The Hampton History Museum and Air Power Park will reopen to the public with reduced hours on Monday.
It’s all part of the city of Hampton’s overall reopening strategy, according to a news release from the city.
The museum’s other management property, the Hampton Carousel, remains closed until further notice.
As the museum has been closed since late March, and its popular lecture and music series is on hold, the museum staff has taken its programing into the virtual sphere on Facebook and YouTube.
The “Clips with the Curator” series of videos shot at points of interest in the museum galleries, and of recently restored aircraft and space vehicles at Air Power Park, along with more in-depth distance learning videos with the museum educator, the museum has reached nearly 80,000 viewers.
Plans are underway to continue and expand both virtual projects, as well as bring both the museum’s monthly Port Hampton Lecture series and Front Porch Music series online beginning in July.
“We are excited about welcoming the public back to the museum,” said Executive Director Luci Cochran, “Our aim is to build a better future by exploring and preserving our past. Whether online or in-person, the history we share and the conversations begun at the museum reverberate throughout the community and help us tackle the challenges of today. Indeed history, or our collective memory, is how we become a community as we share stories, ideas, and beliefs and come together in the process.”
New protocols will be in place to lessen the risk of virus transmission in the facility. These protocols are modeling best practices and incorporating public health advice offered by the Centers for Disease Control and the Virginia Department of Health.
