The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center will reopen its doors to the public on May 1.
The museum said safety measures include advanced online admission purchase, limited hours and capacity and enhanced hygiene protocols. For this phase of reopening, the Museum will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, with two visiting sessions per day at noon to 2 p.m., and 3 to 5 p.m. Face coverings are required for entry.
The museum is also offering a custom “Yogi Mask” for purchase in its shop.
The museum closed on March 13, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened in September and then closed again at Thanksgiving when community transmission rose.
Preparations for a safe reopening have taken place under the guidance of Sonny S. Patel, NIH Fogarty Global Health Scholar at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the museum said. Eve Schaenen, the museum’s executive director, said engaging Patel gave the Museum access to the most current scientific data and best practices to guide protocols to ensure everyone’s safety.
“Baseball is back, and so are we,” says Schaenen. “We’re so happy that we can welcome visitors in person again in a way that looks out for everyone’s health and well-being.”
In addition to enjoying the permanent collection of baseball artifacts centered on Yogi’s life and legacy, visitors to the museum can still take in “DISCOVER GREATNESS: An Illustrated History of Negro Leagues Baseball.” The exhibit, on loan from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, celebrates 2020’s 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues with 90 photographs and Negro League artifacts that tell the rich history of Black baseball from the late 1800s to the 1960s.
The museum’s interactive baseball experience, “PITCH!” will be open. One-time-use balls ensure safety as participants face off against an animated batter and catcher displayed on a video wall in the museum’s atrium to test their throwing speed and accuracy. “PITCH!” was the recipient of two major international design awards in the period that the Museum was closed: the Audio and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) AVX 2020 Award for “Best Individualized Experience,” and the 2020 A’ Design Award for “Interface and Interaction Design.”
The Museum will continue to offer virtual experiences for those unable to make the trip in person.
Tickets for admission can be purchased on the museum website.
— Information submitted to Montclair Local