The Wadsworth, other museums close due to COVID-related issues
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will close through Jan. 2, citing “staffing shortages and COVID-19 concerns.” The museum announced the temporary closing late Thursday afternoon.
The Wadsworth had planned to host some First Night Hartford activities Friday night. The events at the museum have been canceled. In a separate announcement, First Night Hartford says it “will be adjusting its lineup due to the omicron surge” and is “leaning into outdoor activities.”
Other major art museums in the state are also closing temporarily due to the coronavirus. Yale University announced that “for the health and safety of our visitors and staff members, the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery are closed to the public, including all Yale ID holders, through Sunday, January 2, 2022. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London will be closed even longer, posting on its website that “we are continuing our attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community and have decided to extend our public closure through Thursday, January 14. We now plan to reopen to the public on Friday, January 15.”
The Mark Twain House and Museum announced Friday it would close through Jan. 7. “Due to the recent spike in COVID-19, The Mark Twain House & Museum will be closed January 1 through January 7. All advance tickets purchased for a tour during this time will be fully refunded,” its social media accounts said.
Since the Wadsworth Atheneum’s current schedule already has it closed to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the museum will be shut for nearly a week, reopening on Jan. 6.
Those who’ve bought tickets to weekend events at the Wadsworth will receive refunds.
The Wadsworth closed for five and a half months in 2020 due to the COVID shutdown. It reopened in early September of that year and has been operating at reduced capacity. The museum’s Auerbach Library remains closed to the public, but its cafe recently reopened under new management.
The updated Wadsworth schedule and COVID safety guidelines are posted on the museum’s website, thewadsworth.org.
Susan Dunne contributed to this story.
Christopher Arnott can be reached at carnott@courant.com.
