The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced it will be reopening its doors to the public on Wednesday, June 10, 2020.
"We stand ready to provide inspiration to fans eager to celebrate excellence," said David Baker, president & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a press release. "And we will do so in a responsible manner that puts the safety of the visiting public and our dedicated staff at the forefront of each decision we have made in reaching this point and that we will continue to make moving forward."
Joining the nationwide effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading further, the Hall closed its doors to the public on March 16. During the shutdown, operations personnel took several measures into action in preparation for its eventual reopening, including a thorough cleaning of all areas within the museum multiple times. With the public's health and safety in mind, staff members have also placed markings and stanchions in the museum to help maintain proper physical distancing and to guide them in an orderly, one-way flow through the exhibits.
Enhanced safety measures and changes placed at the Hall of Fame Museum include:
- All Hall employees and volunteers will receive a temperature reading - with a no-contact scanning thermometer - upon entering the building. Anyone with a body temperature exceeding 100.0°F will not be permitted to proceed.
- Every employee, volunteer and docent will be required to wear a face covering inside the Museum. Guests will be encouraged to wear a face covering. Single-use masks will be provided to guests upon request. Cloth Hall of Fame-branded masks will be available for purchase.
- Guests also may request a pair of powder-free, single-use vinyl gloves to wear during their visit.
- Guests will receive a stylus for use on Museum exhibit touch screens or other contact points, such as elevator buttons.
- Seating in the "A Game for Life" holographic theater and in the Super Bowl Theater will be reduced to allow appropriate spacing of guests.
- A few "hands-on" exhibits could remain closed or off-line at this time.
- The Museum's café will remain closed.
- High-contact surfaces, such as railings, counters, doorknobs and elevator buttons, will be disinfected throughout each day.
- Stations with hand sanitizer have been placed throughout the Museum.
- Acrylic barriers have been installed in several areas including the Guest Services and the Hall of Fame store.
Each safety measure for employees and guests meets or exceeds those recommended by the State of Ohio and the federal health standards imposed for visiting a museum and retail establishment. Flyers explaining the physical distancing protocols, hand sanitizer locations, the importance of not touching the exhibits, and other pertinent information will be handed out to each guest.
Upon its reopening on June 10, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will operate under its summer time hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Any further updates to the Hall's reopening plan can be found at www.ProFootballHOF.com.
"Since its grand opening in September 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame had never been closed more than two days in a row," Baker concluded in the announcement. "So after nearly three months, you can imagine our excitement at being able to open our doors again to fans of this great game.
"We welcome them back and join them in honoring the heroes of the game, preserving its history, promoting its values and celebrating excellence everywhere."
