St. Paul, Minn. Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship, an exhibition featuring real treasures from the only authenticated pirate shipwreck in U.S. waters, makes its debut at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Real Pirates separates fact from fiction about the pirate trade and gives us glimpses into the lives of pirates through artifacts, hands-on activities, captivating re-creations, actors portraying crew members, and a fascinating exploration of underwater archaeology. It will run daily through Monday, September 3.

Organized by National Geographic and Arts & Exhibitions International (AEI), the team that brought the popular King Tut exhibition to the Science Museum in 2011, Real Pirates tells the captivating true story of the Whydah (pronounced whih-dah), one of the most successful pirate ships of the Golden Age of Piracy, from its roots as a slave ship to its takeover and conversion into a pirate ship in the early 1700s. After only two months of conquests and plundering under the direction of Captain Black Sam Bellamy, one of the boldest pirates of his day, the Whydah sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago, taking its famous captain and all but two of its 146 crew members with it. The Whydah was located by underwater explorer Barry Clifford in 1984. Clifford is still actively excavating the wreck site and continues to bring treasures to the surface every year.

Visiting Real Pirates is like discovering the proverbial hidden treasure chest, says Mike Day, senior vice president at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Visitors can see and touch real pirate riches that have been buried on the bottom of the ocean floor for hundreds of years, artifacts that tell the stories of the people who were real pirates and what life was like during this fascinating period of history.

Real Pirates tells the stories of four members of the Whydah crew actual people who ended up on the same pirate ship for very different reasons including John King, the youngest known pirate on board the Whydah, who was believed to be younger than 11 at the time of the shipwreck. When the ship he was traveling on with his mother was taken over by Bellamy, young John insisted on taking up with the pirate crew, despite his mothers objections.

A dozen multimedia galleries showcase the reality of the slave trade in West Africa and the economic prosperity in the Caribbean in the early 18th century that gave rise to piracy, the Whydahs journey, the ships capture by Bellamy, the violent storm that sank the ship, its discovery by Clifford, and the recovery and conservation of its artifacts.

At the core of Real Pirates are artifacts that have been painstakingly recovered from the ocean floor over the past 25 years by Barry Clifford and his team. Highlights include:

- The Whydahs bell, inscribed Whydah Galley 1716, which was used to authenticate the shipwreck site and which various explorers fruitlessly sought since the fateful storm that sank the ship in April 1717;

- Technologically advanced weaponry of the time cannons, muskets, pistols, cutlasses, swords and more;

- Pieces of the Whydahs rigging and the tools the crew members used to maintain it;

- Artifacts that represent the daily lives of real pirates from a real commode to plates and flatware to jewelry and clothing items to game pieces;

- Navigational tools like sounding weights and ring dials;

- A treasure chest filled with authentic coins last touched by real pirates!

Barry Clifford is still actively excavating the wreck site and continues to bring gold and silver to the surface as well as everyday items that shed light on this tumultuous period of American and world history. At the end of the exhibition, visitors will see first-hand how Clifford discovered the ship and can delve deeper into the extensive recovery and conservation process. Theyll see concretions, or masses of various sizes that form around metal objects when they are submerged in seawater. Visitors will see what the Whydahs artifacts looked like in their final resting place on the ocean floor and explore the involved process of extracting them, intact, from these conglomerations of metal, sand and salt.

In addition to its centuries-old artifacts, Real Pirates features hands-on activities, where visitors can try their hands at raising a pirate flag, tying real sailors' knots, touching real pirate treasure, and looking through a telescope to find ships with treasure on board. Visitors will also have the opportunity to walk through a re-creation of the Whydah to explore the roles of the different members of her crew. And theyll meet members of the Science Museums Science Live performing troupe who will portray members of the Whydah crew and some of their wellknown contemporaries.

Visitor Information

Real Pirates opens Friday, February 18, 2011 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Tickets are on sale now and range from $12 to $25 (ticket price includes admission to Real Pirates, a Real Pirates audio tour, and admission to the Science Museums permanent exhibit galleries). Detailed ticket information, including packages and pricing, is available at www.smm.org/realpirates.

A great complement to the exhibit Under the Sea will run in the museums Omnitheater, also beginning February 18. This giant screen film takes viewers into an underwater world few have ever seen, introducing them to the exquisitely beautiful, sometimes treacherous, and often comical creatures that live in the sea.

About National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the worlds largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge, the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Societys official journal, published in English and 33 locallanguage editions, is read by more than 60 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 380 million households in 37 languages in 163 countries. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 19 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

About Arts & Exhibitions International (AEI)

AEI produces the award-winning exhibition Diana: A Celebration in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom, as well as the traveling blockbuster exhibitions Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt and AMERICA I AM: The African American Imprint in partnership with broadcaster Tavis Smiley. Founded in 2003, its principals John Norman and Andy Numhauser have 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business. For more information, visit www.artsandexhibitions.com. AEI is a branch of AEG LIVE, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world.

About the Science Museum of Minnesota

The Science Museum of Minnesota serves more than one million visitors each year with its hands-on exhibits, breathtaking giant screen films, special events, and unparalleled education programs. It is located at 120 West Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul. For specific directions, parking information, hours, show times and ticket information, call (651) 221-9444 or visit www.smm.org.

CONTACTS: Kim Ramsden/Chris Bauer, PR Co-Directors, 651-221-9423

Sarah Imholte, PR Coordinator, 651-221-9412

Peg Roessler, Roessler Public Relations, 952-949-6550

Laura Calliari, Arts & Exhibitions International, 310-941-8780

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