Once upon a time in the year 79 A.D., Pompeii was a vibrant city under the Roman Empire. But down fall of this metropolis was only caused by its location, near the bottom of Mount Vesuvius. Various earthquakes occurred which the people of Pompeii did not see as a warning sign and continued to stay in the city. The people did not see this as a warning sign until the eruption of Mount Vesuvius which covered the whole city in ash and destroyed everything in its path. While it destroyed all life, the eruption also preserved artifacts.

Walking up to the calculated lights and prerecorded lights, this is probably not what Pompeii looked like. But beyond the lifted doors of the arc way lie over 150 artifacts, from in the Naples Archaeological Museum in Italy which makes its North American debut at the Franklin Institute, and a walk through of daily life. Gladiator gear, pots, beautiful vases, frescoes, fountains, and jewelry revealed the influence of culture on everything in their world. From meals to towns, events to technology much information was provided about typical and atypical unknown life of the Pompeian. For instance the town of Pompeii was covered in encouraged graffiti mostly in the town square where people wrote down and shared their thoughts.

Although life in Pompeii was captured in its entirety, the eruption and death was also presented in a way that one could almost experience the terror. The movie Ring of Fire, a classic that shows the progression of the earthquake/eruption, was witnessed in room that shook and rumbled to express how the townspeople must have been feeling before, during, and after the eruption. After the frighteningly life like spectacle the room opened into a graveyard. Replica of body casts from the forms of petrified Pompeians conserved by the ash and volcanic dust that eliminated the whole city that fateful day. While the elimination of Pompeii was a shocking and devastating event, the exhibit at the Franklin Institute helped viewers experience life in Pompeii, the eruption, and the destruction that was caused. Overall the exhibit was interesting and the information provided shed light on a dark and important time in history.