Thinkery’s Health and Safety Guidelines

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Thinkery remains focused on the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and community.

Thinkery’s health and safety policies incorporate the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Austin Public Health (APH) to ensure our museum remains a safe, clean, and healthy place to play and learn. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have adopted a number of enhanced health and safety measures to help promote the safety of our guests and staff.

Please read carefully as these guidelines are very important and MUST be adhered to throughout your visit. 

Guests who are unable or unwilling to follow these guidelines will be asked to reschedule their visit for a later date, when these safety measures are no longer in place.

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Masks are required for all guests age 2+

Per CDC guidelines, all staff and visitors ages 2+ MUST wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth to enter the Museum. Face masks may be removed when drinking water, but must be replaced immediately.

Scarves, bandanas, gaiters, and masks with vents are not permitted.

We ask that you practice mask-wearing with your young child at home to help ensure their comfort and compliance when they visit.

Guests who do not follow the above guidelines will be asked to leave or reschedule their visit for a later date when the measures are no longer in place. 

Why doesn’t Thinkery allow exceptions to the mask requirement?

Thinkery is, and has always been, committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for children of all ages and abilities.

In creating our masking policy, we had to consider its impact on all of our constituent communities – including special needs visitors and the immunocompromised.

Our mask policy aligns with guidance from Austin Public Health and the CDC. We realize that this policy affects each family differently. We have no desire to create barriers for anyone – only to protect everyone as best we can.

During this ongoing and still dangerous public health emergency, it’s important to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable children above all else. The science is unambiguous; masks, particularly in crowded indoor settings, offer substantial protection. For unvaccinated children, it is currently their only protection.

We look forward to the day that we can once again greet our guests mask-free, and see the smiles on kids’ faces as they explore and play in our galleries. Until then, if you or any member of your group are unable or unwilling to observe the mask requirements, we ask that you delay your visit until those rules are lifted.

Please maintain social distancing whenever possible while inside the museum

We are limiting capacity for all General Admission and Baby Bloomer’s sessions to prevent overcrowding and promote appropriate social distancing throughout our galleries.

Even at reduced capacity, there may be periods where certain exhibits or galleries are crowded. Staff may temporarily limit access at those times to minimize contact between groups.

All guests and staff will have a wellness check before entering the Museum.

• The wellness check consists of two COVID-19 related questions. 
• Anyone who answers “Yes” to the wellness questions will not be allowed to visit the Museum.  
• Contact our reservations team to exchange your tickets to visit another time.

Ticketing and check-in

• A limited number of walk-up tickets will be held for each session, but guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance (Members are also asked to reserve their tickets online in advance)
• Credit/debit cards are preferred, and cash is discouraged at this time

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We need your help to keep Thinkery a safe, fun place to play and learn!

We’re doing our part to keep our community healthy and safe from COVID-19 and other illnesses. There are additional steps that YOU can take to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses.

If someone in your group is sick, please visit us some other time

For the health and safety of all our guests, we ask that any child or adult with an elevated temperature or an illness that may be contagious (such as pink eye, a cold, or the flu) not visit Thinkery until they are fully recovered.

A good rule of thumb: if you’re too sick to go to school (or work), you should plan to visit Thinkery another time.

Be proactive! Take simple steps to protect your child.

• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. It takes 15-20 seconds to get them clean enough.
• Avoid touching a person who is obviously sick.
• Avoid touching your own eyes and face (viruses can transmit from our hands into our bodies).
• Please cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Remember to cough and sneeze into your elbow (the “vampire sneeze“) or into a tissue, not into your hand.
• Get your flu vaccine every year.

Thinkery strongly supports the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that all children receive vaccinations. We request—but do not require—that Thinkery guests are vaccinated for MMR and other transmittable diseases, including COVID-19 (as available); proof of vaccination is not needed to gain entry.

Thinkery does all we can to prevent illness and to maintain a clean, safe learning environment. This includes an ongoing, thorough cleaning of museum and gallery components.

There is no 100% effective way to prevent illnesses, but we can all take steps to minimize risk and spreading germs. If you see an area or object that requires cleaning or attention, please notify Thinkery staff.