Last month, Minnesota relaxed restrictions on a wide array of businesses, allowing museums and other spaces to open under certain regulations including operating at no more than 25-percent capacity. As we head into July, there are a number of museums opening their doors and using a number of social distancing strategies to keep their guests safe.
The Walker Art Center
725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Opening on July 16, the Walker has reimagined their experience to allow for safe social distancing procedures to be put in place. All museum-goers will need a ticket for their specific arrival time, even if their ticket is free. Once they’ve arrived, patrons are free to browse until closing time; however, the museum is limiting guests from accessing their galleries, where maintaining six feet of distance is more achievable. The galleries will have added signage to direct visitors through the museum and control traffic flow.
The Bakken Museum
3537 Zenith Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55416
The Bakken Museum opened its doors to the public late last month but has limited their hours to weekends from 11 am to 4 pm. Once again, all visitors must have a ticketed arrival time. Masks are required in all indoor spaces and frequent hand sanitizing is recommended using the museums provided hand sanitizer dispensers. The Bakken has recently undergone some significant renovations and is excited to show off a new lake-facing entrance and other improvements even if to a more limited audience.
The Minneapolis Institute of Art
2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Also reopening its doors to the public on July 16, the Minneapolis Institute of Art is looking to use its grand halls and open spaces to create distance between guests and allow limited numbers of people to enjoy and appreciate its exhibits. The Museum has worked with the University of Minnesota to analyze all its rooms and corridors and better understand how to control traffic flow through the exhibits to make the experience enjoyable and safe for anyone that chooses to visit. Museum representatives say they can easily fit 250 people at a time and be well below 25-percent capacity. So, there should be a place for anyone that wants to visit after the 16th. In the meantime, the museum has several digital experiences on offer, including art-at-home projects and virtual galleries.
Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55419
The Museum of Russian Art is the only museum on our list currently accepting walk-ins without a reservation. The museum will still be operating at lowered capacity and has placed traffic arrows on the floor to direct museumgoers to appreciate the exhibits as part of a one-way traffic flow. The entire museum experience has been reimagined to be almost entirely touchless and to encourage physical distance between patrons. Additionally, the museum has time slots reserved for vulnerable populations and first responders or medical personnel respectively. Allowing these groups to visit the museum without putting themselves at unnecessary risk or putting others in danger.