NRMand Locomotion open their doors to visitors again
THE National RailwayMuseumin York and its Locomotionoutreach station have reopened following the Covid- 19 lockdown.
Leading the way for railway museums big and small to welcome the public back ( see separate stories on these pages), NRM reopened on Tuesday, August 4, with Locomotion opening its doors the week before. Both sites will begin a phased reopening, initially on a limited number of days each week, before a gradual return to daily opening.
Visitors at both sites will be required to book a timed slot in advance. Tickets will be free and available from the museum websites, but overall visitor numbers will be limited each day to avoid overcrowding.
Both sites have undergone a rigorous cleaning regime prior to reopening and additional site- wide cleaning will continue to take place each day. Visitors will be encouraged to observe social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks will be recommended.
At York, the Great Hall will be first to open, along with the main gift shop and the Great Hall cafe. However, steam rides, the miniature railway and the under- fives’play areawill remain closed for the present.
In the coming weeks, the remaining museum areas such as Station Hall, the Warehouse and outdoor spaces are also due to reopen.
At Locomotion, the cafe reopened but with a limited capacity and serving a reduced menu. The model railway, steam rides and cab access will return at a later date.
A one- way systemwill be in operation to ensure Locomotion visitors can observe safe social distancing. Demonstrations of Rowland Emett’s popular mechanical sculpture A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley will increase, and be held hourly.
Both venues are part of the Science Museum Group, which temporarily closed all of its five sites – also including the ScienceMuseum in London, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford – onMarch 17 following government advice. Before the pandemic, the NRM, held by many to be the finest museum of its kind in the world, hadmore than 750,000 visitors each year with Locomotion receiving around 200,000.
NRM director Judith McNicol said: “We know that our sites– with their large, open buildings, outdoor spaces and car parking – can be great places for people to begin to re- engage with culturewith confidence. We are cautiously reopening in stages at both museums, to ensure the safety of our guests and colleagues.
“At Locomotion and the NRM, we have dramatically enhanced our cleaning processes and introduced practical measures to allowvisitors to maintain social distancing while enjoying the best of our collection.
“Although visitors may notice a few changes when they return, they can be assured ofawarm welcome and the chance to enjoy our unrivalled collection of railway and engineering achievements.”
➜ To book a freeticket for the National Railway Museum, visit: www. railwaymuseum. org. uk