By Zina Markevicius Kinrade

September 22, 2014 -- I started down the dusty stone street in the hot afternoon sun. A gentle ocean breeze provided a bit of relief, as I skipped over the gaps between the stones made by horse-drawn carts.

When I arrived at the rich man’s house, it was quiet in the open courtyard. I stopped in the dark dining room, admiring the large murals of birds and trees, and in the stillness, I thought of the man’s pregnant wife, clutching her bag of gold, as Vesuvius ended her life.

My trip to Pompeii in Italy was most moving because it brought history to life. Unfortunately, the current exhibit at the California Science Center in Los Angeles is a static collection of old artifacts.

Pompeii resin casts of the dead. Photos by Zina Markevicius Kinrade

Despite the use of video technology and fake smoke, there is little for the visitor to relate to, and the result is a missed opportunity to take advantage of the unique glimpse into the past that Pompeii provides.

Artifacts are grouped by usage, including sections of home décor, kitchen tools and medical instruments. Large white marble statues are the most dramatic pieces, and erotic art is displayed in a separate room.

Little more than the basic information is provided on the displays or the optional recorded accompaniment. The jewelry is laid out like any other jewelry in any other museum, and as with the other artifacts, there is little connection drawn to the people who wore it.

Several televisions run a narrated tour of computer-generated scenes, such as the atrium of a home or the happenings in the town center. This appears to be the CSC’s attempt at a modern, dynamic portrayal.

However, the tour is too fast and somewhat awkward. The sound is directed to one spot underneath a speaker, so just a few visitors at a time can access the best sound. Also, at least three displays or background sounds can be heard at any given point throughout the exhibit, competing for attention and creating a noisy, chaotic environment.

The one room devoted to the eruption also features a large video. This one cuts to scenes of Pompeii at different hours of that fateful day in 79 A.D. The change over just four hours from slight earthquake damage to an ash-covered ghost town is dramatic, yet the video distracts from the effect by inserting breaks to note the time.

At the end, rumbling sound fills the room, followed by clouds of odorless smoke, in a surprisingly simplistic dramatization.

Resin casts of the dead are showcased in the last room of the exhibit, though some are copies of the original casts. Little information is shared about the adults and children, and visitors may wonder where these Pompeians fit into their society. An interesting display here is a graphic representation of the layers of ash, pebbles, and other debris which descended on the city.

Other books or museum exhibits of Pompeii often present the story differently, making more of the snapshot of ancient life the preserved artifacts illustrate. For example, the site contains many clues to the lives of rich and poor, but the exhibit’s displays of gold necklaces and earrings fail to put them in social context.

Alternate presentations of Pompeii often tell the story through the city’s buildings, including bakeries that operated much like our own or individual homes that indicate the particular interests and careers of the their owners.

NASA’s last space shuttle Endeavor.

While entry to the California Science Center is free, the Pompeii exhibit is pricey at $19.75 per adult. Given the limited number of artifacts and lackluster presentation, visitors may better spend their time and money learning about Endeavor, for free.

NASA’s last space shuttle is on display in its own wing, creating an experience that is at once intimate and grand.

An accompanying exhibit on Endeavor delivers where the Pompeii rooms do not. Here, visitors are grabbed with real life, relatable ideas.

The astronaut toilet is open for close examination and is well explained with some humor and lots of information, including using the toilet, sanitizing the air and disposing of the waste. Collections of personal effects taken by astronauts into space and the process for preparing food are also shared. It is interesting to learn that a Mexican astronaut’s request for tortillas solved the problem of what to do with bread crumbs on the loose in space. Visitors can relate to climbing into the small door for their two-week ride into space on Endeavor, but the noisy, flat presentation on Pompeii misses the chance to tell a compelling ancient story. Skip the cashier, and stick with the free stuff at the California Science Center.

California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90037, californiasciencecenter.org; Pompeii: The Exhibit, on now through January 4.