Silly Stories from Inside the Museum

An antiquities museum can feel like a very serious place—especially for parents of young children.

“What if they get bored?”

“What if they knock over priceless artifacts?”

“What will we talk about?”

All valid questions. And the stars of a new Getty podcast may have the answer to at least two of them.

“I’m sure it’s a great delight to hear from me.”

Each episode of If Objects Could Talk features a guest star from Getty’s collection who joins podcast producer Zoe Goldman in the studio. Through imaginative storytelling, vibrant voice acting, and immersive sound design, they share backstories that make ancient art and history relatable and hilarious.

Get ready to fall for this kitty cat—a gift for the Egyptian goddess Bastet—who graciously agreed to postpone her nap to set the record straight: she is not just a copycat.

Her story introduces listeners to the world of ancient Egypt by talking about cats (“you are so lucky we allow you to keep us as pets”), deities, and the work of Getty conservators—“like doctors who keep artworks, like yours truly, healthy”—who used x-rays to prove that she was really an ancient artifact and not a forgery.

Meeting the objects in person

Each podcast guest—from a snake bracelet battling stereotypes to a Greek water jug who is dying to spill the tea—introduces concepts, objects, and themes found across antiquities museums. When you next visit the Getty Villa, you’ll find many of the podcast guests in the galleries!

Spotting them in the museum offers an ideal opportunity to bring up what you learned from the episodes, addressing the dreaded “what will we talk about?“

Can’t make it to the Villa? You’ll find similar items in many antiquities museums.

Spot Romano-Egyptian jewelry? Spark a conversation about Saturnalia from “Snake Charm on Your Arm,“ or visit a gallery of coins to discuss “A Very Brave Owl” and what it was like when people first started using coins to buy goods.

More opportunities to learn

If it will be a while before your next museum visit, there’s plenty to do at home. Each episode asks interactive and reflective questions, and many even suggest a follow-up activity. “Light on Your Feet” features a first-century lamp that is not only shaped like a pair of feet, he also has great tips for making shadow puppets. He’ll ask you to use a flashlight, though, because this oil lamp is retired!

Listening guides, available on our website, include activity instructions and discussion prompts to keep the conversation going.

Want to discover more ways to interact with art through If Objects Could Talk? Check out the first episodes here, and subscribe on your favorite podcast app to catch the whole season!