While I do believe the prices to be quite excessive and completely inaccessible to a large percentage of people, it's important to remember that they still have to keep the lights on and pay salaries. But yes, the prices are ridiculous. The majority of the 'artifacts' in the $12 extra cost Vikings exhibit are actually reproduction pieces as noted on their info cards. Now it's understandable through the rest of the museum's static exhibits, because there are thousands of museums in the world and only so many real artifacts to go around. But in an extra cost pop-up exhibit I expect to see more real items.
They could definitely do to reduced the adult ticket prices and make children free. I'm not even going to touch on the gift shop lol.