They were miners, fathers, soldiers, farmers and children. They are revered by their descendants and have been visited by millions. They are rare, shocking…and completely accidental. Now, for the first time ever, they are coming to the United States in an all-new touring exhibition, The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato.

The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a 10,000 square-foot exhibition that will tour six North American destinations from 2010-2012. Featuring 36 accidental mummies who have never been seen outside of Mexico, the exhibit combines science, history and cultural anthropology to immerse the visitor in the world of a Mexican city over 100 years ago where deceased residents naturally mummified in their crypts.

Only 1 in 100 bodies buried in Guanajuato experiences this rare and mysterious process of natural mummification. Visitors will meet these accidental mummies, learn about life in their thriving community, discover the modern-day forensic technology that helps scientists analyze them, and explore a culture that reveres and celebrates them.

These are some of the extraordinary experiences that await you as you meet The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato.

A Look Into the Past
Journey back over 100 years to Guanajuato, Mexico, a city known for its rich silver mines, artist Diego Rivera and colonial-era Spanish architecture. Nestled in the mountains of the Sierra de Guanajuato, the historical and picturesque city of Guanajuato is a collage of pastel-colored facades, balconies trimmed with iron work, flower-filled window boxes, cobblestone streets and breathtaking vistas of beautiful churches and plazas.

Death & Transformation
Prepare to meet Guanajuato’s most famous residents in a beautiful and unique cemetery. Explore the graceful crypt walls, stately monuments and grave markers filled with poetry to learn about the history and practices of the cemetery, and the rare process of natural mummification. An opening in the wall of crypts offers a preview of the actual mummies who await you.

Life & Lore
It was in 1865 that cemetery workers in the Santa Paula Pantheon exhumed the remains of Dr. Remigio Leroy, and were astonished to find that his body had not decayed, but had instead mummified. Over time, more than 100 of these natural mummies would be discovered during exhumation from their crypts. For the first time ever, discover who the mummies were, how they lived and how they died. See portraits from a forensic artist that show how they looked when they were alive, including illustrations of their faces and clothing. Meet “The Witch” and learn about the custom of dressing deceased children as angels and saints.

Solving Mysteries
Step inside a forensic lab to explore the skeletal structures, internal organs and cellular composition of the mummies through increasingly sophisticated medical science and technology. This area will reveal the secrets of the mummies in fascinating detail through diagnostic tools that include endoscopy, x-ray, computed tomography, molecular analysis and forensic reconstruction. Progressing from “gross anatomy” external examination to molecular structures, then to reconstruction, the forensic lab will feature areas on How to Read a Mummy, The Diagnostic Tool Box and The Artist’s Eye.

Celebrating Life & Death
Join a celebration of The Day of the Dead and find out why this holiday is at the heart of Mexican culture. Learn the customs unique to the residents of Guanajuato as they observe this important holiday. See how the mummies have permeated Mexican popular culture. Explore the unique shops of a Guanajuato marketplace selling candies, authentic silver jewelry and souvenirs from the exhibit.

The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a unique exhibition that provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these amazing mummies in the United States. The three-year tour has begun at the Detroit Science Center in October 2009 and will travel to other major museums throughout the United States from 2010-2012.

The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is produced by Eekstein’s Workshop, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Detroit Science Center that creates captivating, durable, engaging exhibits and displays for museum and corporate clients, in association with Accidental Mummies Touring Company LLC.

In 2009 the Detroit Science Center and Accidental Mummies Touring Company LLC reached a historic agreement with Manuel Hernandez/Firma Culturato to create a national touring exhibition featuring 36 accidental mummies from the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato. These unique mummies have never been seen before outside of Mexico. The exhibition will open at the Detroit Science Center in October 2009 for a limited engagement and will go on tour to six United States venues from 2010 - 2012.