China's Terracotta Warriors set visitor record at Minneapolis museum

Two ancient warriors pose with Minneapolis curator Liu Yang.

"China's Terracotta Warriors," an exhibit of ancient Chinese tomb sculpture and artifacts, attracted more people to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts than any other show in the past 20 years. A total of 146,507 visitors saw the exhibition during its 12 week run from October 28, 2012 through January 20, 2013.

The Warriors attendance is the third highest in the museum's history, topping even "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth," a 2000 exhibition of memorabilia from the Star Wars films.

The top ten shows at the MIA, ranked by their attendance figures, are:

1. "The Vikings," (1981): 212,956

2. "Impressionism: Selections from Five American Museums" (1990): 155,198

3. "China's Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor's Legacy" (2012): 146,507

5. "Monet at Vetheuil" (1998): 124,316

6. "Degas and America" (2001): 118,137

7. "Eternal Egypt," (2003): 114,068

8. "Dale Chihuly: Installations 1964-1997: (1997): 112,197

9. "Rembrandt in America" (2012): 107,090