NEWS: Johnstown Children’s Museum to open to MEMBERS ONLY Aug. 13-15 and 20-22; public opening to follow

NEWS: Johnstown Children’s Museum to open to MEMBERS ONLY Aug. 13-15 and 20-22; public opening to follow

Posted: August 5, 2020 1:05 pm

We are delighted to re-open the Johnstown Children’s Museum, first to MEMBERS ONLY, with a public opening to follow. We are sending this information to all our members! (Not a member? Contact Deb Winterscheidt at 539-1889 x315 to join or renew your membership!)

Please note: MEMBERS MUST RESERVE A TWO-HOUR TIME SLOT in order to be able to visit. Members, call us at 539-1889 to reserve your time on August 13, 14, or 15; or August 20, 21, and 22. Information has been sent to all the members for whom we have contact information.

Please stay tuned for information about our public opening, which is scheduled for the last week of August! 

Opening the museum safely

Here at JAHA we are committed to providing our visitors with a clean, safe, fun environment. This is especially important in our children’s museum, which is a high touch zone. Before your visit, check out this list of what we’re doing to keep you safe and how you can help!

Plan your trip:

  • Hours of operation are currently limited. Members are invited to visit us for a two-hour play session as follows:
    • Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10 am-noon, noon-2:00 pm, 2:00-4:00 pm
  • Call ahead at 539-1889 to make a reservation.
  • In order to comply with state regulations, we are limiting our capacity within each 2-hour slot to four families, for a maximum of 20 people in the children’s museum at any one time.
  • You do not have to use the entirety of your two-hour slot; however, we cannot adjust your time if you arrive late.

How we’re keeping you safe:

  • The Johnstown Children’s Museum has received a deep and thorough cleaning before we opening, and we are scheduling extra staff to maintain cleanliness throughout the day.
  • Each room will be closed hourly for ten minutes for a clean. Please see posted signs outside of each room for times.
  • We are monitoring the health of our staff, and all staff will be wearing masks in the museum.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the museum.
  • Play food, blocks, books, and other frequently touched items will be rotated throughout the day, and sanitized after each use.
  • Unfortunately, some items and areas are difficult to frequently clean and we have removed or closed them. The coal mine and slide are temporarily closed, and we have removed our dress up clothes.
  • Look out for Morley! In our museum we have posted Morley Moments to let you know what precautions we are taking in different exhibit spaces.

How you can help keep our visitors and staff safe:

  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well.
  • All visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear masks.
  • You must make a reservation before you visit to hold your space.
  • Please comply with all posted signs and staff recommendations.
  • While you do not have to socially distance within your family, we are kindly asking that you remain a safe distance from other families.
  • Food may not be consumed in the museum. You may eat a lunch or snack in the courtyard.
  • Our water fountains are closed. You may bring your own water bottle or purchase one in our gift shop.
  • Even though our dress-up clothes have been removed for now, our fashion show is still open! Visitors are encouraged to bring their own dress up clothes to model!
  • Be aware that you will share the entirety of the children’s museum space with up to 3 other families. We ask that you be kind and courteous and share each space at a safe social distance.
  • Be patient with yourself, other visitors, and our staff as we adapt to these new norms – we’re all learning together!