Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum museum hosted more visitors last weekend than it had since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, even beating attendance numbers for the same (pre-pandemic) weekend last year.
“We were very pleased,” said Kim Hugo, director of marketing for the downtown institution. The attendance surge came as the museum maintains strict social-distancing protocols, requiring timed admissions, one-way traffic through galleries and limited capacity in the 60,000-square-foot space.
Due to response from the community, Hugo said, the museum also decided to extend its free-admission policy through Jan. 31. Tickets cost $15 before the pandemic.
The Wadsworth is one of many Hartford cultural institutions that hope to benefit from the Save Our Stages pandemic relief package, which is set to provide $15 billion in funds to keep pandemic-hit venues operating.
Wadsworth administrators have heard from many Hartford residents who have found the space a welcome respite from lockdowns, Hugo said.
“We’re always thrilled when people utilize the museum,” Hugo said. “It’s their museum.”