The ExpERIEnce Children's Museum announced this week it is reducing its hours because of low attendance due to the pandemic.
The museum will now be open on weekends only. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
The museum is such an Erie treasure and it hurts to see it struggling when museum executive director Ainslie Brosig and her talented and dedicated staff have worked so hard to create a world-class museum where all families were welcome to come and play.
So how can you support the museum during this difficult time?
Go and play! That is the best way to support the museum during this economic crisis. The museum depends on visitors for 65 percent of its revenue.
Ainslie, herself an Erie mom of three, knows how important it is to families to stay safe during the pandemic and safety continues to be the museum's top priority. In fact, visitors must make advance reservations, and only 75 people are allowed per 2-hour session — that's just 17 percent of the capacity.
In announcing the reduction in hours Ainslie wrote:
...Reduced admission and membership sales have dramatically impacted the Museum's financial sustainability.
The impact of COVID-19 on the Museum’s operations is a challenging mix of severe economic loss paired with increasing costs associated with reopening. Substantial health and safety upgrades are needed to protect the staff and visitors from the spread of the coronavirus. These additional needs come at a significant expense to the Museum at a time when the Children's Museum cannot return to pre-pandemic occupancy and revenue has been slashed.
How you can help
- STEAM-To-Go: hands-on learning experiences in a bag including materials, videos, and activity directions with themes including art, cooking and veterinarian medicine (Read about Macaroni Kid's experience with STEAM-To-Go bags!)
- Borrow-A-Bot: supplements at-home learning curriculum allowing families to borrow an interactive robot along with lessons that teach reading, math, science, social studies, art and language.
- Borrow-A-Museum: provides traveling STEAM exhibits and classroom kits to schools and community centers
- Making a donation: You can donate directly to the museum by buying a gift card, membership or simply making a monetary donation.
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