Tut famously toured America 30 years ago, drawing 8 million visitors and influencing fashion, dress and popular culture (and inspiring Steve Martin to write the song "King Tut"). But today's exhibit is a "fundamentally different" show, according to Dennis Wint, president and chief executive of the Franklin Institute.

Mainly, there's a lot more to see. It's 2 1/2 times the size of the show from the 1970s and displays not only Tut's treasures but also those of other 18th-dynasty royals who ruled in that turmoil-filled period of Egyptian history.

"You're not just talking about the boy king but about the 18th dynasty, and it provides a much more comprehensive story," Wint said.

Why did Philly make the cut for the tour, which has included stops in Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Chicago? Archaeologist Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities and the man responsible for bringing the show to the United States, has connections to the city: He received his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. As for the Franklin Institute, the museum's recent expansion gave it enough room to hold the exhibit.

Don't miss the dramatic, 7-foot-long Coffin of Tjuya, covered almost entirely with reddish gold and thought to hold one of Tut's ancestors. The miniature Viscera Coffin is fashioned of gold and inlaid with colored glass and semiprecious stones. Used to hold the boy king's mummified liver, the piece serves as one of the show's signature pieces.

The final gallery features results of the CT scans done on Tut's skeleton, which allowed researchers to compile the first three-dimensional pictures of him. For the record, scientists decided he was about 5-feet-6, weighed 130 pounds and had buck teeth and a recessed chin. The results also suggested that he may have died of a broken leg.

IF YOU GO ...

WHAT: "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.

WHEN:Through Sept. 30.

HOW MUCH: $27.50 (Monday-Thursday), $32.50 (Friday-Sunday). Tickets, which are timed and dated, can be reserved by phone — (877) 888-8587 — or through www.fi.edu.

WHY GO: Philadelphia's Franklin Institute is the final venue on the current U.S. tour of the popular Tutankhamun exhibit, which comprises 130 artifacts — 3,300 to 3,500 years old — found in the tombs of King Tut, his relatives and other rulers of the time.

EXTRAS: Can't get enough of Egyptian history? The Penn Museum — 3260 South St.; (215) 898-4000, www.museum.upenn.edu; $8 — is exhibiting "Armana, Ancient Egypt's Place in the Sun," which chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of Tutankhamun's boyhood home. Beginning in June, the city's tourism office is launching a "King Tut Treasure Trail" in which participants search for Egyptian-theme sites and prizes. Visitors can go to www.gophila.com/tut for the brochure detailing the hunt. The Tut Trolley, featuring images of King Tut, will get you to the museum from Philadelphia landmarks for $2. www.gophila.com/go/tut.

WHERE TO EAT: Several restaurants are welcoming Tut with Egyptian-theme menus. The Franklin Institute recently opened the on-site Tut's Oasis, which features such appetizers as baba ganoush, hummus, tabouleh and fattoush for $7.50 to $8.50. Entrees start at $17.50 and include braised chicken with pistachios and apricots. Tangerine (232 Market St.), a hip eatery known for its Mediterranean fare, has a fixed-price, three-course meal for $28.60. Choices include chicken skewers with basmati rice pilaf and a chorizo and potato frittata with basquaise sauce.

Lacroix (210 W. Rittenhouse Square), in the Rittenhouse Hotel, serves a Lunch for the Pharaohs menu for $35. Spiced chickpea and sesame soup is among the appetizers, and entrees include grilled young lamb saddle.

WHERE TO STAY: Fifteen hotels have King Tut packages, all of which include tickets to the exhibit. For a complete list, visit www2.fi.edu/tut/hotels.html.

GETTING THERE: If you'll be in the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak has a special offer for King Tut visitors. Those who book one fare can get the other half off. Use fare code V733 at www.amtrak.com.

INFORMATION: The Franklin Institute — (215) 448-1200, www.fi.edu — is at 222 N. 20th St.