By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere will be reducing its hours after Labor Day.
"This is a new approach for us," said Mimi Meredith, Senior Vice President of Development and Chief Development Officer. "We're trying to control expenses and also to ensure that we're available during peak times of the year to our visitors."
Because of the pandemic, some of that peak attendance was missed in 2020.
"We were one day into spring break, which is our greatest revenue generator each year, when we had to close our doors." Meredith said. "Our generally very robust field trip season, we had none of that this year from schools throughout the region. We were closed from March 17 through May 22. That did impact us. Attendance has been off. We're at about 60% of where we normally would be. In addition, we had to cancel some pretty major fundraising events due to the pandemic."
The museum also eliminated seven staff positions and cut $1.2 million in expenses.
"Beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day, that's when our attendance generally falls off, the new hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," Meredith said.
For more information, please contact the Cosmosphere Box Office at (620) 665-9312.