New COVID Protocols Will Greet Visitors
Posted on 09/22/2021
Akron Children’s Museum (ACM) will reopen to all visitors on Friday, October 1, 2021, after temporarily closing its doors on March 13, 2020, to adhere to the COVID-19 safety mandates. The Museum remains committed to providing a safe museum experience where children and families can learn through play. New safety protocols are in place for staff and visitors. Members and those wishing to become members are invited back for an early preview period beginning Wednesday, September 22, the first day of the Fall season, through Thursday, September 30, 2021. The first 150 member-children will receive a “Welcome Back Snack Pack” as a show of appreciation.
ACM will adhere to the following safety protocols:
- limited business hours to allow for more frequent cleaning in between visitors
- open Mondays and Tuesdays for private field trips
- open Wednesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for all visitors
- open Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. for all visitors
- open Sunday from 10 a.m.-noon for private birthday parties and noon-5 p.m. for all visitors
- Please note the museum will be closed on September 25, 2021, due to the street closures downtown for the Akron Marathon.
- reduced number of handheld toys throughout the museum
- regular cleaning of exhibits and common spaces using hospital-grade cleaners
- quarterly, long-lasting electrostatic spraying treatments to protect surfaces from the spread of germs and bacteria
- hand sanitizer stations throughout the museum
- masks will be worn by all staff members.
The museum requires visitors to abide by these safety protocols:
- Stay at home if you or anyone in your family are feeling ill or are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19;
- Wear a mask inside the museum if you are 2 years of age or older;
- Maintain a six-foot distance from visitors not in your family or group;
- Wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently; and
- Follow ACM’s directional signage and instructions from staff.
Executive Director Traci Buckner said “We are so pleased to be welcoming families back to the museum! Opportunities for exploration and discovery through play are essential for a child’s healthy development, and we look forward to providing those opportunities once again. We have missed seeing our visitors come through the doors, and we appreciate their support and patience as we continue through this challenging time. Many thanks to our community partners, museum members, friends and families for their continued support and generous donations; we cannot do this without you!”
For more information about Akron Children’s Museum or its upcoming events -- Play At Home, which includes fall family portraits, dinner and a party box on October 23; and Hands-On Halloween on October 31 -- please visit akronkids.org/.