Museum to Temporarily Close to the Public
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will be temporarily closed to the public as part of an international effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The closure goes into effect beginning Monday, March 16, 2020.
“We are taking action to ensure the health and safety of our guests, our staff, and our volunteers,” says President & CEO Sonia Winner. “This is the responsible step to take at this stage and we feel this decision is aligned with the recommendations of the CDC, the World Health Organization, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.”
Because of the rapidly changing nature of this pandemic, a re-opening date will not be announced at this time. Museum leadership will continue to monitor the progress of the virus and communicate with appropriate agencies throughout the closure. Updates on the Museum’s hours will be posted on its CMNH.org website and social media channels.
The decision was announced amid news reports of more confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in Northeast Ohio, and as Ohio Governor DeWine announced statewide precautionary measures to contain and mitigate the virus.
Museum employees were notified of the closure on Friday, March 13. The Museum has created an “All-In” policy to permit employees to use up to ten additional paid days to accommodate this complex situation.
“People are the most important part of any organization,” says Winner. “We will do what we can to help them maintain stability, safety and health during these unusual circumstances.”
“As an institution of scientific learning, we want to emphasize that this is a time for preparedness and prevention,” adds Winner. "We encourage everyone to continue to consult with definitive resources on this topic, including the CDC and WHO, to increase awareness, prevention, and mitigation of this virus.”
