Illinois State Museum reopens with safety measures in place

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois State Museum is reopening with safety precautions in place after closing for four months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The system’s flagship site in Springfield will open to the public Saturday.

The Dickson Mounds site in Lewiston opened earlier in the week. So did the Illinois State Museum’s Research and Collections Center in Springfield, where visitors must make an appointment.

The ISM Lockport Gallery will remain closed until further notice.

“We have made many adaptations to respond to the COVID-19 crisis so that museum-goers can visit with a high degree of comfort,” museum director Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko said. “We look forward to offering more virtual programmatic opportunities.”

Advanced registration for entry at all sites, which may be done online, is encouraged. Groups are limited to 10 people and must register in advance.

Visitors will undergo a health screening upon entry, must wear face coverings and observe physical distancing.

There will be no hands-on exhibits or in-person programming. The Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum and Thorne Deuel Auditorium at the Springfield campus and the Discovery Center at Dickson Mounds remain closed.

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Online

Illinois State Museum: http://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/