New hours, new ticketing procedures part of enhanced visitor experience at beloved National Historic Landmark
General Admission Tickets will be available for purchase starting on Tuesday, June 2 at 10 a.m.
PALM BEACH, FL - The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, located at One Whitehall Way in Palm Beach, is pleased to announce it will reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, after a brief closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitehall, the expansive 75-room mansion built by Henry Flagler in 1902, has stood witness to many historic moments in its 118 years and the Flagler Museum plans to reopen its doors in celebration of the timelessness of this National Historic Landmark overlooking Lake Worth.
"We are proud of our strong reputation as a pristine and beautifully-maintained institution, which has stood the test of time as a symbol of history and accomplishment," said Erin Manning, the Flagler Museum's Executive Director. "During this period of closure, we have identified a new purpose — to provide safe spaces for our community to enjoy and learn and connect. We're excited to be reopening our historic gates and vast indoor and outdoor spaces. Our steadfast and devoted team started to plan our reopening the moment we closed on March 17th, knowing that our existence is dependent on being open to visitors from both around the corner and around the world."
"A crucial part of our new visitor experience is being mindful of pathways and social distancing guidelines intended to provide safety for all," said Member and Visitor Services Director Allison Goff. "While the nature of a historic house museum generally comes with a gentle 'don't touch' request, additional protocols have been put in place to ensure the safety of both our visitors and our staff."
The Museum is following guidelines from the Office of the Governor, Palm Beach County and the Town of Palm Beach, as well as safety mandates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to inform its enhanced procedures.
Operating Hours
To manage traffic flow and ensure the safety of visitors, the Museum has modified its hours of operation. Open hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice.
New Ticketing Procedures
To ensure appropriate social distancing and crowd control throughout the day, as well as the safety of the Museum staff, the Museum is implementing new ticketing procedures. All visitors will be required to pre-purchase General Admission tickets using a credit card or PayPal, and will be limited to four (4) tickets per purchase. Walk-up ticket sales will not be permitted until further notice. The Museum is also adopting timed entry. All visitors will be required to choose their entry date and time when pre-purchasing General Admission tickets. The Museum requests all visitors plan to arrive as close to their entry time as possible.
Museum Members at all levels will continue to enjoy unlimited free admission to the Museum as a benefit of membership, but will also be required to reserve their admission date and time in advance. The same rule applies to those holding complimentary Tour Passes to the Museum.
Visitors, Tour Pass holders and Museum Members may pre-purchase tickets online by visiting http://www.flaglermuseum.us. For those who are unable to purchase tickets online or who do not have an email address to receive electronic tickets, please call the Museum at (561) 655-2833 ext. 10 for assistance. General Admission tickets will be available for advance purchase starting on Tuesday, June 2nd at 10 a.m.
Visitor Experience and Tour Options
As part of the Museum's new protocols, visitors (both children and adults) touring the property will now be required to follow a one-way, fixed route, starting with a contactless point of entry. Due to social distancing guidelines, group and docent-led tours have been replaced with self-guided tour options. Visitors may choose either a paper brochure to read as they go through the Museum, or listen to a narrated tour on their own personal device by downloading the free Flagler Museum App. Complimentary earbuds will be provided if guests arrive without their own, and free Wi-Fi is available. For children, the Museum offers a printed "Tour and Activity Guide for Kids" with their admission.
As it was before the closure, the visitor experience will continue to include the first and second floors of Whitehall, its grounds and the Flagler Kenan Pavilion, which houses Flagler's Railcar No. 91. The Exhibition Gallery on the second floor will also be open, as the Museum's Winter Exhibition, Walk This Way: Historic Footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection, has been extended until further notice. The exhibition, organized by the New-York Historical Society, explores how shoes have transcended their utilitarian purpose to become representations of culture — coveted as objects of desire, designed with artistic consideration, and expressing complicated meanings of femininity, power, and aspiration for women and men alike.
The Museum is accessible to all individuals, including those using wheelchairs and assistive devices.
Public Safety Protections
The Museum is requiring all visitors over the age of 2 to bring their own mask or face covering, which will be required for entry.
Masks or face coverings must be worn at all times by all visitors as well as Museum staff members while on the Museum's property.
Visitors will practice safe social distancing of 6 feet while in the presence of others.
In addition to the Museum’s standard cleaning procedures, new measures to ensure sanitizing on a repetitive basis have been put in place for all high-touch surfaces. All restrooms have been modified to accommodate just one person at a time to ensure social distancing and sanitary conditions. Hand-sanitizing stations have been strategically placed throughout the Museum, including at points of entry and outside restrooms.
Socially-distanced Shopping at the Museum Store
For the comfort of our visitors, the Museum Store is now located in the vast West Room for those who are interested in socially distanced, touch-free shopping. Merchandise will be on display, and Museum Store staff will be assisting shoppers with fulfillment and purchases. Credit cards only; cash will not be accepted until further notice.
“The Museum team is mindful of the suffering that has gone on across our nation and the world during this pandemic," said Manning. "We are grateful for the opportunity to reopen and look forward to welcoming all those who are ready to return, now or in the future. We will be here.”
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The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
When it was completed in 1902, Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was hailed by the New York Herald as “more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world.” Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, featuring changing exhibitions and special programs. The Museum is located at One Whitehall Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480.
Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for youth ages 13-17, $3 for children ages 6-12, and children under age 6 are free.
For more information, please call the Flagler Museum at (561) 655-2833 or visit www.flaglermuseum.us.
The Museum is funded in part by Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
CONTACT:
Lauren Perry, Public Affairs Director
Ph: (561) 655-2833 ext. 13
E: publicaffairsdirector@flaglermuseum.us