It has been months since the Vermilion County Museum hosted visitors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Museum Director Sue Richter says they are planning to reopen the main museum building next month….
{‘’We hope to open in July, and it will be a smaller opening than what we would have hoped for because of all the different restrictions. The different cleaning restrictions, and sanitizing and things of that sort,’’ said Richter.}
(This portion of the Vermilion County Museum is expected to open next month.)
Richter says the Fithian Home – which is located next door to the main museum – will remain closed, primarily because of social distancing mandates. And she adds, hopefully, the Lamon House in Lincoln Park will see the return of visitors this fall….
{‘’If we can, rather than open it every Sunday, we may pick two months out of the fall and have two special weekends where that building is open for free.’’}
Because of the buildings being closed much of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richter says there has been a financial impact….
{‘’The main thing about all of it is, in the museum re-opening and everything is the fact that we have lost a lot of revenue. (It’s) because we had things rented in this building, and Mann’s Chapel rented, and things of that sort – which was all cancelled. And in good faith the Museum returned everyone’s money. So consequently, some of our general revenue that we would generate from our buildings through the summer months, we have completely lost this year,’’ says Richter.}
Richter added that although the Fithian Home will remain closed until later, visitors to the main museum building along North Gilbert Street will be able to access a video on YouTube and can see photos of its interior. She says museum staff will be glad to answer questions about it.
Once the museum re-opens Richter hopes families will stop by. She notes the museum has lost a lot of its annual revenue during the COVID-19 closure. (Again, the new portion of the museum is expected to open sometime in July. No exact date has been announced yet.)
