LotR Exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science

[Encaitare]

Oh man, what excitement I experienced last Tuesday! I was on vacation in Boston and went to the Museum of Science to see the Weta LotR Exhibit. It was insanely delightful. They had the weapons, many costumes and suits of armor, some so-called "Big-atures," props, and of course, the One Ring. I got to hold Glamdring (v. exciting, as I've been wanting a sword for ages), and I saw the Dead Boromir dolly in its boat. It was creepily realistic. The not-so-mini miniatures ("big-atures") of Orthanc and Barad-Dur were there, the Argonath, and tons more cool stuff. Needless to say, I kept going, "See that circlet? That was on Hugo Weaving's head. He touched that." and things like that... and wouldn't you?

My favorite thing there was Sauron's armor... it was on a raised display and had one arm lifted in a manner of authority, and it was extremely menacing and intimidating. He had that big ol' mace, and it seriously made cowering in fear seem like the logical thing to do. Very cool.

The only thing I found disappointing was the gift shop; I brought all my money that I had saved up in the hopes of buying something really cool there, but it was pretty much barren. The other lousy thing is that you can't take pictures inside the exhibit... I did however get pictures of me and my sister at the Argonath. (I finally learned which statue is Isildur and which is Anarion, though! Isildur's the clean-shaven one; Anarion's the bearded one. This was a burning question which had been plaguing me for ages. Hooray for the Boston Museum of Science!)

Still, if you can get to Boston before October 24, GO. You will not regret it; it's the single most awesome thing I have ever witnessed. I feel pretty special, too, because after this they're packing the whole thing up and leaving the States... I think it's going to Sydney next. I'm going to try and go back because Sean Astin will be there on October 15 and 16. Much spiffiness. Check out www.mos.org for details, and enjoy!

[Gorwingel]

We're you there on Tuesday the 17th?

Because I visited that day, and I had a wonderful, spectacular time

I came from Washington State, and planned an entire trip to Boston, just so I could see it. I would have not missed it for the world.

It was so wonderful. The costumes and the armor were amazing. I kept going over to Galadriel's costume just because it was so beautiful and glittery. I also loved the weapons, and of course the jewlery, and just getting to see everything up close. The Ringwraith was like the ultimate halloween costume, and the Boromir "dummy" (I don't know what to call it) was so realistic you could have sworn that it was real. I also thought the drawings by Alan Lee and others were quite cool.

I would very much encourage anyone near or far from the Boston area to try to make it to this exhibit. It is very amazing.

[Encaitare]

Holy crepe, I totally was. Whoa.

[Ereinion]

I'm supposed to be going within the next week or so (I live in Rhode Island). Did they have a lot of Elvish stuff there? AKA Aeglos, or any of Gil-galad's stuff? Anyways, I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks in advance.

[Encaitare]

Yup, they had Aiglos (it was very beautiful) and the shields and armor of the Elves of the Last Alliance, more of their stuff too if I remember correctly.

[Gorwingel]

They had Gil-Galad, Haldir, Elrond (his ring, circlet, things from Rivendell, but alas no costume except for armor), Last Alliance and 3rd Age Armor, Arwen, and of course Legolas (both Lorien and Mirkwood bows to add).

The only thing they were really lacking in was Hobbits and Eowyn (No Eowyn costumes at all). All they had was Frodo's little costume, the little Sting, Sam's Backpack, and a few other assorted items.

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

I'm going to try and go back because Sean Astin will be there on October 15 and 16. Much spiffiness. Check out www.mos.org for details, and enjoy!

You do know you just made my mom buy lots of aspirin right? I am not going to shut up until she agrees to drive me there on those days....wait a tick Ill have my license maybe I can go alone or ask...oh wait before I bore you all with personal problems

must see Sean

you're mean now Im all hyper and jumpy and... hey would it be odd to go in costume?

[Mithalwen]

I saw this exhibition in London and really enjoyed it... I too was sorry that there wasn't much of Rohan and especially Eowyn's lovely costumes but the exhibition was here nearly a year ago and had already been to Wellington and Sydney so I reckoned that a lot of that stuff they had kept back for the TTT extended version reshoots..... It would be nice if they did it all again so we could see ROTK stuff too.....

