The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History was relatively quiet Thursday afternoon following its reopening for the first time in five months, according to Ruth Hyde, membership and visitor services manager.

Its few guests wore blue surgical masks and strolled through the exhibits with bright blue arrows under their feet directing the flow of traffic. The museum dispersed bottles of hand sanitizer around the building and visitors could hear a recording of David Attenborough explaining the evolutionary process from the front desk. The museum reopened August 5 and has undergone noticeable changes since it closed to the public in March.

A sign sat in front of the museum asking if patrons remembered to wash their hands and to stay home when sick. Next to it is a portable handwashing station that many people have been using before entering the building, according to Hyde.

The museum is open to seniors and COVID-19-vulnerable individuals from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., while the rest of the public is encouraged to browse the exhibits from 12 to 3 p.m. Few people, if any, come during the first hour, while most of the public—including seniors—enter in the afternoon, Hyde said. 

She said she was pleased by the public’s response to the segmented visiting hours. “It’s a nice thing to experience, really, to notice that people are so respectful of that,” Hyde said.

Although the museum could easily accommodate “a couple of hundred people at any time,” Hyde said staff are currently limiting capacity to 35 guests at once. The museum will also not admit groups of more than ten people. Instead, groups larger than ten must split up and wander the exhibits separately in accordance with social distancing guidelines, she said.

To reduce money handling, the museum no longer offers change. Instead, it restricts payment methods to credit and debit cards and exact cash, which the guest inserts into a cash box. Members, including UO students, have free admission to the museum.

Masks are required for people ages three and older, Hyde said. The museum provides free masks to guests who don’t have one or left theirs at home. Maps and arrows on the floor show visitors how to walk through the exhibits to ensure social distancing. Some areas are sectioned off to prevent guests from cutting through exhibits and disrupting the flow of traffic.

Hyde said museums are often designed to flow in a certain direction anyway. “An exhibit usually does have a start and an end, an introductory panel and a final panel,” Hyde said. “So really all we’re doing is giving people really specific instructions on how to view the museum.”

Hyde said it is difficult to know how these policies might change in the fall when more students are on campus due to ever-changing COVID-19 conditions. “It will also depend on how well people can follow the directions they’re given and respect the policies and protocols that are designed to keep people healthy and safe,” Hyde said.

Some exhibits have been adapted to limit the virus’ spread. Interactive exhibits that encouraged touching objects and artifacts have been put in storage, and headphones used to listen to videos have been replaced with speakers. Museum staff continuously sanitize exhibits as groups pass through.

“We can’t completely eliminate all risk,” Hyde said. “We are in a pandemic and it’s a really serious situation, but we are doing our absolute best to follow all of the regulations and to make everyone as comfortable and safe as possible.”