When "Bodies ... The Exhibition" came to Las Vegas in August 2008, the exhibit showcasing dissected cadavers could've come with a warning: The easily creeped-out need not visit. Howls about the show came from all corners, from parents to the pious. To counter protests accompanying its debut in the U.S. in 2005, officials launched a marketing effort to educate the public on what the exhibition promotes (education) and what it doesn't (the macabre).
After success in New York, Las Vegas was selected as site of the second permanent exhibit for practical reasons: it's a tourist hub and welcomes all manner of entertainment.
Success on the Strip
The choice has paid off. Since opening its doors in Las Vegas, the exhibition has welcomed guests from around the world; motivated guests to get healthy (they've discarded more than 3,000 cigarette packs in the attraction's disposal bin); hosted more than 530 field trips with more than 30,000 local students; showcased 13 full-body and more than 260 organs and partial-body specimens; and given private tours to celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Michael Buble and Carrot Top.
The Las Vegas exhibit has also become the flagship and is quickly gaining on its New York counterpart in terms of popularity.
"The most popular exhibit is in New York City, which opened in 2005, but the one in Las Vegas, which opened in 2008, has been a big hit," said Dr. Roy Glover, chief medical director for Atlanta-based Premier Exhibitions, which runs the "Bodies" permanent and touring exhibits.
Glover will be on hand Aug. 12 to talk with guests as part of the local exhibit's second anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, "Bodies" is also offering two-for-one admission through Aug. 15 and has launched a contest to honor its 1.5 millionth guest.
The winner will receive a trip for two to Las Vegas, including two nights at the Luxor, VIP entrance to the resort's nightlife venues, a private tour of the exhibition and a gift bag valued at more than $250.
Guests can visit any "Bodies ... The Exhibition" venue around the country for details on how to enter. The winner will be announced on Sept.17 via a random drawing.
Educating, entertaining
Originally located at the Tropicana hotel-casino, "Bodies" is now at the Luxor in a space specially designed for the exhibition. As with all the exhibits, the cadavers are maintained by a liquid silicone process called polymer preservation. The exhibition also provides information on human skeletal, muscular, respiratory and circulatory systems as well as the organ damage that smoking, excessive eating and a sedentary lifestyle can cause.
As a scientist, Glover said his main challenge has been writing about the bodies in a way that the general public can understand.
"Trying to make the human body simple is not simple," said Glover, who has run a medical school and preservation laboratory and has taught anatomy for 35 years. "So we rely on visitors to tell us what they're learning and how much of what they read they are able to understand."
Glover said officials have had to change very few of the exhibit's explicatory texts over the years, but they do update them periodically. "For example, scientists recently discovered that the appendix is capable of replenishing cells in the intestinal wall," he said. "For years, scientists thought that it's just there to be taken out. We try to provide a complete tour of the human body."
Oftentimes, visitors who come with a poor understanding of how the human body works generally leave informed and empowered, said Glover, noting that exhibit guides actively encourage visitors to take preventative measures such as eating healthy, exercising, drinking plenty of water and quitting smoking.
On his last visit to Las Vegas, Glover worked with the cast of the Cirque du Soleil production "O" at the Bellagio on incorporating more health-related practices on and off the job.
"Bodies are a precious gift; they can be abused and they can be kept healthy," Glover said. "It's a matter of choice. Coming to Las Vegas was a good choice for the exhibition. Las Vegas is a place to come enjoy yourself, relax and have a good time. But it's also place where you can learn."
Glover pointed out that Premier Exhibitions has another show in Vegas -- "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition," also at the Luxor -- but said it is quite different in tone. "Titanic" is historical, while "Bodies" is practical.
"But they're both educationally rich," he said. "When I can make disciples of members of the public, and help them live healthier lives, it's very gratifying to me as an anatomist."
Tickets to "Bodies ... The Exhibition" are available at the Luxor box office or by logging on to www.bodiestickets.com. Prices are $31 for adults (ages 13 to 64), $29 for seniors (65 and older) and $23 for children ages 4 to 12. The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the last admission at 9 p.m. It's recommended that a teacher or parent accompany children ages 12 and younger.
For more information or to reserve tickets, call (800) 557-7428 or (702) 262-4400.
This report appeared in the Aug. 9 issue of Travel Weekly.