhibit and the museum's associate curator of ancient art.

The first peek at the mummies (especially the partially unwrapped one with its exposed brown, leathery skin), often elicits an "ewww!" followed by questions: Who is it, male or female? How old were they, what did they do?

(Note: The leathery mummy is in a high-sided case that can't be seen by people less than about 36-inches tall, giving parents an option of whether to show young children.)

But who isn't intrigued by a culture that believed they could live forever and take it with them when they died?

A warren of rooms have been constructed to evoke ancient tombs and chapels.