In one of the most expensive renovation projects ever, the Luxor is re-vamping and taking out much of the Egyptian replicas that have been in place in the hotel for so long. The Luxor has decided to go a different direction with the hotel and is removing the King Tutankhamen museum to make way for the new sports museum, and the Titanic and Bodies Exhibit. The Luxor recently donated the old King Tutankhamen exhibit to the museum of Natural History in Las Vegas. Many of the pieces that were originally created for the Luxor are exact replicas made by the same methods that the Egyptians used thousands of years ago. The recreated artifacts are worth an estimated $3 million and this is the largest gift the museum has ever received.

However, the new exhibits will be larger than life. The new sports museum will be home to the world’s most expensive baseball card. The card from 1909 is of Pittsburgh player Honus Wagner. The card, worth over $2 million, was last owned by hockey legend Wayne Gretsky and will now be on display for baseball fans to enjoy for years to come. There will also be live interactive exhibits for both Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. Also joining the new Luxor will be a brand new Titanic exhibit which will include portions of the actual ship. The items found on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition are original pieces found 12,500 feet below the sea where the Titanic was found. Cups, plates, jewelry, and even furniture where recovered, refurbished, and brought to Las Vegas just for your viewing. Entire rooms, staircases and entryways have been recreated as exact replicas of the different areas on the ship. These amazing artifacts are one of a kind and can only be seen here.

The Bodies exhibit will be moving from the Tropicana to the Luxor. The Bodies exhibition uses parts of actual human bodies to display vital information about life processes. This educational experience will teach everyone something about their own body that they probably didn’t know before. Exhibits will show everything from comparing smokers lungs to non-smokers lungs and what brains look like after a person has a stroke. Other parts of the exhibit will show the process of a growing fetus and how it becomes a full grown baby. Displays will use real lungs and organs to show how the respiratory system works. Real blood vessels are used to show the passage of blood throughout the body. The arteries are injected with colorful liquids so viewers can see the paths that blood follows as it makes its way throughout different parts of the body.

The hotel’s recent decision to re-vamp may be due to the rising trend of none-themed casinos. Recently it seems, the new hotels on the Strip are focuses more on modern luxury than an actual theme. The Luxor is in the process of shedding much of its Egyptian flair in place of a more subtle décor. The $300 million renovation began last year with the opening of the mega-club LAX. The success of LAX has brought a whole new crowd of people to the hotel and even more renovations will help expand the hotel’s popularity even further as it strives to keep up with growing trends on the Strip.