Our Steady Path Toward Full Reopening

Happening Now…

We are excited to be offering seasonal programming in our open-air waterfront pavilion:

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is in full swing on Monday afternoons, May-October, from 3-6:30 pm.  This family friendly farmers market operates rain or shine and accepts SNAP/EBT and WIC/FMNP checks. Free onsite parking is available.

Outdoor Pop-up Museum Experiences are being offered through the summer months on a variety of topics from science to art and food. Pre-registration is required.

When Will the Main Building Reopen?

The current plan is for MHCM to reopen in late March 2022.

While we are closed, we are using the time to re-imagine the Museum and our exhibit and program experiences.  We are exploring ways to expand the age range of the children we serve and are planning new exhibit experiences for older children and new offerings in STEM.

As we move forward with these plans, we must also remain ever-mindful of COVID-19 and the changing course of the pandemic.

The health, wellness and safety of our guests, members, volunteers and staff are always our top priority.  As a high-touch, close-contact, and cozy children’s museum that typically welcomes 80,000 visitors per year from 47 states and 13 countries, we need to be absolutely sure we can operate safely as well as in a manner that is financially viable.

Until (and after) we reopen, we will continue to monitor and adhere to updated New York State and CDC operational requirements and/or recommendations for COVID-19 safety, including mask mandates, social-distancing and occupancy limits, proof of vaccination requirements, and/or additional safety precautions that may arise.

Museum Membership During COVID-19

Please note that all active MHCM memberships were frozen on March 15, 2020 – the date we closed – and will be unfrozen when we reopen.  This ensures that all MHCM members retain the balance of time and benefits remaining on their membership once we are able to welcome you and your little ones back inside the museum.

Members with frozen memberships still qualify for the member pricing on our outdoor summer programs.

Due to our closure, we have had to pause our participation in ACM and ASTC reciprocal programs since we are unable to welcome members from other participating museums.  Upon reopening, we will be rejoining these programs.