[Encaitare]

Nah, Morsul, it wouldn't be odd. For the premiere it said something like, "Costumes may be worn, but no weapons please!" I can just see fans being disarmed at the door like Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, at the Golden Hall! But I did see a few people dressed up there. I myself had brought nothing with me on vacation that would have passed as a costume...

And I'm rather irked, because not only can my father not provide the ride he offered (he's going away somewhere for those days), I have to take the PSAT's then! I'm giving up Sean and LotR for some stupid tests! Oh well.

Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the exhibit which I just thought of was the stuff from Saruman's little study in Orthanc. He's got all this creepy stuff that I never noticed before... skulls and squid in jars and things like that.

[Knight of Gondor]

I have had the fortune of finding cheap arms reproductions, and posess a pretty good Glamdring (hilt's a little loose), a very good Narsil, and a pretty good Ranger sword. I also have Sting (the leaf design is painted on the hilt, not carved), the Elven Dagger (black sheath, silver trim, not red and gold, and wood-grain handle, not maroon). And one very sharp but very inaccurate Legolas blade. (ONE?)

Anyway, just answering what you said about always longing to hold a sword, because I had the same longing and was able to fulfill it even on my low budget.

But I wanted to know, did they actually let you hold the weapons props? That doesn't seem like something they would do!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Apparently Boston isn't the only U.S. stop.

I spied the following notice on the OneRing.net website:

Just came back from the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where to my delight I found out that the Lord of the Rings Exhibit will be shown in summer 2005......The Houston Museum of Natural Science web pages do not yet have the exhibit listed, but I verified it with several Museum workers.

I am hoping that this is true and will check into it the first chance I get.

[Encaitare]

Knight of Gondor-- it was only Glamdring they let you hold, and it wasn't the one used in the movie, I'm sure!

Child of the 7th Age-- that's awesome, I hope you go when it does come around. They were saying the exhibit's leaving the US when it's done in Boston, and I assumed that meant for good. Glad I was wrong!

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

I went to the exhibit at the Science museum on Sunday... Oh how cool! I spent two hours in there and still didn't see everything I wanted to! I would have stayed longer, but the rest of my group wanted lunch. wimps. Just kidding. High point for me was the picture I bought of my friend and I sitting in the scale thing so that she looked really tall and I looked like a hobbit. Very cool.

I didn't get to watch all the movies they had playing of interviews and stuff...one of my friends or my brother was always dragging me off to look at something else. So I think it would be worth my money to go again and hit the stuff I didn't get to see. Holding the sword was awesome, even though I don't think it was the one used in the movie. It was still cool. I also got to try lifting this tiny chainmail shirt, that might have been too small for a hobbit...and it was really heavy...eek! I can't imagine having to actually wear a full-size version of real chainmail.

It was so much fun, and I think well worth the money...If you get a chance to go, take it!

I loved being surrounded by a ton of Tolkien fans...it was awesome because pretty much everyone in the exhibit with us I could be sure was there because they loved LOTR.

I wore my cape, and most of my friends that went along did as well. It was fun, even though it was really really hot and humid... walking around Boston in a cape...way too hot. But fun anyway

[Laitoste]

Oh, I really want to go! Unfortunately, I still live at home and my parents won't take me. And it was too far from New York City to make my aunt take me when I visited her. *Sniff* Anyway, if it does come to Houston, I'm going. Definitely.

[Encaitare]

I hope you get to go, Laitoste! Fortunately the exhibit coincided perfectly with our vacation... lucky break for me, I guess!

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

omg!!!! i was gonna post an alert on this!! but i haven't been on in a while so nyah.
I got a brochure for my birthday but since the person who gave it to me was too stingy to pay for a trip there I'm planning a trip up there with my own money. The brochure says Sean Astin's gonna be there on Oct. 15-16th!!!!! but the MoS told me in an email that the details "haven't been worked out yet" so just keep checking the site every day. Anyway I'm going up that weekend if he's gonna be there and if my parents let me, maybe see some of you guys?

