Point Ellice House Museum reopens some of its doors to visitors May 22 following closure as a result of the pandemic.
By appointment and donation, visits can be booked online for noon to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will have access to the museum’s ongoing “Springs and Scavengers” exhibit – which dives into Victoria’s 19th-century water and waste management systems – as well as the recently rehabilitated South Garden. The Point Ellice house itself will remain closed.
“By relaunching the exhibit for 2021, we hope to connect more visitors with the personal and political history of waste and water in Victoria,” said Kelly Black, Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens executive director. “Overall, we are excited to show people what we have been up to while the doors were closed, and we hope visitors will take away a renewed sense of just how important museums and heritage sites are in our communities.”
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Despite the new exhibit July 2020, Black said reduced hours and admission as a result of public health measures “made us question whether or not Point Ellice House would be able to reopen in 2021.” According to estimates from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), one in three museums around the world may close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Luckily, emergency funding and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers allowed us to remain working and pivot to online engagement,” Black said.
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