What if we told you there’s a 1,500-pound man dressed as a jaguar in Kansas City? No need to fear, he’s a cool cat.

“MAYA: The Great Jaguar Rises” opens today, Fri., Aug. 19 at Union Station, sharing the story of the ancient Maya civilization.

The jaguar

The center of the exhibit features a giant limestone + stucco statue of a lord dressed as a jaguar. Talk about the cat’s pajamas.

President and CEO of Union Station George Guastello said the statue was basically “Michelangelo's ‘David’ for the Maya people.”

The statue features a custom mask (you can see the man’s mouth inside the panther’s teeth), gloves, adornments, and even a tail. Anyone getting Black Panther vibes? The original colors — red, black, and yellow — still show through, despite the years.

“This is the biggest carving in stucco and limestone that exists in the Maya world,” said Fernando Paiz, President of the La Ruta Maya Foundation. His organization, based in Guatemala City, preserves + provides access to artifacts like these.

The exhibit

The rest of the space features 300+ original artifacts on loan from La Ruta Maya Foundation and the Guatemala Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes (Ministry of Culture and Sports). Some of the objects date back as far as 250 A.D.

Why is this significant? Maya was one of the biggest and most complex ancient civilizations in the history of the Americas. Its rise + recorded accomplishments still influence societies today. For example:

Astronomers developed a calendar more accurate than any other in the world.
Mathematicians conceptualized the number zero.
Rubber balls were invented and used in sports.
Chocolate (enough said).

“This is probably one of the most important artifactual exhibitions that Union Station has ever done,” George said.

How to visit

The exhibit runs every day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — tickets are on sale now.
Ticket sales end each day at 4 p.m.
Adult tickets cost $19.50.
Children, older adults, and groups of 15 or more can get discounted tickets.