The Children's Museum at Saratoga
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Where Learning and Play go Hand-in-Hand

6/7/21

Regarding the Governor’s Announcement

Late last week, the Governor issued a letter by state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker to the CDC regarding mask wearing in schools. This has caused some confusion for people as they enter our building. At this time The Children’s Museum at Saratoga is not planning to change our requirement that everyone two and older wear a mask while at the Museum. As of today there has been no change to the guidelines for institutions like ours. As soon as the guidelines are updated/changed we will share that with you.

Thank you for your understanding. We can’t wait to see the smiles on our little friends faces, but we want to be safe and do the right thing.

 

5/19/21

Updated Mask Policy

With the recent lift of the mask mandate, we at The Museum felt it was time to update and clarify our policy on mask wearing while in The Museum. It is our continued mission to provide a fun and engaging environment for your children to play while also taking into account the safety of all our guests and staff. We are closely monitoring the guidelines used within the school districts we serve and will serve as the basis for our decisions. Currently, students are required to wear masks while in school and as such we will continue to require our guests over the age of 2 to wear a mask while in The Museum and during Museum programs. We thank you for you patience and cooperation as we continue to navigate this sensitive topic.

5/13/20

If you love our museum, please consider making a contribution-

Our staff have been working tirelessly to make sure that although our visitors are not able to attend the museum that the museum still provides resources to our community. The museum will be a part in the healing of our community. Throughout history, people have gathered in community spaces to process social, cultural and world events. The Children’s Museum at Saratoga will be here to help children thrive in the new “normal”. We may not be able gather physically, but we be here to help provide entertainment, education and discovery.

The staff and board are planning some changes to the museum to make our facility safer for you. When we get closer to opening we will communicate any and all changes that we have made to the museum. In the meantime, we are trying to raise the funds to pay for the changes that will need to be made to the museum before we open.

The Children’s Museum at Saratoga relies for its funding on the people who attend the museum. More than sixty percent of our operating budget is earned revenue. People pay admission, buy things from the store, hold birthday parties and contract for educational programs. Right now we have none of our earned revenue but all of our fixed costs. We are still paying our mortgage and our staff. Without the support of our community we will have to make further reduction in staff hours. We do not receive local, state or federal funding. So how can you help?

Please share our emails and posts on social media with your friends

Send us photos of you or your children at the Museum

Share your stories of what you remember or value most about the museum

Write a review of our museum

Donate if you can!

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3/29/20

COVID – 19 Impact Update

Dear Museum Family,

At the Children’s Museum at Saratoga our administrative offices are in the basement. Everyday I hear the thunder of little feet as they “walk” through the museum. I hear tiny voices shrieking with joy as they come into the museum, and sometimes hear their cries as they head out the door. 

All of us at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga miss seeing the children, talking to them, and teaching them. We miss talking to you about the things that you are working on with your children at home or at school.

We miss all of our visitors, but we especially miss our members. Membership helps support the museum year round. In recognition of the role that members play we are extending all memberships by the amount of time we are closed. This will apply to any new members if you choose to join during this time.  

I want to share what we are working on during this time when the museum is closed. We are planning some changes to a few of our exhibitions. We will use these plans to raise the funds needed to make these changes.  Plans include transforming a portion of our upper lot to a playground area and updating the grocery market on the second floor.  

We are continuing to provide online education during this closure; check out our facebook page for art projects and story time with Miss Jess!  Please let us know how you are doing, how we can help, and what other kinds of programs and content you would like to see from us. Museum staff is working Monday thru Friday during normal Museum hours. Contact us via email- info@cmssny.org for general queries, or reach out to me directly at ssmith@cmssny.org

Sarah Smith

Executive Director

3/9/19

In regard to recent global concerns:

 
At The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, the well-being of our visitors and members is always our first priority. As a children’s museum, we take great care to ensure the cleanliness of our space and train our staff on the practices and procedures that lead to healthy and happy communities—today and every day.
 
Still, in light of concerns related to the recent coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to take this opportunity to address the health and safety measures we are taking to protect the health of our visitors, both big and small. 
 
 1. We are committed to following public policy. The Children’s Museum at Saratoga adheres to the safety procedures and protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the Association of Children’s Museums. We are also working closely with our community partners to stay informed and adopt best practices where appropriate. 
 
2. We invest in cleanliness. Your safety inside our Museum is always our top priority. Our day-to-day cleaning procedures are very comprehensive given the nature of our space. Our team cleans exhibit toys and props throughout the day, and all parts of the Museum undergo a deep and thorough cleaning after our doors close each night. This is our practice every day at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, not just during flu season or when illnesses affect our community.
 
3. We promote personal steps to reduce the spread of germs. We know that washing your hands regularly and properly is one of the number one ways you can prevent the spread of germs or flu. Therefore, we have signs in all bathrooms reminding our visitors and staff to wash their hands, and we have alcohol-based hand sanitizers stations on both floors of the Museum. And, as always, we remind all visitors and staff that the best way to prevent the spread of germs is to stay home if they are feeling unwell. 
 
We will always put the safety of our visitors first, and will communicate any updates via email, website and social media. 
 
On behalf of all of us at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga, we thank you for being a part of our community. We hope to see you at the Museum soon. 
 
Respectfully,
 

Sarah Smith

Executive Director