Dunn Museum To Reopen With Special COVID Rules In Place

Amie Schaenzer
·4 min read

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — The Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville will reopen to the public this Saturday with new guidelines limited hours, timed entry tickets, and other safety and public health measures in place to comply with COVID-19 concerns, Lake County Forest Preserve officials said. Forest preserves Director of Education Nan Buckardt said the district is following CDC guidelines and those outlined in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan to ensure a safe reopening.

"We have made several modifications throughout the galleries and gift shop to minimize touch points and support social distancing,” said Director of Education Nan Buckardt. “We will be operating on a reduced schedule and offering timed entry tickets to maintain the 25% maximum visitor capacity set by the state."

In addition, new cleaning protocols and visitation procedures are in place, said Angelo Kyle, president of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

Hours are have been modified and the Dunn Museum, at 1899 West Winchester Road in Libertyville. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with visitation slots availalble from 10 to 11:30 a.m., 12 to 1:30 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m.

On Thursdays, the 10 to 11:30 a.m. time slot is designated for seniors over age 62.

The galleries and gift shop will be closed between these time slots for cleaning and disinfecting. The Dunn Museum will be open on Labor Day, Monday, September 7 and will resume its regular schedule thereafter, according to the news release.

To assure safety for visitors and employees and maintain capacity limits, timed entry tickets will be sold in advance online. Buckardt said 35 people will be allowed to visit per time slot through a combination of 25 timed entry tickets available for purchase online and 10 tickets available for purchase in person.

Only credit card payments will accepted. Each gallery has signs posted and cameras in place so employees can monitor and enforce capacity limits as necessary.

Know Before You Go: Guidelines for Visiting

  • If you are sick or feel unwell, please stay home.

  • All visitors must follow social distancing rules by maintaining six feet or more between non-household individuals or other visitor groups at all times.

  • A new one-way path through the gift shop and galleries is marked, and all seating areas have been modified to accommodate social distancing.

  • Please wash and sanitize hands frequently during your visit and practice good hygiene. Hand-sanitizing stations are available throughout the facility.

  • There are COVID-19 signs and directions throughout the facility reinforcing social distancing rules, masks, and hand-washing and hygiene procedures.

  • Operating procedures have been enhanced to incorporate both CDC and OSHA guidelines for frequent and thorough cleaning and sanitation of public spaces.

  • Deep cleaning of all surfaces will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when the Dunn Museum is closed.

  • Browse the gift shop with your eyes. If you are interested in purchasing a product, gloves are available to use at the front desk. Only credit card payments accepted.

  • Protective safety shields are installed at the registers.

  • Dunn Museum employees will stay home when sick, wear masks, maintain social distancing, and wash hands and practice good hygiene.

Special Exhibitions at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum

  • “Reima Ratti: Life and Art in the Great Depression” runs through September 27.

    • Artist Reima Ratti (1914–1945) was born in Waukegan to Finnish immigrants and came of age during the Great Depression. His realistic art, classed in the American Scene movement, shows the economic and social changes he experienced during the depression in Lake County. "From a dark 'muddy' palette, Reima showed beauty in the toil of fishermen working their nets, the culture of Finnish baths, and everyday activity inside a local diner," said Dunn Museum Curator Diana Dretske.

  • “Breaking Barriers: Women in the Military” opens October 17 and runs through early 2021.

    • For centuries women have helped defend the nation in times of war and conflict. In this tribute to those who served, the Dunn Museum will share unique Lake County stories while exploring women’s roles as nurses, auxiliary personnel, enlistees, and officers in the U.S. military. “The nation’s struggle was their struggle, and women wanted to have a larger role, equal to men in responsibility and risk,” Dretske said.


This article originally appeared on the Libertyville Patch