Houston’s museums not yet ready to open
museums are still evaluating when to open their doors following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement. While the order allows museums to reopen Friday at 25 percent capacity, those contacted said they won’t be reopening.
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston isn’t ready to announce a reopening date, citing the need to establish safety precautions and to communicate with city officials.
“Our Return to Work Task Force has been actively working to determine how best to safely reopen the MFAH for our 650 staff and our visitors, but we are just now, along with many others, considering the governor’s statement,” the museum said in a statetual ment. “We have not yet had an opportunity to connect with the mayor’s office and the county’ judge’s office to understand what the local requirements will be, as the report notes is needed.”
The Asia Society is also following a cautious path.
“We are not reopening on May 1,” an Asia Society representative said.
The Holocaust Museum Houston “might open, at the earliest, Memorial Day weekend,” said a representative who spoke with the museum’s CEO, though any opening would need “an ongoing sanitization process” to be put in place.
The Children’s Museum Houston is not opening this week but hopes to be open by the end of May, public relations director Henry Yau said in a statement. Yau reminded patrons that the museum hosts a “Daily VirHouston’s Learning” broadcast on its website, cmhouston.org:
The Menil and the Houston Museum of Natural Science did not respond, but the Asia Society representative said all of Houston’s museums are in sync.
The MFAH outlined several elements that need to be in place before a reopening can be announced.
“We look forward to bringing staff back into the buildings and welcoming the public, but we are evaluating all of our supplies, including masks and gloves, and assessing our infrastructure to ensure that we are ready to operate the museum’s offices and public areas under social distancing,” the MFAH statement continued. “As soon as all of those aspects are within view, we will be announcing a reopening date.”