Exploring the Early Americas, an exhibition featuring the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress, opened in the winter of 2007. This enchanting display of more than 3,000 artifacts, paintings, rare maps, documents, and prints provides insight into the rich history and cultural interaction that shaped the Americas.

The collection, presented in three distinct sections (Pre-Contact America, Explorations and Encounters, and Aftermath of the Encounter), encourages visitors to explore the cultures of indigenous peoples, as well as the profound changes that resulted from interactions with European explorers. Waldseemuller maps from 1507 and 1516 illustrate how these interactions facilitate a greater understanding of geography and history, while interactive elements provide hands-on opportunities to examine individual pieces of the collection in detail.