The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) has announced that state museums and historic sites will reopen to the public on Thursday, September 24. This includes the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum in Albuquerque, Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo, and Jemez Historic Site.
For the health and safety of visitors and staff, each of these cultural institutions will be limiting occupancy to 25% of capacity as well as offering a revised operating schedule and restrictions on visitor accessibility during this initial phase of reopening.
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday during this period of phased reopening. Accessible areas upon reopening include the indoor museum, atrium, and observation deck, while closed areas include the planetarium, theater, classrooms, meeting rooms, lecture hall, Evolator, recycling exhibit, and naturalist center. The NatureWorks Discovery Store will be open during museum hours. Occupancy at the museum will be limited to 250 people.
“Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” is the current featured exhibit at the Museum of Natural History & Science. This traveling exhibition will be on display through Easter 2021. Enjoy New Mexico’s unique fossils and learn more about how dinosaurs gave birth and raised their young. This exhibit also includes unique art from a variety of well-known paleo artists including Luis V. Rey.
Other exhibits of note include “Sayaka Ganz-Reclaimed Creations,” “Back to Bones,” “Time Tracks: A Walk Through Time,” “Emergence,” and “The Bisti Beast.” For more information about exhibits, visit http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/exhibits
The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) Art Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Monday. Other accessible areas at the NHCC campus upon reopening include the sculpture garden, outdoor plaza, and third-party restaurants, while closed areas include the library, theaters, auditoriums, children’s garden, classrooms, meeting rooms, multipurpose spaces, lobbies, and rehearsal halls. Occupancy at the Art Museum will be limited to 80 people.
“El Peru: Art in the Contemporary Past” is the current featured exhibit at the NHCC Art Museum. On display through Nov. 21, 2020, this exhibit celebrates the work of Peruvian artists Baldomero Alejos (1924-1976), Ana de Orbegoso, Kukuli Velarde, and Lorry Salcedo. Each artist explores the Peruvian pre-colonial and colonial past while addressing race, class, and inclusion in the present. Works include photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting, and multimedia in juxtaposition with examples of their historical antecedents.
Other exhibits of note include “Southwest of Eden: The Art of Adam and Eve” and “Aquí Estamos: New Selections from the Permanent Collection.” For more information about these exhibits, visit https://www.nhccnm.org/exhibitions/
Coronado Historic Site will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Accessible areas include the visitor’s center, mural gallery, temporary gallery, outdoor walking trails, and historic structures, while the kiva will remain closed to the public. Occupancy at Coronado Historic Site will be limited to 50.
Jemez Historic Site will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Accessible areas include the visitor’s center, outdoor walking trails, and historic structures, while the kiva will remain closed to the public. Occupancy at Jemez Historic Site will be limited to 40 people.
Additionally, from 10 a.m. to noon each Wednesday, most DCA facilities will provide special hours of operation for high-risk populations. This corresponds with DCA’s weekly free day for state residents 60 and older.
State museums and historic sites have been closed to the public since March 23 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During the reopening process, the DCA has taken the necessary steps to ensure a safe, healthy, and enjoyable experience for visitors when they return to these facilities, in accordance with the current Public Health Order issued by the New Mexico Department of Health.
Entry into facilities will be metered to ensure compliance with the occupancy limits. Based on both historic attendance data and ticketing limitations, facilities will not require timed entry or reservations. Online ticket sales, which are currently available at New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and National Hispanic Cultural Center’s Art Museum, will be strongly encouraged.
The New Mexico CulturePass, which allows one visit to each state museum and historic site while active, will be extended by six months past the expiration date, while museum memberships purchased through both the Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation and the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation will be extended by six months past their original expiration date. Museum memberships purchased through the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, applicable to New Mexico Historic Sites, will be extended by one month past their original expiration date.
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