Illinois Holocaust Museum And Education Center Reopens In Skokie

SKOKIE, IL — The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center reopened to the public for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced its closure more than four months ago, with tickets for Wednesday selling out after museum officials offered free admission on the first day back.

"We have been inspired by our community during this challenging time, and are thrilled to be open again," CEO Susan Abrams said, announcing the museum's reopening. Its occupancy is limited at 25 percent of capacity.

Museum staff have implemented a series of safety procedures to reduce the risk of contacting COVID-19 among visitors, volunteers and workers.

All visitors will get a temperature check. Face masks must be worn at all times inside the building. The flow of foot traffic through the museum now goes in only one direction.

"From the moment we closed our doors, we have been preparing to welcome the public back to the museum in the safest way possible," Abrams added, "working tirelessly with the state, the city of Chicago, the village of Skokie, as well as other cultural institutions around the world to establish best practices."

The entire museum has also been deep cleaned with an anti-microbial spray, the coat check and touch-screen displays area have been closed and tickets are only available for sale online.

Public areas will be cleaned every hour, humidity will be kept relatively high to inhibit the spread of the virus and the building's air filtering system exceeds recommended standards, according to the museum's safety protocols.

New hours for the museum run Wednesdays to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with final admissions at 4 p.m.

Tickets include access to special exhibitions, including "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginberg." The first-ever museum exhibition focused on the eldest justice on the United States Supreme Court has been extended until Jan. 3.

This article originally appeared on the Skokie Patch