KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the record-breaking Auschwitz exhibit enters its final weeks, Union Station is announcing what’s up next.
“MAYA: The Great Jaguar Rises” will open on May 13, and tickets are already on sale.
The exhibit will put a spotlight on the “mystery, legacy and resilience of one of the world’s great civilizations — the Maya of Central America,” Union Station president and CEO George Guastello said in a release.
It will feature over 300 original objects detailing the Mayan’s daily life, religion, politics and innovations, Union Station said.
“Through educational experiences like MAYA, we promote understanding and appreciation for peoples from around the world. Their traditions. Their achievements. And their lasting impact on the global tapestry of humanity,” Guastello said. “In so doing, we hope to bring an undeniable connectedness that transcends time and place.”
The Mayan civilization dates back as far as 3400 BC, and they’re known for creating the Mayan calendar, implementing one of the earliest known instances of zero and many more advancements in science, math and astronomy.
“From science, medicine, agriculture, complex societies, great cities, monumental architecture, writing and detailed calendar systems . . . this is an astonishing walk with the people, the places they lived and their profound impact on our world still felt today,” Union Station board chairman Ramon Murguia said.
The exhibit will also look at those who still carry on the Mayan language, history and culture today.
“The Maya civilization was never lost. This was a very romanticized 19th century European perspective on the Maya,” curator Dr. Nikolai Grube. “What was lost were the big cities in the rainforest. The Maya of today preserve many ideas, languages and forms of living of their ancestors.”
The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Tickets are on sale at $14 for members, $14.50 for children and $19.50 for adults.