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Reduced capacity, twice-daily deep cleaning when Boston Children’s Museum reopens

A child explored an exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum before it shut down in March due to the pandemic.Karin Hansen

When the Boston Children’s Museum reopens later this month, the institution will roll out new practices, including twice-daily deep cleanings, that are meant to provide enhanced health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said in a statement Saturday.

Those changes mean that museum capacity will be limited, visitors will have to reserve tickets in advance, and the museum will close its doors in the middle of the day to do a deep cleaning, according to the statement.

“The Museum is actively monitoring evolving city and state guidelines and striving to exceed those recommendations. These steps will ensure that families can return to the Museum knowing that the priority is that everyone has a safe experience at Boston Children’s Museum,” the statement said.

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On Saturday, the museum said it will first open for members only on Friday, July 17, and over that weekend, the statement said. The museum will reopen for everyone else on Wednesday, July 22. The museum closed March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Museum hours will be set to allow for deep cleaning during the day. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and again at from 2 to 4:30 p.m., on Wednesdays through Sundays, according to the statement.

Between the two time slots, the museum will conduct a deep cleaning of its facilities, and janitorial and front-line staff will work together to get the museum ready. A deep cleaning will also come at the end of each day, the statement said.

High-traffic exhibits and public spaces will receive an electrostatic cleaning, and high-touch surfaces like table and countertops, doorknobs, light switches, along with restrooms, will be cleaned and disinfected, the statement said.

Loose items in exhibit areas, like golf balls, will be removed and replaced with a fresh set at the beginning of each session and as needed throughout the day, the statement said.

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Admission will only be allowed by advance registration. All visitors, including members, must reserve tickets online through the museum’s website.

Staff and visitors over the age of 2 will be required to wear masks over their noses and mouths, the statement said. More details were available on the institution’s website, the statement said.

Sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer will be available throughout the museum. Visitors are being encouraged to bring their own as well, and clean their hands often.

Carole Charnow, the museum’s president and chief executive officer, said in the statement that the institution has been quiet without the “joyful voices of kids and families.”

“We are so grateful to reopen our doors and welcome them back. We can’t wait to see them at the Museum,” she said.


John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.