[Morsul the Dark]

Im going October 16th so I can see Sean Astin ...are pans considered weapons? I want them for my Sam costume...

[Encaitare]

Lucky, lucky you... I wish I could go then, too. I doubt pans are considered weapons, unless you pull a Sam and start whacking people in the face with them!

[The Saucepan Man]

I saw this exhibition in London and really enjoyed it...

Me too! That was about a year ago now, though. There was a thread about it somewhere around here (on which I posted my thoughts) but I'll be darned if I can find it now.

[mark12_30]

Here's one:
Lord of the Rings Australian tour? which boasts the following snippet posted by one LadyMeg

An exhibition of The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy props, costumes, and memorabilia will tour five cities beginning in December. "The Lord Of The Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition" launches at the Museum Of New Zealand on December 18, followed by stops in London, Boston, Singapore, and Sydney. The exhibit will feature interactive attractions employing the trilogy's special effects as well as film footage and items used in the creation of the trilogy.

I really do have to go. Boston's only 2 hours from my home. The question is when and with whom...
... perhaps my nephew...

[The Saucepan Man]

Aha! Found it:

An Orc-some exhibition

[Child of the 7th Age]

See this link for additional places where the exhibit will be on view: exhibit schedule.

This shows that the exhibit will be in Houston in June 2005, and after that in Indianapolis.

[mark12_30]

Tomorrow! I'm going tomorrow!

**capers with glee**

[starkat]

Thanks for letting us know Child. I'm closest to Houston, so I will be going when it comes through there if my schedule works out.

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

OMG!!!! WHO WAS THERE THIS WEEKEND? (15-16) I WAS!!! I SAW SEAN ASTIN!!!!! i didn't actually get to meet him in person, because my non ringnut relatives (i flew up all by my onesies so no family or friends) were like oh we can just go there half an hour before he arrives its ok and i was like ARE YOU INSANE WE HAVE TO CAMP OUT!!!!!! but i felt too guilty to make them get up at 4 am bc like they were already like hosting me when they could have been on vacation so I was like um how about an hour before? ugh. we were like the 800th place in line, and they made me leave after over 2 hours had passed and we were still outside in the freezing cold. anyway i went inside at about 10 to check if he was there, and the line was like EVERYWHERE but there was this one space off to the side where no one was standing so I walked into it to see if he was at the desk yet and just as i did the security people started yelling, 'Excuse me miss, you can't stand there!" and then like out of NOWHERE this huge police escourt shows up like right beside me and omg he was like 3 FEET AWAY FROM ME! like, talk about perfect timing, standing in the one place i wasn't supposed to, just out of reach of the security guards. Anyone else there? I was the girl with black hair in a blue hoodie tshirt over a black longsleeve shirt... not that i'd remember if i was given a description like that... (i forgot my costume at home in the last minute packing rush!!!! how tragic is that!)

[mark12_30]

Hmmm, Lady Snickerdoodle, that sounds like you had a bit of an adventure! I wonder if the lines are that long on a normal day? Perhaps I'll go a bit early...

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

haha no they're nowhere near as long if you're just going to the exhibit. but you have to reserve your ticket in advance!!!! and if you know any members of the museum personally, make them buy you a ticket. it's much cheaper... (hehehe conspiracies)

[Encaitare]

You lucky, lucky person, Lady Snickerdoodle. I desperately wanted to go, but alas, 'twas not meant to be?

How'd you like it, mark?

[mark12_30]

I liked it well!

There was lots of orc-armor and Uruky stuff, plus a Treebeard display, and a pretty cool Mo-Cap station (I tried archery-- I can shoot, honest-- but the Mo-Cap was 2D, says the guy, and you have to do your archery side on, holding the thingies front-on. ) I gave up. I'll shoot for real instead.

Oh, and the store: totally lame. Nothing you can't get elsewhere much cheaper.

