Objects that survived centuries, made by hands that belonged to one of history's great civilizations.
Across the distance of centuries, the artifacts of the ancient Maya have traveled from Guatemala to Los Angeles — not as curiosities, but as emissaries of a civilization whose descendants still walk the earth. This summer, the California Science Center holds more than 250 of these objects, and ABC7 is offering five families the chance to stand before them. It is a reminder that culture is not a relic to be archived but a living inheritance, and that access to it should not be determined solely by circumstance.
- Over 250 authentic Maya artifacts — many leaving Guatemala for the first time — have arrived in Los Angeles for a limited summer run, and the clock is already running.
- A nine-foot jaguar warrior sculpture and an obsidian-jade mask anchor an exhibition that carries the weight of one of history's most sophisticated civilizations.
- An IMAX film featuring an archaeologist and a living Maya descendant works to close the gap between ancient objects and the culture that never actually disappeared.
- Five families in the KABC-TV broadcast area will be selected to receive four-pack passes, opening the exhibition to households who might otherwise miss it entirely.
- When the run ends, the artifacts return to Guatemala — making this a genuinely singular window for Los Angeles residents to encounter these objects in person.
ABC7 and the California Science Center are offering five families the chance to experience Maya: The Exhibition — a rare gathering of more than 250 authentic artifacts from one of the ancient world's most accomplished civilizations. Many of these objects have never before traveled outside Guatemala.
The exhibition's centerpieces speak for themselves: a nine-foot jaguar warrior sculpture and a mask of obsidian and jade, both original works that carry the spiritual and artistic weight of the culture that made them. Visitors don't simply observe these pieces — they move through them, in an environment designed to feel immersive rather than archival.
Layered into the experience is an IMAX film, Mystery of the Maya, which brings contemporary voices into the conversation — an archaeologist and a young Maya descendant — grounding the ancient objects in a living cultural tradition. The Maya did not vanish. Their languages and practices persist, and the exhibition takes care to honor that continuity.
The giveaway is open to residents of the KABC-TV broadcast market who are 18 or older. Five winners will each receive passes for four people, making the exhibition accessible to families who might not otherwise attend. The California Science Center is free to enter; the Maya exhibition is a separate ticketed experience within it.
The window is short. These artifacts are on loan, and when the summer run concludes, they return home. For anyone drawn to Maya mathematics, astronomy, art, or history, this is the moment — and for five lucky households, it may cost nothing at all.
ABC7 and the California Science Center are giving away family tickets to one of the summer's most significant cultural exhibitions. Five households will win four-pack passes to Maya: The Exhibition, a rare showing of artifacts from one of the world's most sophisticated ancient civilizations.
The exhibition itself is the draw. More than 250 authentic pieces are on display, many of them traveling outside Guatemala for the first time. Among them: a nine-foot-long sculpture of a jaguar warrior, carved with the precision and power that defined Maya artistic achievement, and a mask fashioned from obsidian and jade—materials that held spiritual and practical significance in Maya culture. These are not reproductions. They are the real objects, and their presence in Los Angeles is temporary.
The exhibition is designed as an immersive experience, not a static display. Visitors move through the artifacts themselves, but the organizers have added another layer: an IMAX film called Mystery of the Maya that brings in contemporary voices—an archaeologist and a young descendant of Maya people—to contextualize what's on the walls. The film becomes a bridge between the ancient world and the present one, between objects and the living culture they represent.
For families in the Los Angeles area, this is a genuine opportunity. The giveaway is open to residents of the KABC-TV broadcast market who are at least 18 years old. Five winners will be selected. Each will receive passes for four people, which means the exhibition becomes accessible to households that might otherwise find the cost prohibitive, or simply might not have known the show existed.
The timing matters. This is a summer exhibition, which means the window is limited. The artifacts are on loan. Once the run ends, they return to Guatemala. For anyone curious about Maya civilization—its mathematics, its astronomy, its art, its collapse and persistence—this is the moment. The exhibition is not a survey of a dead culture. The Maya people still exist, still speak Maya languages, still maintain traditions. An exhibition like this, especially one that includes Maya descendants in its educational component, acknowledges that continuity.
To enter the giveaway, residents need to visit the official rules and submission details through ABC7's website. The California Science Center itself is free to enter; the exhibition is an additional ticketed experience within the larger museum. For families planning a summer outing, winning these passes would transform a casual museum visit into something more focused and meaningful—a chance to stand in front of objects that survived centuries, made by hands that belonged to one of history's great civilizations.
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a local news station give away tickets to a museum exhibition?
Because it's a limited-time cultural event that not everyone knows about or can afford, and the station gets to connect its audience to something substantial.
What makes this exhibition different from other Maya displays?
These are authentic artifacts, many leaving Guatemala for the first time. You're not looking at casts or reproductions. And they've added an IMAX film with living Maya voices, which grounds the ancient objects in present-day reality.
Is this just a promotional stunt?
It's a giveaway, so yes, there's promotion involved. But the exhibition itself is real—over 250 pieces, a nine-foot sculpture, rare materials. The station is essentially saying: this matters, and we want our audience to see it.
Who benefits most from winning?
Families who couldn't otherwise afford the ticket cost, or who needed a reason to go. Four passes per winner means a household can experience it together without the barrier of price.
What happens after the summer?
The artifacts go back to Guatemala. This is a temporary loan. That's what makes it urgent—if you want to see these pieces in Los Angeles, this is the window.