Bodies Exhibit
The Bodies Exhibition at the South Street Seaport in New York City is one of several exhibitions of its kind around the world that was first displayed on August 20, 2005 in Tampa, Florida. Similar exhibitions are showing in Vienna, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Cincinnati, Santiago, Prague, Branson, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Hartford, and Washington D.C. The exhibit is unique, consisting of real human bodies in various forms of disembowelment. Each body system was addressed in its own individual exhibit, starting with the skeletal system and progressing through the muscular, nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, urinary, and reproductive systems plus an exhibit on fetal development. Healthy and diseased specimens were showcased in each exhibit.
As you walk through the South Street Seaport, arrows with the word “Bodies” lead you to the exhibit itself. The ticket prices were a little steep, but with a coupon the price came to $21.95 for one adult admission. As soon as you walk into the main building, there are posters and pictures of the exhibits everywhere. Also everywhere were helpful and friendly staff, who lead us to wherever we needed to go eagerly and with a smile. After being informed of the general rules, i.e. no food or drink, no photography, etc, we were allowed inside.
Once inside the actual exhibits, it takes a moment to really absorb the fact that the display in front of you is actually a real human body. There are special lights throughout the exhibits that protect the bodies from decomposing and damage that may occur. The individual displays had explanations written out beside them so the observers are able to understand what they’re seeing in front of them. Since I’ve taken so many anatomy classes, I found myself searching for and naming any body part I could see in front of me. One of the most fascinating parts of each exhibit was seeing how everything fits and works together.
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