The room with the Ring in it was pretty cool. I was lucky enough to go in alone, and it was kinda neat to just stand there and listen to all the voices and ring-phrases.

Major Highlights:

Many have marveled at Boromir-in-the-boat. I must agree. The first few moments I spent looking at him, I could see he was artificial, wax; his hands were clearly waxen, more so than his face. But the more I looked, the more detail I saw. His constume; his eyelashes; the uneven-ness of his feet , one pointed more than the other; the smudges of dirt on his face. His hair looked untidy, and (I thought) blonder than usual. But what really got me-- Sean Bean as Boromir basically wore sort of a broad blond goatee-type beard, or something like that; just the moustache, the chin & mouth area. So he would have shaved his upper cheeks. The closer I looked, there was blonde down, or stubble, on his cheeks. He had clearly shaved just prior to setting out from Lothlorien, and they gave him four or five days' blonde beard growth. Invisible, unless you really look hard. Astounding.

It was around that moment I began to think I saw him blink.

More highlights: I am no fan of the XenArwenRanger approach taken between The Trollshaws and The Ford. That said: Arwen's riding habit was... just... amazing. I wanted one. Incredible. Why would I ever wear it? I wouldn't. But it was incredible.

Likewise: Galadriel's beaded white dress and cloak. Stunning. And the brooch, to my glee, looked like it surrounds a shell. How very elvish, especially for one who hails from across the sea!

Nenya was my favorite (it's big! And I've wanted one since I first saw it on screen so long ago.) Narya and Vilya were also pretty cool. The red-stoned ring, the ring of fire, impressed me the least. Next to Nenya... whatever.

Bilbo's red leather book. (I want one.) (Why? I never journal anymore.) (It's just gorgeous, that's why.) ( Covetousness....)

Frodo's Mithril shirt. Lovely.

I'm not sure about the Mithril shirt; but the rest of the hobbit-props and clothes were for the scale-double, the small guy. The brooch clued me in; it was half the size of mine (which I was wearing.) Sting was smaller, ditto the scabbard, and ditto Bilbo's red book. And the map, too (Bilbo's charred map of Erebor.)

All the fellowship brooches (they had three sizes, mini, huge, and man-sized) were in a much softer green than the ones the rest of us owned. I think I like ours better. THe rich green was a good choice.

Crowns... cool.

The Evenstar pendant: Yeah. I like it. I was unimpressed when it first "came out", but THAT one-- now that's nice.

Gondorian saddle: very spare! I hope it's more comfortable than it looks.

Theoden's armor: gorgeous and incredibly detailed.

In a glass case with several other helmets: Eomer's helmet!!!!! Can't I touch it? Pleeeeease? Oh, please please please?

Anduril-- cool. I wish they had translated the runes that ran all down the blade.

With gloves and limitations: Got to hold a copy of Glamdring, heft some genuine chain mail, a helmet (they wouldn't let me out it on), a gauntlet and a vambrace.

Aiglos! Gil-Galad's lance. Way up high. (That I would have liked some detail on... no cameras allowed, of course.) I stood there and sang "GilGalad was an elven King" under my breath. The guy next to me was saying "The countless stars of heavens filed were mirrored in his silver shield."

Aragorn's costume. Golly, it's almost all leather! I had asumed that it was half cloth. Nope; leather leather leather, tunic, coat, ties, everything. Very rugged.

And Legolas's costume... *shakes head* ...incredible. Silk shirt, fine leggings of course; then the boots (double-wrapped and laced, as best I could tell) and then -- the tunic. Incredible. (want one want one want one.)(When would you wear it?)(Every day, so there.) Soft bluish grey suede, finely tailored and carefully sewn, fitted to the shoulders (fitted everywhere) with layers wrapped across the shoulder and bicep to allow for freedom of movement. And an amazingly delicate tracery up the center to the neck and branching out over the shoulders-- faded, thin, and in places rubbed or worn completely off.

I stayed for two hours, lingered for another twenty minutes pondering, and then I was done. I am quite glad I went.

