Bodies: The Exhibition - a review

Located on the Atrium Level of the Luxor Hotel and Casino, Bodies: The Exhibition was added to our November 2011 Vegas trip when Hayley and I were unable to obtain tickets to Carrot Top (too young - her, not me) and Tournament of Kings at Excalibur (sold out).


I was quite surprised by this exhibit - in a good way.  I thought it might be a bit gruesome and a little over-the-top, but each of the displays was presented in a very clinical, educational way, and it was very informative for me, personally.


According to their official website, www.bodiestheexhibition.com, over 200 bodies are on display, creating informative and thought-provoking exhibits with tons of details.  There are several rooms throughout the exhibit, and they displays cover the nine human systems: skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, endocrine and circulatory.  


I was surprised at how much time Hayley and I spent inside the exhibit.  She is currently enrolled in an Anatomy class, and I think it was much more explanatory than anything in a textbook could ever be.  For instance, you can SAY that the human gastrointestinal tract is over 30 feet long, but to actually SEE it is...surprising, to say the least.  And to SEE how many blood vessels there are in ANY part of the body? Also very surprising.


The displays are all done very tastefully, and special polymer blends have been used to preserve the bodies eternally for the exhibits.  They even have a doctor on hand at the end of the exhibit to answer any questions you may have and to let you touch (yes, TOUCH!) an actual human heart or hand that has been preserved.  That was pretty cool, but we still couldn't resist the urge to go and WASH OUR HANDS repeatedly after we were done, even though they gave us Purell to cleanse our hands after we touched things.  There's something about touching another person's dead body - even when well-preserved - that was a bit odd.


The room with the reproductive system displays is included with the digestive system, but they have a secluded, separate room containing preserved fetuses that can be bypassed if you choose to do so.  I noted that the only people who did so while we were in there was the couple with two young children.  It was not as sad as I thought it might be, and there was nothing to offend anyone. See it if you like, and bypass it if you don't.


Also be aware that there are displays in each room that show cancers, strokes, heart attacks and various other ailments and the effects these have on the physical body.  As expected, the lung cancer display was particularly eye-opening to me, and after seeing it I am certainly glad I've never picked up a cigarette in my life.


Among the big, eye-opening discoveries I personally made was the size of a man's bladder versus a woman's - it is nearly 5 times as large!  No wonder women have to pee so much!  I'm just saying that now I have a frame of reference when it comes to the urinary processes for both sexes.


Seeing a display like this "in person" definitely gives you a sense of your own humanity, and Hayley was quite impressed with it.  It could be the fact that she wants to become a doctor, but she was genuinely intrigued by some of the bodies and made a point to do a bit of Google searching to find out even more information while we were in the cab on the way back to our hotel.


I rate this exhibit a perfect 10.  It contains educational, well thought out displays that are presented in a very tasteful, informative and completely inoffensive way.  There is nothing over-the-top, there are professionals on hand to assist with any questions you may have, and it is a first-class presentation that should be required for all Anatomy students, at the very least.  Go and see it if you can, and learn a little something about yourself.


Tickets for the exhibit are $34.00+tax each, or they can be purchased at the Tix4Tonite half price booths same day.  In addition, you can also find coupons for $5-$10 off in the 24/7 Las Vegas Magazine (in your hotel room or in cabs) to cut the cost.  The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily, including holidays.  No photos are allowed inside the exhibit, so leave your camera behind.