October 5, 2020 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
After being closed for the past six months, the Museum of Dufferin reopened its doors to visitors last week.
The Museum only had the chance to host a few events earlier this year before being forced to close when, back in March, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in closures of public spaces.
There are revised visitor protocols in place, and those wanting to use the Museum archives must book their time in order to do their research. You can select either a morning or afternoon appointment and you must fill out a form with contact information and details about your research.
Staff at the Museum were given duties in other areas of the County administration while the Museum was not operating.
“When the facility was closed, we were deployed into different departments,” explained Nanci Malek, MoD event, promotions, and marketing coordinator. “But we still had to keep the museum going. We had to keep the social media going and cancel all the plans we had for this year.”
The Museum was only able to have a couple of events early in the year before the pandemic forced it to close.
There are several changes in place for visitors entering the building. Everyone entering will go through a COVID-19 screening and be asked to answer a series of questions.
Masks or face coverings are required when inside the building. There are directional arrows to guide you through the exhibits.
Visitors are requested to maintain physical distancing from other groups or visitors.
To maintain cleaning and health protocols, the capacity for the Museum will be capped at 44 visitors at any time. Hands-on exhibits will not be available.
There are posted room capacities for historic buildings and elevators. The Silo Gallery is temporary closed and cannot be accessed.
The Museum will not be hosting any meetings until further notice.
The Museum also has new hours. The new hours of operation are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Museum is closed Sunday to Wednesday. There is free admission until Oct. 15.