The Manitowoc County Historical Society’s McAllister House Welcome Center and the historic structures of Pinecrest Historical Village will reopen for guests on Wednesday, June 10 following a 2-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Summer hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 4 pm.
The 60-acre open-air museum has new safety protocols in place.
Hand sanitizer will be available when arriving and leaving the McAllister House Welcome Center for guests. Guests can discover our historic structures of Pinecrest Village through staggered departures. One group at a time will be set to go on tour, followed by a 10 minute wait period before another group will be set to explore. There are more than 25 historic buildings, plus 60 acres to allow for social distancing
The interactive kiosk in our McAllister House Welcome Center will be set to automatically display a slideshow of images from our museum’s collection instead of a sampling of videos to choose from. For guests choosing to use our hand-held audio tours, we will sanitize and rotate the devices after each use.
Research requests must be submitted online. If necessary, an in-person research request may be accommodated given certain precautions and criteria.
Any hands-on activity station will have hands sanitizer and all surfaces will be cleaned regularly. For example, if there is a blacksmithing workshop, all there will be hand sanitizer in the shop and all materials used in the workshop will be cleaned after each participant’s use. All workshops will operate at 50% capacity. Additional workshops may be added to ensure that everyone who is interested has the opportunity to take part in the experiences.
The Manitowoc County Historical Society is also asking guests to avoid touching surfaces, follow the social distancing paths and markers throughout the property, consider wearing a face mask, and if you are sick or exhibiting symptoms of any illness to please postpone your visit until you feeling better.
Any areas of the Museum where it is difficult to maintain social distance or cleanliness will be closed. This includes the Children’s Discovery Village. While this is a favorite destination for young pioneers, the museum cannot adequately sanitize all the objects in the space after each family’s visit.
During your visit, you can also help protect the health of yourself and those you love by doing the following:
· Create six feet of social distance between your group and others
· Avoid touching surfaces and wash your hands or use hand sanitizers frequently
· Bring a mask and cover your mouth and nose with it
· If you exhibit symptoms of any illness on the day of your planned visit, please postpone your visit until you have recovered.
The Manitowoc County Historical Society will continue to offer a schedule of virtual storytimes and education programs on their website and social media platforms. For updates on upcoming programs and hours of operation, visit ManitowocCountyHistory.org or call (920) 684-4445.
