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Getting under your skin

Time is ticking for you to check out the Body Worlds exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. A group of us had been talking about seeing it since it opened, so we finally bought tickets and checked it out Sunday afternoon. Here's what Stacy and Gina thought:

Gina: I can get queasy listening to stories about our insides whether it be a class lecture or a story about someone's injury. I certainly could never be a doctor or nurse. But seeing the real human bodies on display was pretty fascinating. I think there were only a couple times when I felt slightly grossed out and scrunched my face at Stacy as we took 360-degree views of the bodies.

Stacy: First off, Gina, there's something wrong when our health reporter gets queasy listening to people talking about injuries. Maybe this exhibit toughened you up a little! Seriously, though, the exhibit wasn't at all gross -- I actually thought it rather beautiful. It was a tribute to the artistry and wonder of the human body. I also really loved the background information posted about the history of anatomy. Not being much of a science person myself (hence the journalism degree), sometimes I find the history of science more interesting than science itself.

Gina: I, too, enjoyed the history of anatomy displayed throughout--did you know Leonardo daVinci went into graveyards at night to dig up bodies to study? I didn't.

The exhibit ends June 1, but the popularity of the show pushed the museum to extend its hours for Body Worlds, which are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The museum recommends the best time to avoid large crowds and school field trips as noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Fridays. You have to buy a timed-entrance ticket in advance to ensure you get in. We went at 1 p.m. Sunday, and it was pretty busy. Tip: Wear comfy shoes.

Stacy: Yeah, if there was one complaint I had about the exhibit, it was how crowded it was. We constantly had to elbow our way into displays. Maybe going later on a weeknight would help that. But it's definitely worth fighting the crowd. You'll come out with a whole new appreciation for the human body. And if you're anything like me, you'll be picturing people without their skin for the next few days too.

Gina: Yeah, you have to watch out for Stacy. She was throwing elbows, jabbing her way through to see the good stuff. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get through the exhibit. That included standing in line for nearly a half hour once inside the exhibit to see the portion in separate room on a baby's development, which features a woman who died while eight months pregnant.

Stacy's right about what you'll come away with...and you'll also have the bones song running through your head while there.

"The foot bone is connected to the leg bone, The leg bone is connected to the knee bone...."

Stacy: You forgot to mention my tendency to wander away from the group. Oh well, you have to admit I wasn't as bad as one former OTCer, who shall remain nameless, who wanted to know if the corpses had to buy plane tickets to get to their next destination. When we didn't laugh, he told it to the people in front of us. So to the nice older couple who chuckled at the lame joke, thanks for putting up with him.