One of our favorite places to visit locally is the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS). As with everything, COVID-19 changed the approach of museums across the country, including our own. We visited MOAS to check out our favorite exhibits and to explore some new ones. One thing is for sure, although our mouths were covered by a mask, MOAS was still able to open our eyes to everything it has to offer. Here is everything you need to know for visiting MOAS during the COVID-19 era.
What To Expect
MOAS is open and welcoming visitors with normal business hours. To offset the spread of COVID-19, MOAS adopted COVID-19 Guidelines to keep the museum open safely for everyone. However, the HoneyBaked Ham Cafe is temporarily closed.
Keeping Our Distance Was Easy
If you haven’t been before, rest assured that MOAS is a large museum with plenty of space that makes it easy to keep your distance from other guests while being able to enjoy all exhibits.
MOAS Follows The City Of Daytona Beach Mask Policy
MOAS follows the guidelines of the City of Daytona Beach which requires that face masks be worn indoors when social distancing is not possible. MOAS asks that all visitors wear a mask during your visit.
The Admission Line Is Clearly Marked
When you visit the front desk to pay for admission, there are clear markings on the floor to help visitors to keep a safe distance.
If You Are Sick, Stay Home
The museum asks that if you are sick, have flu-like symptoms, or have been in contact with someone with those symptoms in the last 14 days, to stay home.
What To See
The Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum
We were thrilled to learn the Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum is back open to the public with several new adjustments. Every morning before the Museum opens the Children’s Museum is disinfected. It is maintained and cleaned throughout the day with another full disinfecting mid-way through the day. There are new hand sanitizing stations with signation with reminders to wash your hands between each activity. There is more space between exhibits to allow for more distancing which also ensures that everything out on the floor can be easily disinfected.
The Giant Sloth
We can’t visit the museum without seeing the giant sloth in the Prehistory of Florida Gallery. Its massive skeleton always inspires fun conversation with my three-year-old. However, lately he is into bugs so we spend significant time exploring the preserved insects and butterflies encasing located in the hallway leading to the sloth. During our latest visit, I learned the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly (from my son).
Tuscawilla Preserve Nature Trail
Another great way to enjoy the museum is to walk through the Tuscawilla Preserve Nature Trail. Mere steps from the entrance and you are immediately immersed in nature – leaving concrete and covid behind. My son loves seeing the different creatures roaming around, but by far his favorite is the “green lake monster” or as most people call it, the duckweed pond.
Current Temporary Exhibits
In addition to the usual favorites, we love exploring the current temporary exhibits. We visited the Beneath The Waves of Wonder exhibit and my little one explored some of his favorite sea creatures.
Enjoy The Virtual MOAS Experience
If you don’t feel comfortable visiting the museum in person, you can still enjoy and connect with the museum from home through its online platforms. MOAS now offers, and has been offering during the pandemic, live star shows, tours, talks, and other activities through their social media pages.
