The National Museum of the Marine Corps (NMMC) will reopen to the public on Monday, May 17, after a temporary closure related to the coronavirus. The museum team is excited to welcome visitors while taking great care to ensure the wellbeing of visitors, volunteers, and staff.
Face coverings must be worn by all visitors over the age of six, and are highly recommended for children between the ages of two to six. All staff and volunteers are also required to wear face coverings and will be walking throughout the Museum to answer questions and ensure proper social distancing.
Proper social distancing, according to the CDC, is six feet from those outside one’s immediate group. If a gallery or exhibit area is crowded, visitors are encouraged to return to that area when it’s less crowded.
To ensure the safety of our visitors, volunteers, and staff, the museum will limit capacity. Once the safe capacity is reached, visitors will need to wait until others exit. While waiting, visitors may enjoy a walk through the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park with its monuments which honor Marine Corps organizations and those who served in them.
Hand sanitation stations are positioned throughout the Museum and visitors are encouraged to use them often. The restrooms are cleaned regularly throughout the day, ensuring that soap dispensers are always filled and high touch areas are disinfected. Water fountains are turned off but visitors may bring in an unopened, clear 20-ounce water bottle.
Some areas of the Museum are temporarily closed for the safety of visitors. Touch screens will be available but some other interactives will remain closed for now. The Children’s Gallery is currently closed.
Visitors will also see the progress being made on the Final Phase project. While the completion of these galleries is a few years away, visitors can now see macro artifacts in place, walls going up and, soon, work on the exhibit fabrication. These new galleries will take visitors to Somalia, Beirut, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and into Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scuttlebutt Theater, Tun Tavern, the Medal of Honor Theater, and the gift shop will be open to visitors as well.
