Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed, a traveling exhibition at the Perot this spring and summer, is an impressive tribute to a major Mesoamerican civilization. The collection on display includes more than 150 original artifacts, from weathered stucco busts to pristine gold jewelry, as well as scale models of sprawling Maya cities and reconstructions built from 3D models of originals. A life-size altar, doorway, frieze, and towering monument make the 10,000-square-foot exhibit feel more movie set than museum.
In true Perot fashion, Maya is highly interactive. Visitors can lift an eight-pound rubber ball like those used in ancient Maya ball games, piece together magnetic fragments like an archaeologist reconstructing an artifact, and build a corbel arch with foam bricks. Touch-screens illuminate abstract concepts, such as the Mayan calendar and the civilization’s complex mathematical system.
Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed is bilingual (English and Spanish) and runs through Sept. 4. Admission is $29 for adults (18—64), $20 for youths (2—17), or $5 for museum members. Children under 2 are free.
