Mysteries of the Maya and towering dinosaurs will greet visitors when the Cincinnati Museum Center reopens

The Cincinnati Museum Center is set to re-open with an exploration of the Maya civilization, familiar towering dinosaurs and two new permanent exhibits.

Temporarily closed during the pandemic, the museum will reopen Friday, July 17, with new safety protocols and crowd capacity measures.

The United States debut of “Maya:The Exhibition” had not yet opened when the pandemic closed the museum.

The exhibition includes over 300 original objects that detail daily life, religion, politics and innovations of the Maya, according to the museum website.

The exhibit design features the civilization’s iconic stepped pyramids and hieroglyphs carved into massive stone slabs.

“Discoveries of the last 20 years have transformed our understanding of the people and why the great Maya cities were abandoned in the heart of Central America,” Dave Duszynski, president of Mercury Museum Services, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Museum Center, said in a release. “Never before has such a spectacular set of Maya artifacts traveled to North America. We are thankful that Guatemala is sharing these amazing national treasures with Cincinnati.”

Two new exhibits — “Shaping Our City” and “You Are Here” — will take permanent space as the museum reopens.

“Shaping Our City” explores how rivers, rails and roads have shaped and defined the region over the centuries. The exhibit also addresses the complex ways in which transportation has also divided the city and its people.

“You Are Here” shares stories of Cincinnati’s people, places, traditions and struggles and the way they combine to define the city. The exhibit is centered on three themes: Living Here, Working Here and Playing Here. Cincinnati’s rich food scene, sports history and vibrant arts and culture shine alongside public-submitted family photos and home videos.

Visitors will once again be able to wander through “Dinosaur Hall” featuring six giant dinosaur specimens including a 60-foot-tall Galeamopus pabsti.

Two films, “Superpower Dogs” and “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” are playing in OMNIMAX Theatre and An Unfinished Revolution: Women and the Vote commemorates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

The theater will reopen with limited seating capacity. Extra time between shows will allow staff time to thoroughly clean between seatings. Daily showtimes are 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

To ensure social distancing the museum will have timed tickets for general admission, “Maya: The Exhibition” and the OMNIMAX Theater. Both Members and guests will need timed tickets for entry. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to ensure they can enter at their preferred time.

All of the museum staff and volunteers will be wearing face masks and they ask guests to do the same.

More information about safety, hours and admission can be found on the museum website.

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