The Moton Museum continues to put the safety of our staff, volunteers, visitors, and community first. Since first closing our doors to the public in mid-March ahead of official guidance from the Commonwealth of Virginia, we have continued to give thought to how we will reopen our doors.
Governor Northam recently announced Executive Order Number 65, moving the majority of the Commonwealth of Virginia into Phase II of reopening and allowing mass gatherings of no more than 50 persons, beginning June 5, 2020. With that guidance, continued adherence to CDC guidelines, and coordination with our partner institution Longwood University, we are now releasing our plans to reopen the Museum.
Our permanent exhibition Moton School Story: Children of Courage and the Moton Bookstore will reopen to the public beginning June 30, 2020, at 12 p.m. We will continue to adhere to our normal operating hours of Monday-Saturday 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. We will also continue to suspend facility rentals through August 30, 2020, as we further evaluate this important part of our operations. More details regarding facility rentals will be shared closer to that time.
Reopening the Museum is a decision that requires a great deal of work from museum staff as we work to keep safety at the forefront. We will continue to actively encourage the following behaviors for visitors’ safety and ours: regular hand washing, avoiding touching when possible, the requirement of mask and face coverings, and implementation of social distancing policies. We will also be providing daily temperature screenings to our staff as they return to work.
The Moton Plan for Reopening emphasizes the following Moton COVID-19 Policies
We will work hard to proactively clean and sanitize high touch areas frequently throughout the day including restrooms. Sanitizing stations are strategically placed throughout the museum. Visitors are asked to sanitize regularly in addition to regularly washing hands. Our sanitizing stations are placed in the following strategic spots throughout the museum. Individuals visiting the museum are encouraged to contact the museum to schedule an appointment.
We also have a waiver available on our website at motonmuseum.org that individuals must review, sign, and present to staff upon arrival for your visit.
