HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere has been closed since the middle of March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has also forced the space museum to cut staff.
“The Cosmosphere, like many businesses across the country, has been impacted by COVID-19,” President Jim Remar said. “Unfortunately had to make the tough decision to permanently eliminate some positions as well as furlough many staff members.”
Remar says four positions were eliminated and the museum is working with a skeleton crew.
The museum, which is home to one of the most iconic collections of space artifacts including the Apollo 13 spacecraft, is still at work making sure those artifacts are safe.
“Our plant services manager is still there on a daily basis as well as our VP of exhibits,” Remar stated. “They’re monitoring the artifacts daily. Most of the museum is dark but the . . . air conditioning, heating and humidity controls are all functioning.”
The space museum is working to put as much virtual material on the web as possible so people can still enjoy the museum and its programming including Coffee at the Cos, which will be presented online April 16.