HALL OF FAME REOPENS

Tightly Structured

Timed Ticket Sales

Enables Reopening

Rubber-Tipped Stylus One Tool

That Allows Fans Back Into Mecca

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – The timed-admission system is making reopening of the Hall of Fame possible, Jon Shestakofsky, Hall of Fame vice president/communications & education, said this afternoon.

“This way, we’re able to fit within the mandated 25 percent reduced capacity,” which is called for in Governor Cuomo’s NY Forward regulations, he said.

Tickets will be sold in half-hour intervals, with a maximum of 25 people per half hour. “We’re really encouraging people to buy tickets online,” he said. “That way, we don’t have people congregating outside or in the lobby.”

Visitors will be required to wear a mask, and every guest will receive a rubber-tipped stylus for buttons and touch-screens. “We wanted to keep as much of the museum experience functioning as we could,” he said. “Guests can use the stylus to activate all interactive exhibits.”

However, a handful of sections of the museum will be closed, including the Bullpen and Grandstand theaters, the Learning Center and the library atrium.

“We’ve heard from people that they’re excited to visit as soon as we open our doors,” he said. “And we’re excited to welcome them back to the home of baseball.”

HERE ARE HEALTH AND SAFETY

MEASURES ANNOUNCE BY HALL

Editor’s Note: These health and safety measures were contained in the Hall of Fame’s reopening announcement issue at 2:46 this afternoon:

• Per New York State guidelines, the use of face masks for all staff and guests will be required. Free single-use masks will be available at the Museum entrance for visitors who do not have one.

• To allow for physical distancing, Museum capacity will be limited and admission will be based on a timed ticketing process. Within the Museum, all exhibit spaces are expected to remain open and functional, and guests will receive a rubber-tipped stylus to use when interacting with touch-screens and buttons.

• Directional markers have been added to Museum spaces, along with signage reminding visitors of safety procedures. More than 25 hand sanitizing stations have also been placed throughout the Museum. Until further notice, the Hall of Fame’s larger gathering spaces – the Grandstand Theater, Bullpen Theater, Learning Center and Sandlot Kids’ Clubhouse – will remain closed.

• Increased cleaning and disinfection will take place both within Museum spaces and office areas, while protective clear acrylic shields have been installed at the Museum admission desk and at check-out counters within the Museum Store, which will also reopen when the Museum opens.

• Additionally, employee spaces and schedules have been adjusted to accommodate physical distancing, with staggered arrivals and departures to limit staff overlap. All employees will be given a health screening assessment and temperature check each day prior to entering the Museum.