Arizona Museum of Natural History, i.d.e.a. Museum to reopen this month

PHOENIX — The city of Mesa announced on Wednesday that the Arizona Museum of Natural History and the i.d.e.a. Museum will be reopening at the end of the month.

Museum members will have the first opportunity to visit beginning Oct. 31, with the venues being open to the general public starting Nov. 7.

For the first two months of the reopening, the museums will be offering a half-price special to all visitors as both a “welcome back” and to offset some of the areas that are closed for safety or still under construction.

Museum days and hours will also be reduced for the initial reopening period.

Public visitation hours for the months of November and December are Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Advance online ticketing and capacity limitations to ensure social distancing will be required upon the initial reopening. Online ticketing will become available Oct. 12 for museum members while the general public can access it on Nov. 2.

Additional information and all ticket purchases can be made through the Arizona Museum of Natural History and the i.d.e.a. Museum‘s websites.

Both museums will reopen with safety protocols to combat the spread of COVID-19, including that all visitors age 6 and older must wear a facial covering.

Exhibitions and facilities have received overhauls to change or remove interactive experiences and have been replaced by no- or low-touch options. High-traffic areas and smaller spaces have also been adjusted throughout the facilities to allow for physical distancing.

“We take the safety of our visitors and staff, and our responsibility to reduce community spread of COVID-19, very seriously,” Mesa Director of Arts and Culture Cindy Ornstein said in a press release.

“Our goal is to make the wonderful resources of our museums available to the public while creating a comfortable and low-risk environment for everyone who enters our facilities. We are excited to reopen and to bring the fantastic benefits of in-person discovery and creativity to our community again.”

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