Is A Trip To A Museum Safe?

Without question, we are all suffering from COVID fatigue. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have stayed healthy during the pandemic are still challenged by the stress of restrictions that have touched all areas of our life.

By now, many adults and older children have been vaccinated and hopefully many children over five years of age will get the vaccine in the coming weeks and months. We are expanding our social circles and many spaces are opening up to visitors. Still, we have questions about exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Checking out the latest recommendations by the Center for Disease Control is the place to start when making decisions about family outings.

My immediate family is vaccinated and we all agreed it was time to venture out. Deciding where to go was an easy decision. The recent exhibition of painter Alma Thomas (a family favorite) at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC was at the top of our list. Coincidentally, my five-year-old granddaughter is named Alma, so we knew this introduction to the art of Alma Thomas would be especially meaningful to her.

Alma Thomas was a Washington artist who graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from Howard University in 1924. While she spent most of her life dedicated to teaching, she ultimately is known for the colorful paintings and unique painting style which she developed later in life.

If you are visiting a museum with your family, keep the following information in mind:

Most museums require proof of vaccination for visitors over the age of twelve.

Masking is required.

Museums are uniquely positioned to welcome visitors because even pre-pandemic, they had in place protocols for cleanliness, ventilation, and limitation of visitors - due to the objects they house.

Museums have always had strict no-touching policies for many surfaces. And due to COVID, have uploaded their brochures online to minimize hand-to-hand contact.

Many museums are requiring advanced ticketing to limit the number of visitors at any given time and are increasing their hours to accommodate demand.

Our visit to the museum was a huge success and I highly recommend a similar outing for your family!