The true story of the curse of the pharaohs!
IN THE VALLEY
OF THE KINGS
AMERICAN ODDITIES MUSEUM
7:00 PM | ALTON, ILLINOIS
$48 PER PERSON
NEXT AVAILABLE DATE: AUGUST 15, 2026
Join author Troy Taylor for another night of our “An Evening with…” series of events! This eerie night will include a catered dinner at the American Oddities Museum! After dinner, Troy Taylor will be presenting “In the Valley of the Kings,” a journey back in time to the opening of King Tut’s Tomb and the mysterious curse that was said to plague everyone involving in its discovery.
Was the curse real, or simply mythology? That’s up to you to decide on this special night of the strange, unusual, and the macabre – you don’t want to miss it.
Despite popular stories, there was no curse carved into the stone above the entrance to the tomb of King Tutankhamen, but even so, it’s hard to ignore the strange deaths, murders, fires, and tragedies that were linked to the opening of his burial chamber.
Were they merely coincidences? Stories made up by the British tabloids – or was there something far more sinister at work? Find out on this chilling and historically entertaining night!
ABOUT THE NIGHT:
- Doors open at 6:00 PM / Dinner starts at 7:00 PM
- Events held at the American Oddities Museum, Located at 301 Piasa Street in Alton, Illinois
- Buffet Dinner, includes two meats, two vegetables, pasta, salad, bread, and drinks
- Private Event in the American Oddities Museum, which will open at 6:00 Pm for browsing by guests before dinner
- American Hauntings Bookstore located in the Museum so books will be available for purchase and can be autographed by Troy Taylor
THE CURSE OF THE PHAROAHS?
On November 26, 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter became the first person to peer inside of the tomb of King Tutankhamen in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. It turned out to be the discovery of a lifetime and, if some are to be believed, the fulfillment of an ancient curse.
Carter’s work had been financed by a member of British society, Lord Carnarvon, but it took him years --- including the interruption of World War I – to find the tomb. On that day, with Carnarvon, Carnarvon’s daughter, and others in attendance, Carter made a small break in the doorway and was able to peer inside. The light of his candle glinted off the fabulous display of gold inside.
When Carnarvon asked "can you see anything? Carter replied with the famous words: "Yes… wonderful things."
Even though Carter survived for many years after the opening of the tomb, many others did not. The “curse” was brought to many people's attention due to the mysterious deaths of a few members of Howard Carter's team and other prominent visitors to the tomb shortly thereafter. Even in the years that followed, some weird happenings took place:
* Lord Carnarvon died from an infected mosquito bite – at the same time all the lights in Cairo went out.
* George Jay Gould I, a visitor to the tomb, died in the French Riviera on May 16, 1923, after he developed a fever following his visit.
* Egypt's Prince Ali Kamel Fahmy Bey died July 10, 1923; shot dead by his wife.
* Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid, a radiologist who x-rayed Tutankhamen's mummy, died January 15, 1924, from a mysterious illness.
* A. C. Mace, a member of Carter's excavation team, died in 1928 from arsenic poisoning
* Captain The Hon. Richard Bethell, Carter's personal secretary, died November 15, 1929. He was found smothered in his bed.
And there were more – many more!
Delve into the mystery with author Troy Taylor and find out what really happened in the Valley of the Kings and beyond with this eerie night or murder, mayhem, and the macabre. You won’t want to miss this one!