<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599608478019.jpeg" alt="Smoky Hill Museum. Salina Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Smoky Hill Museum. Salina Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>After months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Smoky Hill Museum is scheduled to reopen near the end of the month.The museum is scheduled to reopen to the public on Sept. 29, 2020. Temporary reduced hours of
operation are Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The slightly reduced hours will allow museum staff time to perform enhanced
cleaning measures to protect visitors and guests. “We hope to give our
visitors as full an experience as possible, while also providing a safe and
enjoyable learning environment,” said Museum Director Susan Hawksworth. “It has
been a quiet summer and we are eager to welcome visitors and shoppers back to
the museum.”At this time, museum staff
are taking additional precautions. In addition to heightened cleaning, the
museum and its galleries have been treated with Prevent X, a long-lasting
antimicrobial that provides continuous surface protection in between regular cleaning
and disinfecting. Plexi-glass barriers have been installed at the welcome desk
and the museum store counter. Sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer are stationed
throughout the galleries for visitor use. While many interactive elements are
still available, some have been temporarily removed or cordoned off for visitor
protection.Museum visitors will need to
be aware of the following changes: ●Masks
are required to be worn at all times in the Museum.●Visitors
must follow social distancing rules and keep six feet between their group and
other visitors, staff and volunteers. ●It
is also requested that children remain with their party at all times and be
fully supervised.A full list of safety
measures and protocols is available at <a href="http://smokyhillmuseum.org">smokyhillmuseum.org</a>.Hawksworth emphasizes that
the Museum’s consistent Tuesday through Saturday hours each week will make it
easy for educators, parents and caregivers to access the Museum as a compliment
to in-school or at-home learning this fall. More learning resources are
available at <a href="https://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/programs-and-tours/">https://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/programs-and-tours/</a>.Visitors will also get a
first-hand look at the new exhibit, The
1950s Part 2: Beyond the American Dream. Special thanks go to the exhibit
sponsors – The Cozy Inn, John and Debbie Divine, and Ken and Susie Guest –
who helped make this exhibit possible, the museum noted in a news release.The
Smoky Hill Museum is a free nationally accredited history museum in downtown
Salina. Stop by the museum store&nbsp;for a wide variety of regional and Kansas
products, local artwork and gifts for all ages.

Smoky Hill Museum to open to public Sept. 29