Updated: February 9, 2022
As Explore & More- The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum looks to re-opening, we wanted to inform our community about the measures we have taken to ensure we provide a safe experience for our visitors.
During our temporary closure we have been carefully developing a safe and prudent safety plan for our visitors and our staff so we can re-open safely. In addition to the advice and recommendations from state and local government, we received guidance and best practices from the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), Museum Association of NY (MANY), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), along with several business and cultural partners, museum sponsors, and our advisory task force.
Please note – rules are subject to change, please check prior to your visit for any updates.
Your part to play
- Timed ticketing with advance online ticket purchase
- Limited capacity with staggered start times
- Social distancing reminders throughout the museum
- Handwashing facilities and hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the museum
- Bring your own waterbottles as water fountains will not be available
- Same day re-entry is not permitted
- Please check your temperature before visiting, and stay home if you feel sick
We are an inclusive Museum. We understand that some families may have a medical or physical concern that makes wearing a mask difficult. Please contact the museum and we will work with you to figure out a solution. We are all learning together, this is a great resource for families to familiarize themselves with why it’s important to wear a mask!
Thank you to our Hand Sanitizing Station sponsor, BlueCross BlueShield of WNY.
Our part to play
Team members will be required to complete health screenings including temperature checks, health forms and a stay home if you feel sick policy. All team members will be wearing face masks.
Please check here for our most updated hours, as they are changing. We are currently operating at a reduced capacity, at 15% of normal daily attendance.
Our cleaning and sanitizing procedures include hospital-grade cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting solutions. Additionally, we’ve added bags at each exhibit where families can place toys that were played with, so the staff can easily collect and sanitize the toys for our next guest. Manipulatives will be washed in our washing machine and/or our dishwasher to be fully sanitized. Surfaces of the exhibits and high traffic areas will also be cleaned throughout the day and deeply during closed hours.
While we have been closed, the staff has been busy working to re-imagine our programming and come up with new and fun ways to teach and delight our children and families. We intend to continue the virtual fun, even while we re-open to in-person play! If you’re not comfortable playing in person, please enjoy our virtual programming, Sanity Savers and Storytime series.
If your family has a special circumstance that makes wearing a mask difficult please email us at [email protected] or call us at 716-655-5131 and we will work with you to figure out how to make the play happen. For tips on how to help your child understand the importance of masks, click here.
We’re in this and learning together! If you have a suggestion while you’re at the museum please make sure you speak to a team member or feel free to email us at [email protected] because it matters to us!
We are confident that if everyone follows these steps, Explore & More can re-open and safely return to the fun, joyful space that we pride ourselves on being.
We need play now more than ever and we cannot wait to play with our friends again!
