The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science has been a wild success since opening Feb. 14! All ages have flocked to experience the mystery-solving adventure, where visitors are transported to 19th-century Victorian London to become detectives, using hands-on forensic techniques and tools to solve a baffling crime.
Presented in English and Spanish, the bilingual traveling exhibition runs through May 10, 2015. Visitors will be transported to 19th-century Victorian London as they become the detectives, using hands-on forensic techniques and tools to solve a baffling crime.
The interactive journey delves into the world of one of the most beloved and recognizable figures from past and popular cultures. In this hands-on exhibition, guests will learn first-hand how Sherlock Holmes, a scientific expert ahead of his time, used seemingly trivial observations of clues others missed to solve some of literature’s most mysterious crimes.
The fictional detective’s practices and techniques, created in the mind of doctor-turned-author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, revolutionized forensic science and remain relevant in modern-day crime investigations.
The Legend of Sherlock Holmes
Against the backdrop of Sherlock Holmes’ London, visitors will solve a crime in a quickly advancing world filled with innovation and experimentation – primed for his groundbreaking methods. Guests will trade their Museum maps for detective notebooks as they step into a Scotland Yard investigation scene to collect clues and solve a crime using the same interactive methods employed by Holmes more than a century ago. Using observation and deduction, guest detectives will evaluate spatter patterns, footprints and other evidence to test their theories in pursuit of the truth.
“The legend of Sherlock Holmes has mesmerized people for over a century, and, because of movies and TV, his popularity continues to soar,” said Steve Hinkley, the Museum’s vice president of programs. “Visitors of all ages whether a parent, kid or teacher are going to love this very compelling convergence of literature and science.”
The galleries in the Sherlock Holmes exhibition include:
- Dr. Conan Doyle’s Study– Conan Doyle, a scientifically educated physician, was a curious and tireless investigator his entire life. Guests will discover his world first as a medical student at Edinburgh University, then as an apprentice at Royal Surgeons’ Hall, next as a practicing physician in Southsea, Portsmouth, and finally as a creator of literary genius who moved to London in the early 1890s and became a full-time author. On display will be an original manuscript, letters and illustrations through which guests will gain perspective on the experiences that influenced Conan Doyle in creating Sherlock Holmes.
- Science and History– Sherlock Holmes solved mysteries using observation and solid scientific experimentation, something real-world detectives (police or private) had not fully embraced. Guests will participate in experiments of their own by exploring the developments in science and technology made in the 1890s – developments that are still highly relevant today. Supported by forensics expert and crime historian E. J. Wagner, author of The Science of Sherlock Holmes, the exhibition digs into real forensic studies in order to demonstrate the link between the Sherlock Holmes stories, detective science and the world of today.
- SherlockHolmes in Baker Street – Guests will visit Sherlock Holmes’ and Dr. Watson’s sitting room at 221B Baker Street, London, where their investigations began and concluded – a room looming large in popular imagination around the globe ever since the first SherlockHolmes tale, A Study in Scarlet, in 1887. Poet Vincent Starrett said of the famed room: “Here dwell together still two men of note / Who never lived and so can never die . . . Here, though the world explode, these two survive / And it is always eighteen ninety-five.”
- Become a Detective– Guests will draw upon their book of clues while hot on the trail to solve a remarkable “whodunit.” Using their own powers of observation, guests can crack a new Sherlock Holmes mystery written exclusively for this exhibition by Daniel Stashower, the acclaimed writer and award-winning Conan Doyle biographer (author of Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle and co-editor of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters) and the author of new Sherlock Holmes stories as well.
- Culture of Sherlock– Pop culture enthusiasts will enjoy the exhibition’s robust collection of all things “Sherlockian,” including movie and television show props and costumes. Featured are Victorian-era props from the Warner Bros.’ current Sherlock Holmes movies, alongside costumes, props and behind-the-scenes tools from the hit television shows Elementary (CBS) and Sherlock (BBC), both of which are set in the present day. The exhibition will offer Museum guests the most comprehensive display anywhere of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed in popular imagination over the last 128 years since his creation.
Tickets and Admission
The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes will be open to the general public from Feb. 14 – May 10, 2015. The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes requires a surcharge along with purchase of general exhibits admission for a total admission cost of $29 for adults (18-64), $23 for seniors (65+) and $21 for youth (2-17). Member tickets are $8 for adults (18-64), $7 for seniors (65+) and $6 for youth (2-17). General admission to the Museum and entry into the exhibition is free for children under 2.
Visitors, including members, are encouraged to purchase/reserve tickets in advance at perotmuseum.org to avoid waiting in line.
Hours
During the school year, the general hours of operation for the Perot Museum and The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. On the first Thursday of each month, the Museum and this traveling exhibition will stay open until 9 p.m. for the First Thursday Late Night public events.
Member-only extended hours. From 8:30-10 a.m. every Saturday and 10 a.m.-noon every Sunday, members can enjoy exclusive access to the Perot Museum and The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes. Please check perotmuseum.org for other special member-only hours, holiday hours, extended hours and unexpected closings.
The Perot Museum is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit perotmuseum.org or call 214-428-5555.
