Wichita’s Exploration Place museum will be reopening in July after being temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The museum will have members-only days from Wednesday, July 1st to Friday, July 3rd, and the museum will be open to the public on Saturday, July 4th.
Reservations and advance tickets will not be required, but the building capacity will be limited to 25 percent, or 500 people, to allow for social distancing. Masks will not be required but visitors will be strongly encouraged to wear them, and masks will be provided free of charge. Visitors will be asked to clean their shoes on a foot mat sanitizer on the floor, they will be asked to use a hand sanitizer and they will go through a temperature check station when they enter the building.
The ticket counter has been relocated to the north end of the main lobby, to allow members to check in more quickly. The snack bar has been moved to the main lobby and all drinking fountains have been closed temporarily. Complimentary water bottles will be available.
Most exhibits will be open as usual, and museum officials will be watching the Kansas Kids Connect exhibit to make sure the capacity is at 25 percent or less. The Digital Dome Theater will be limited to 25 percent capacity, which will be 41 seats per showing. There will be more screenings of the popular film, “Great Bear Rainforest.”
Exploration Place will be open late on Thursdays, until 8 p.m. and the museum will open at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The extra hours will be in place at least through Labor Day.
