More than six months after its “season opener” Ipswich Transport Museum is finally preparing to reopen to the public as lockdown restrictions ease further.
The museum in Cobham Road is hoping to open its doors again on Sunday, September 20 once work to install new signs and perspex screens has been completed – and once volunteers have been trained on how to open with social distancing.
MORE: Ipswich Transport Museum opens for the season in March (and hasn’t opened since)
Once it reopens, the museum will be operating under reduced hours until further notice: Sundays 11am to 4pm and Wednesdays 1pm to 4pm
The Museum will be operating under COVID-safe rules, including a one way system. Visitors will need to wear face masks, and helpful signs on the floor will remind people to stay socially distanced.
The number of visitors in the Museum at any one time will be carefully monitored and regulated, so there may be some queuing.
Hand sanitiser stations have been installed around the Museum, and the Museum will be deep-cleaned regularly to ensure everyone’s safety.
In order to maintain social distancing, visitors will not be allowed to board any of the vehicles, the children’s activity area is temporarily closed, and the Sunbeam Tea Room will not be operating for the time being. There will also be no special events for the foreseeable future. More of these options may become available in due course.
Extra staff will be in place to help visitors navigate this modified version of the Ipswich Transport Museum.
Museum chair Bob Mellor said: “Working in a COVID-safe way is a change for everyone and we will have to further modify things as we learn more, but we are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome visitors back to the Ipswich Transport Museum.
“We’ve used lockdown to make some important progress; we have repainted and overhauled our Commer Fire Engine, and we even installed solar panels on the Museum’s roof! We hope to see visitors old and new coming through our doors in September.
“I just want to thank our visitors, volunteers and supporters for their patience and understanding over the past six months. It has been a difficult time, but it is wonderful to finally be reopening the museum for everyone to enjoy.”
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