HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum to Reopen July 10

After closing in mid-March amid COVID-19 health concerns, HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis has announced it will reopen to the public on Friday, July 10, with new measures in place that will allow children and families to safely access the museum’s fun and interactive exhibits and programming aimed at educating and inspiring them to make positive health choices. As part of the reopening plan, operating hours will be reduced to allow for deep cleaning throughout the day, capacity restrictions will be put in place for birthday parties and general visits, and advance reservations will now be required.

The museum’s plan to reopen has been approved by the City of St. Louis in accordance with the City’s public health guidelines. The museum will operate at 25 percent capacity (or a maximum of 60 visitors). Families must make advance reservations online at HWSTL.org and have the option of scheduling hour-and-a-half-long visits during three different timeframes on Fridays and Saturdays, which include 9 to 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Additional days will be added if Fridays and Saturdays reach full capacity. Sundays will be open to birthday party or private group reservations only, which be made by emailing info@hwstl.org.

Upon entry, visitors will be asked to attest to being free of COVID-19 symptoms, complete a health screening questionnaire and have their temperature checked with a touchless thermometer. At the direction of St. Louis City’s Department of Health, protective face coverings will be highly recommended for children between the ages of three and eight and will be required for visitors ages 9 and up. All HealthWorks! staff will also be required to wear face coverings at all times. As part of enhanced safety protocols, separate one-way paths and queuing lines will be incorporated throughout the museum to ensure visitors maintain social distancing of at least six feet, and increased hand sanitizer stations will be available for personal sanitization. All staff members will be required to participate in daily health screenings, and they will work to disinfect high-touch areas throughout the day. These restrictions will be revisited as St. Louis City’s Health Orders change.

“We appreciate our guests’ patience and cooperation as we work to safely reopen,” said Shannon Laine, CEO of HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis. “With the health and safety of our staff and visiting children and families at the forefront, we strived to create a plan that would allow our visitors to learn about health and hygiene in a clean, safe environment. We aim to educate children to lead healthier lives through fun and interactive programming and exhibits, and we look forward to continuing this focus at our physical location.”

When HealthWorks! reopens, visitors will notice a slight change to the exhibits and programming. To comply with the public health guidelines, exhibits that feature small manipulatives, including the pharmacy, dental office and medical office, will be unavailable for free play at this time. In their place, the museum is offering two brand new, hour-long, interactive programs that are guided by educators. “Escape the Germs” teaches kids to learn the fascinating science behind germs. Each family unit will work to complete challenges, gather information and answer questions to escape from the germs. Upon completion, they will be able to identify the manner in which scientists study germs, name types of germs and their effects on people, and describe ways to stay safe from germs. The second program, “Doc In The House,” features six pretend patients who are in need of medical care for different reasons. Kids and families will work to uncover a different sign or symptom their patient is experiencing, and by program's end, they must determine a diagnosis and how to treat their patient. Materials that are handed to each family unit for these two programs will be disinfected after each use.

“We are excited to introduce our new programming to visitors in the coming weeks,” said Laine. “These two, timely programs have been developed with the health of our community in mind, and they both follow HealthWorks! mission, which is especially important as we adjust to a new way of life to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

HealthWorks! has been closed since March 14 but has been offering expanded virtual resources that are free for children, families and educators during this time. Its new Virtual Classroom project, introduced last month, allows children and families to easily access videos, activities, games and even books on a variety of health-related subjects, including anatomy, hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, oral health, sleep, mental and emotional health and health careers. The resource will be a permanent fixture on the HealthWorks! website and is a great alternative for those who are not comfortable with physically visiting the museum at this time. The resources can be accessed at hwstl.org/health-resources/virtual-classroom/.

HealthWorks! Kids’ Museum St. Louis is located at 1100 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110. To learn more about the museum and its plan to reopen, visit www.hwstl.org, like the museum on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @healthworkskidsstl.