The Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home officially reopens to the public today! Heather Shores, Executive Director, says that the number of visitors will be limited to 10 people at a time. All visitors and staff will be required to wear a facial covering. In addition, Shores states that interactive elements have been removed from within the museum; visitors will instead be offered individually packaged activity sheets to complete at home.
The ultimate goal in re-opening the museum, a National Historic Landmark, is to balance access and safety, asserts Shores.
Hours will be tweaked a bit for the initial re-opening; they are set for 10 am until 4 pm each Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for students from kindergarten through college.
The Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home is one of a few private entities to be featured by the National Park Service as a site on the Trail of Tears. Major Ridge, who once lived where the museum now stands, was among the signers of the Treaty of New Echota in 1835 – that resulted in the forced relocation of the Cherokee people.
For more information about the museum, its history and programming, visit www.chieftainsmuseum.org or call (706) 291-9494.
The Rome Area History Center re-opened on Tuesday. For more information and schedule your visit, go to www.romeareahistorycenter.org. Admission is free of charge, though visitors must reserve a time to visit in advance.