Oh, and before I forget-- how could I forget!-- it was quite hot, so the brown cloak and green vest got left in the car. And nobody was really costume-watching anyway, although there was one girl in a lovely foor-length royal purple cloak. A few people noticed taht I was dressed in 'forest greens and browns', I think, but I kept my brooch hidden most of the time. However, I did wear Rae's pendant and earrings; and ate Rae's 'lembas'-brownies, too. Rae, interesting Mallorn leaves you wrapped those in!

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

omg i swear I saw Boromir blink too. I got soooo freaked out. I actually stayed there for like 5 minutes just like staring at his closed eyes, waiting for him to blink again. But no. Didn't happen. (thank god.. how scary would that have been? unless it was actually sean bean. that would be cool.)

mark, when did they let you hold the stuff???? lucky!!! I really wanted to try out the elven swords. Like you know the ones with the extra long handles, because they looked really comfortable.

[Encaitare]

Anduril-- cool. I wish they had translated the runes that ran all down the blade.

I ran a little Google search and discovered this, courtesy of CB Swords:

... inscription down the length of the blade on both sides in the Middle-Earth language of Quenya, written in the runes of Eregion, that say "Nanye Anduril i ne Narsil i macil Elendilo. Lercuvanten i mali Mordoreo." This translates to "I am Anduril who was Narsil, the sword of Elendil. Let the thralls of Mordor flee me."

[mark12_30]

Thanks, Encaitare! Maybe someday I'll buy one... I always thought I wanted Sting, but... hmmmmmm.

Lady Snickerdoodle-- there were only a few items that you could hold. They had a couple of people in red shirts who were doing the hands-on stuff. You had to put on brown cloth gloves (they were pretty sweaty by the time I got to them, but whatever...) There was one lady at a table with the samples of armor: a child's mail shirt (incredibly heavy!), a helm, a gauntlet, and the -- well, really, it was more than a vambrace, because it included the elbow joint and the tricep-cover... I put it on. Made the lady a bit nervous. It was heavy! I would have been freaking out in about ten minutes, or less. I also started to try the helmet on but the lady nixed that right away. Guess she didn't want me getting stuck.

Glamdring: Again, there was a guy who stood there and held it, and lectured you for a bit. You had to put on another pair of the brown cloth gloves again. He helps you hold the sword... too bad. I wanted him to let go of it, but he wouldn't. (I used to fence, foil and sabre, but broadsword is quite different and I wanted to have some fun... uh uh. No such luck. Like I said, maybe I'll buy one... either the Ranger sword or Anduril. (What would you do with a SWORD?) (Oh, just get arrested for disturbing the peace, and assault with a deadly weapon, and things like that. No big deal.)

Oh! One more thing that was ultra-cool. They had a display that said 'please touch'. It was three rohirric swords side by side. (Next to that was another similar display of three elvish swords, side by side.) One was the original steel sword; then they do a cast of that, and make aluminum copies and plasticky copies for various purposes. They wanted you to try and feel the difference.

The steel was coldest.

[Encaitare]

Glamdring: Again, there was a guy who stood there and held it, and lectured you for a bit. You had to put on another pair of the brown cloth gloves again. He helps you hold the sword... too bad. I wanted him to let go of it, but he wouldn't. (I used to fence, foil and sabre, but broadsword is quite different and I wanted to have some fun... uh uh. No such luck. Like I said, maybe I'll buy one... either the Ranger sword or Anduril. (What would you do with a SWORD?) (Oh, just get arrested for disturbing the peace, and assault with a deadly weapon, and things like that. No big deal.)

When I went, the lady working the little booth thing did make us wear these cotton gloves, but if she deemed you strong enough she let you hold the sword by yourself -- I'm very glad she let me. But, the blade was of course dull, and there was a little rubber tip on the point for safety.

My friend is taking fencing lessons and asked me if I wanted to join her, but tragically, I have no time for it. I do really want a sword, though, just to look at and show people -- or to attack any would-be burglars. Anduril or Glamdring would do nicely; I think Glamdring has this cold, simple elegance to it.