After a year of closings, cancellations, postponements and pivots, we reflect on how quickly everyday life changed. And as vaccines bring a dose of optimism, we look to the future for the arts and entertainment community in St. Louis.
How it started • In early March 2020, museums and attractions in St. Louis braced themselves for a busy spring break season. The Missouri Botanical Garden rolled out its green carpet for oversized “Origami In the Garden†sculptures. The St. Louis Zoo even got its Zooline Railroad up and chugging again after a winter closure due to track replacements.
Nearly all venues had signed up kids for summer camps and programming. But the coronavirus closed nearly all places for months and sent staffers scrambling.
Like most attractions with touchable surfaces, City Museum in St. Louis has stepped up cleaning practices during the pandemic.
How it’s going • For attractions that pride themselves on telling visitors to “please touch,†museums and other attractions had to take a hard look at nearly every part of their operations. Many kept volunteers at home, laid off some staff, came up with online ticketing systems, posted “do not touch†signs, and organized Facebook Live broadcasts of sloth feedings, snowflake cutting and science experiments.
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All the while coming up with health and safety plans for reopening for what should have been a robust summer.
“There was never a time where we’ve had to lead with so much uncertainty,†said St. Louis Zoo director Michael Macek, who has worked at the zoo for 30 years.
He called the decision to close the beloved Emerson Children’s Zoo the most difficult of his career, but did so largely because of its hands-on elements. The zoo spent $100,000 on plexiglass alone, about two-thirds of which was installed in between rows of seats on the Zooline Railroad.
The Emerson Children’s Zoo at the St. Louis Zoo closes for good at the end of the day on Oct. 31, 2020. Many of its attractions have been limited or unavailable because of the pandemic. Reporter Valerie Schremp Hahn takes a final walk though the children’s zoo, which first opened in 1969. A dinosaur exhibit will open in the space in spring 2021.
The Magic House in Kirkwood relied on its creative minds to come up with socially distant summer camps, private playtimes and other ways to attract families while making them feel safer.
Its Backyard Beach attraction was extended, and outdoor space became a fun venue for celebration and playtime during Halloween, the holidays and now springtime. The Magic House built up its virtual field trip program and has made virtual visits to classrooms across the country.
Beth Fitzgerald, director of the Magic House, said that a staff member mentioned that it takes a lot of pressure to create a diamond, which employees felt keenly over the past year. “If we wouldn’t have been under this kind of pressure, we wouldn’t have created these opportunities that are going to stick with us,†she said.
Social distancing and signs are in place at the St. Louis Zoo to protect others during the coronavirus pandemic.Â
Where it’s headed • Leaders of St. Louis-area attractions and museums continue to follow health directives and listen to visitors. They think masks are here to stay for a while and are prepared to welcome reduced crowds. They’ve set modest budgets and know to plan a few months, not a year, in advance. The Missouri Botanical Garden plans to open “Origami In the Garden†next month after a year delay.
The St. Louis Science Center will continue to grow its virtual offerings. It launched Science @ Home, which included virtual star shows and science demonstrations, and reimagined member events as virtual experiences. “We know that even as people get increasingly comfortable with visiting places like the science center, virtual content will continue to be crucial to igniting excitement about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics),†Todd Bastean, president and CEO, wrote in an email.
City Museum downtown, which has long prided itself as an independent, non-museum, found itself talking to other attractions to get advice on things like ticketing systems and sanitizing. Museum director Rick Erwin remembers hopping on a conference call with a museum association. “They’re like, ‘Why are you on this call?’†he said. “Because, just like you, we don’t know what to do.â€
He sees City Museum keeping up its expanded virtual offerings and is ready to open more tunnels — literally — as soon as the city and visitors are ready.
“I don’t know that there’s an end of the tunnel, but there’s a light,†he said. “It may be a very small, faint one, but it’s there.â€
The Magic House remains open during the pandemic with precautions in place like hand sanitizer stations, directional markings and bins for used toys and other materials.
