Seattle! Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor Opens Saturday at PacSci (Preview)

Time and again, I'm in awe of all of the creative energy in Seattle. That energy has helped us attract world-famous visual masterpieces like Picasso and YSL at SAM, Tutankhamen and Harry Potter at Pacific Science Center, literally every musical at The 5th Ave. Theatre and the upcoming Hamilton tour at the Paramount.

We have one more to add to this distinguished list. Starting this Saturday, you can head over to the Pacific Science Center for the world premiere of Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor.

Unearthed unexpectedly over 40 years ago east of Xi'an, the terracotta army is one of the greatest archeological discoveries of our time. The army created 2,200 years ago and consisting of 6,000 life-sized soldiers, horses, chariots, bowmen and archers, all stand guard at the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang in a 20-square-mile burial compound. My childhood dream was to be an archaeologist, so I've been extra excited to see this exhibit in the flesh!

Built from the ground-up in collaboration with The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, the exhibition includes 10 original life-size statues and over 100 original artifacts from the first imperial dynasty of China, on loan from the People's Republic of China.

Our former U.S. Diplomats to China (and former governor and First Lady of Washington State) Gary Locke and Mona Lee Locke gave opening remarks at the exhibit preview, and a delegation from China was there to be among the first to view the exhibition.

While terracotta warriors have been displayed around the world, this is a unique experience that dives into the science and technology surrounding the burial and the artifacts. There are hands-on, multimedia, and interactive elements throughout the exhibit, which is great for curious kids (and kids at heart!)

Speaking of fun for the whole family, today I learned that PacSci's family access membership, which offers $19 family memberships to families on any kind of public assistance and free memberships to homeless families and foster children, has helped over 2,800 families access PacSci and its countless learning opportunities. 33% of those have come into the center at least twice! That's so incredible. I wish everyone knew about this, and I love that PacSci's new(ish) CEO Will Daugherty has worked to bring access to as many families as possible.