Improvements for your safety

Since closing the Museum in March, we’ve looked carefully at every aspect of the Museum to consider how we can change our space and our operations to better ensure a safe, healthy environment for our guests, staff, volunteers, and animals. We’re sticking to the science and listening to health officials and experts on the best ways to protect everyone while still offering a rewarding Museum experience.

Here’s what we’ve done to make the Museum as safe as possible for everyone:

• Reimagined and changed the Museum entrance to create a spacious and comfortable arrival experience for guests and attending staff
• Instituted new cleaning and sanitization procedures in accordance with guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
• Maximized hands-free transactions at admissions, stores, and cafe
• Replaced all restroom faucets and soap dispensers with touch-free models, and made most restroom entrances touch-free
• Installed alcohol-based, hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus
• Face masks are now optional at the Museum. Learn more about our mask requirements.
• Relocated some exhibits and seating to maximize the width of circulation corridors
• Removed highly tactile indoor exhibit elements where achieving sanitation standards isn’t possible
• Rearranged or removed some exhibit components to increase general circulation within galleries
• Installed sneeze guards at each point of sale
• Installed plexiglass dividers behind each train seat
• Upgraded all main museum air filters to high efficiency, Merv-11.
• Adjusted HVAC systems to improve fresh air exchange
• Replacing door-opening buttons with touch-free interfaces (coming soon)

These steps are the starting point, not the end. We will continue to consult with health officials and experts to ensure that the Museum follows the best guidelines for safety and cleaning procedures. As the COVID-19 crisis evolves and changes, we are committed to adjusting as needed regularly to do what we can to protect guests and staff.