DENVER — The Denver Art Museum (DAM) and Wings Over the Rockies have announced plans to reopen their doors for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close.
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Denver Art Museum
DAM said in a release that it would reopen its Hamilton Building to the public on Friday, June 26. DAM members will have access to the museum on June 24 and 25.
The museum said visitors can expect to have a nearly contactless experience that incorporates new health and safety protocols for both visitors and staff. Those new protocols include limiting capacity, regularly-scheduled sanitation of all accessible surfaces and state- and city-recommended social distancing between visitor groups, according to the release.
The museum will also adhere to city guidelines mandating masks for all staff and visitors, the release said. A maximum of 100 people will be allowed into the museum per hour, with no more than 350 people within the museum at a time. Social distancing procedures will be implemented in the galleries and elevators as well.
Some areas of the museum will also be off-limits to visitors in order to limit person-to-person contact, including the hands-on studio space on level 1.
The release said DAM will be taking the following precautions:
- Advance purchase of timed and dated tickets online will be required. Call 720-913-0130 for accommodations.
- Wear a mask to enter and visit the museum, following the city of Denver’s mandated public mask requirement.
- Entry will be through the main Hamilton Building entrance, and all visitors will exit through the museum’s studio doors to ensure entry and exit is managed with maximum social distancing between groups.
- The Hamilton Building’s Callahan Café will be closed initially, and limited shop items will be available for purchase upon exit through the studio.
- Hands-on artmaking spaces and activities will not be offered due to new sanitation safety procedures.
- Contactless and motion-activated hand sanitizer stations will continue to be offered throughout the museum, located at the entrances and exits of spaces and near bathrooms.
A revised timeline for unveiling the Martin Building and Sie Welcome Center will be announced at a later date, the museum said.
“We’re delighted to have these new healthy museum procedures in place to enable public access to experience the museum during this new safer-at-home timeframe,” said Christoph Heinrich, director of DAM. “While this reopening will feel different than prior museum experiences, we are adapting our onsite experiences to enable moments of beauty and respite for those who desire it.
"Our teams also have expanded the museum’s offerings, digital programming and activities through our Museum From Home section on our website. Visitors who choose to stay home for now will find new hands-on projects, virtual tours and collection moments in a digital format to enjoy, free of charge.”
Wings Over the Rockies
Wings Over the Rockies announced it would be reopening both of its locations, the Air and Space Museum in Denver and the Exploration of Flight campus in Englewood, on Saturday, June 27.
Wings will be following all state and federal recommendations regarding COVID-19 and is taking extra measures to help keep visitors, volunteers and staff healthy and safe, according to a release.
Visitor experiences at both locations will be limited to a two-hour time block, the release said, and guest capacity will not be any more than 200 people at a time at the Air and Space Museum and 100 at the Exploration of Flight campus.
All guests, volunteers and staff will be required to wear masks and follow social distancing guides placed around each location, the release said.
“It has been a long journey, 106 days of waiting, uncertainty and careful planning, but we are finally ready to open our doors again and welcome the entire Wings family back inside,” said Wings President and CEO Maj. Gen John Barry, USAF (Ret), in the release. “We have cleaned and sanitized every inch of our facilities, rearranged aircraft to give you a more enriching and engaging experience and trained our staff and volunteers on how to bring you the world class aerospace content you’ve come to know and love in a way that keeps us all safe and healthy.”
Tickets to both Wings locations are currently available for prepurchase at WingsMuseum.org and ExplorationofFlight.org. Visitors must prepurchase a ticket or make a member reservation online for a specific date and time. Walkins are highly discouraged and cannot be guaranteed admission due to limited guest capacity.
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