HILL AIR FORCE BASE After being closed for more than four months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Hill Aerospace Museum is set to reopen.
In a press release, Kendahl Johnson, with Hill Air Force Bases 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs office, said the museum will open Aug. 5 with modified hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. During the modified opening, there will be a maximum of 50 visitors allowed in each of the museums two indoor galleries.
Robb Alexander, executive director of the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah, said the museum has been closed since March 16, when the virus first began to surge in the United States. He said in addition to the visitor cap, several other precautionary measures will be taken. The museum will be equipped with signage directing people to maintain at least 6 feet distance from others. The museum has also received a large shipment of masks, which will be available to visitors.
Many volunteers who work daily at the museum are retired members of the military and older than 65-years-old. The latter group has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as at risk for more serious medical complications from COVID-19. Alexander said vinyl shields will be installed at all visitor stations.
Located on the northwest corner of Hill Air Force Base, about 5 miles south of Ogden, the museum opened in 1984 as a part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program. The museum moved to its current facility in 1991 and hosted its 5 millionth visitor in spring 2019. The museum has more than 70 aircraft on display in its two inside galleries and outside air park and features thousands of artifacts depicting the history of aviation and the U.S. Air Force. Located at 7961 Wardleigh Road, admission to the museum is free to the public.
The reopening is part a larger base shift to loosen coronavirus-related health restrictions, Johnson said, after a two-week downward trend in percentage of positive cases, both in the state and in surrounding counties. According to the Weber-Morgan Department of Health, there were 320 new coronavirus cases for the week ending July 25 93 fewer cases than was seen the week before.
The entire installation is currently in Health Protection Condition Bravo, which means there is a moderate threat of community transmission of the virus at Hill. For several weeks prior to the move to HPCON BRAVO, the base had been under a HPCON CHARLIE designation, which is the second-most restrictive health designation in the Department of Defense.
As part of the BRAVO posture, the base also plans to resume in-person chapel services on Aug. 8 but wont allow congregation-wide singing during services. Barber shop services also have been expanded, serving active-duty military members on a walk-in basis but requiring appointments for retirees and DOD civilians.
Base personnel are being instructed to continue adhering to guidance on social distancing, disinfection plans and face coverings, Johnson said, including no hand-shaking, frequent hand washing, cleaning of common-use items and wearing masks when social distancing isnt practical.
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Hill Aerospace Museum set to reopen in August - Standard-Examiner