Updated on April 21, 2020
Dear Members, Supporters, and Friends of the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve:
As we all continue to closely monitor news surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we at the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences would like to reassure you that our commitment to the health and well-being of our guests and community members remains at the center of all we do.
The Buffalo Museum of Science and the Darling Environmental Education Center at Tifft Nature Preserve are temporarily closed. We believe this closing is in the best interest of our guests and community at large. It is important to note that there are no known cases of COVID-19 at the Museum or Tifft Nature Preserve.
As the situation evolves we will continue to follow directives issued by the CDC and government officials. You can check the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve websites, as well as the Museum and Tifft Facebook pages for updates.
Here is some important information you should know during our temporary closing.
- In response to our temporary closure, the Museum will extend new and existing memberships to fulfill our 12-month commitment to you. Regardless of whether we are closed for two weeks or two months, we will extend your membership by that amount of time based on our reopening date.
- We have canceled all programs, camps and events scheduled to take place between March 14 and May 15, 2020, including scheduled viewings of the Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition. You will be contacted with information and/or instructions regarding your ticketing options. Please understand that due to limited staffing and capacity it may take several weeks to process refund requests.
- The Museum and Tifft have launched new virtual ways to engage with the community as part of our commitment to carrying our mission forward despite our temporary closure. Follow our social channels for the Museum and Tifft for Virtual Science Fair activities on weekdays and Virtual Museum Tours on weekends.
- The trails at Tifft are currently open, but restrooms in the Environmental Education Center will not be accessible during the temporary closure. We appreciate our guests’ understanding that during the closing we will maintain our policy that pets are not allowed on the Preserve. We also ask that anyone visiting Tifft to take proactive measures to minimize the spread of illness during your visit by maintaining social distancing and following other important guidelines provided at https://parks.ny.gov/covid19/.
Lastly, we want you to know that we, along with other area arts and cultural organizations, need your support to continue advancing our mission. Admission, membership and event proceeds are critical to the Museum and Tifft’s ability to serve our community members and schools. Please consider ordering or renewing your membership during this time, or making a donation to the Buffalo Museum of Science or Tifft Nature Preserve to support our efforts to elevate science literacy in our community.
Our hearts are with all who are impacted by COVID-19 and we are committed to doing our part in preventing the spread of this virus. For updates and complete guidelines on preventing the spread of COVID-19, please visit the CDC website at CDC.gov.
We look forward to having you back to the Museum and Tifft again soon.
