ST. LOUIS — The doors of two of St. Louis' most popular attractions are reopening Tuesday.
You can once again make a trip to the St. Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum.
Administration for both the art and the history museums decided it’d be best to close down in early January after a surge in COVID cases.
The Missouri Art Museum announced it was having issues keeping staff safe and working after a surge of COVID positive cases among workers, and the local spike in cases of the omicron variant.
Around the time of the announcement, St. Louis was at a peak in new COVID cases. On Jan. 7, the weekly average number of new cases was 516. That number was just 72 a month before.
Programs and public tours that were scheduled at the St. Louis Art Museum during January were canceled. The museum also refunded anyone who bought a ticket for an event during the 3-week closing period.
The Missouri Historical Society (MHS) has confirmed the Missouri History Museum will also reopen Tuesday, Feb. 1, while the MHS Library & Research Center and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum will open Feb. 2.
The locations closed Jan. 7 as the highly contagious omicron variant spread throughout the St. Louis area and the country. The historical society said the surge in cases led to an increase in staffing issues, and they felt a temporary closure was the best thing to do for the health and safety of employees, volunteers and visitors.
The Missouri Historical Society shared a reminder as guests plan to come back: per St. Louis’ health ordinance, masks are still required inside all three locations for all visitors who are 2 and older.
The Missouri History Museum’s in-person public programming will resume Monday, Feb. 14. The February programming features a lineup of Black History Month specials and exhibits. Visit the history museum’s website for the full list.