For Immediate Release Contact: Nancy O'Shea (312) 665-7103 (For Media Use Only) The Exhibition at a Glance Exhibition Title: POMPEII: Stories from an Eruption Exhibition Dates: October 22, 2005 through March 26, 2006 Media Preview: Tuesday, October 18, 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Overview: The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24 and 25, 79 AD, buried not only Pompeii but several other cities and settlements along the Bay of Naples. Thousands of people were killed, and a vibrant, cosmopolitan society vanished overnight. Now Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption gives them a second life. Casts made from human remains show real people caught as they fled with their most prized possessions. Excavations in the area around Pompeii provide hundreds of objects to illuminate the inhabitants’ lives: gorgeous room-size frescoes and mosaics, gold coins and precious jewelry, marble and bronze sculptures, and a variety of everyday household objects and tools. Visitors will explore life and death in three sites devastated by the eruption: Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis. Along the way they’ll discover how volcanoes are born and learn how they wield their destructive power. Location: The Field Museum 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496 Phone Number: 312/922-9410 General Field Museum Information Organizers: The exhibition was organized by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei. It is supported by Compagnia di San Paolo with the assistance of Autostrade Meridionali. Admission: Tickets to Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption include Museum admission and are priced at $19 for adults, $14 for seniors and students with ID, $9 for children 4-11 years old. Discounts are available for Chicago residents. Visit www.fieldmuseum.org or call (312) 922-9410 for details. To purchase tickets call (866) FIELD-03 (866-343-5303), visit www.fieldmuseum.org, or come to the Field Museum box office.  Special rates are available for tour operators and groups of 15 or more.  Call the Museum’s Group Sales office toll-free at (888) FIELD85 (888-343-5385). Public Programs: Programs will include lectures and discussions by cultural historians, art restoration specialists, and authors, as well as adult classes, family workshops, and city-wide programs. For updates on public programs and special events, please call (312) 665-7400. <<Back to the Pompeii Press Kit main page