Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium will reopen to the public on July 8. They are working hard to assure visitors that they will have a safe and fun experience. However, it will feel different from your past visits. We appreciate your support as we adapt with science-driven practices that will help keep our community safe. The Family Play Area at Sloan will remain closed until the State of Michigan allows indoor play spaces to open.
Sloan Museum at Courtland Center Hours
- Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun. (Closed Mon & Tuesday)
- Ticket time 12-2pm.
- Closed for cleaning: 2-3pm.
- Ticket Time: 3-4:30pm.
Timed entry tickets for a two-hour visit will ensure social distancing at less than 20 percent capacity. Capacity will be limited to 50 visitors per ticket time. The museum will be closed for an hour of cleaning between ticket times.
Longway Planetarium Showtimes
- Doors open for tickets at 11:30am. Closed Mon. and Tues.
- Showtimes Thurs., Fri., Sat., 6pm and 7:30pm.
Capacity will be limited to 20 visitors per showtime. Each show lasts 45 minutes and closed for 45 minutes of cleaning after each show.
Following CDC, state and local authorities’ guidelines, listed below are some of the changes you can expect.
Wear your mask.
Remember to keep yourself and others safe by wearing your mask. Adults, children age two and up, and staff must wear masks that cover the nose and mouth to enter. You can bring your own mask or purchase at the ticket counter for $1 each. We understand that mask-wearing can be difficult for children. We encourage you to gently remind your children to keep their masks on when they forget. Mask-wearing is required throughout your visit.
Buy tickets in advance. Tickets will go on sale June 29
We encourage you to reserve your tickets online before you visit the museum and planetarium. Online ticket reservations help us provide touchless entry; therefore, online transaction fees are waived. You can still reserve tickets in person, but ticket times may sell out due to limited capacity.
Play safe
Hand sanitizer will be available upon entry and throughout the space. When you arrive, please be ready to present your receipt on your mobile device or print your ticket. Staff will request your email address for contact tracing purposes. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and visit us when you’re feeling better.
Our robust cleaning practice have leveled up!
We will close for an hour each day at Sloan Museum so our cleaning crew can disinfect surfaces, hands-on components, and “high touch” areas, especially in the exhibits. Longway Planetarium will be disinfected between shows. At Longway Planetarium, we are installing UV filtration in our HVAC systems and adding filtration to the Mars room and back offices. Sloan Museum at Courtland is upgrading HVAC to MERV 10 Filters.
Gift Shop
The gift shops will be open Wednesday through Sunday. Take science and history home with you with learning toys and memorabilia from our gift shops.
Virtual Learning Continues
If you cannot or do not wish to visit us during our first days back, we completely understand and look forward to welcoming you when you feel comfortable returning. In the meantime, keep visiting, connecting, and learning with us on social media. So far, our educators have produced over 50 videos presenting hands-on science activities and backyard astronomy tips you can try at home. You can find all of our content on Facebook. While we keep in-person capacity low, we will continue to present to present First Fridays and Second Saturday Trivia Nights on Facebook Live.
