Two St Albans museums reopened to the public this week when lockdown curbs eased.
Verulamium Museum and St Albans Museum + Gallery welcomed back visitors from Monday, May 17.
Under latest government guidelines, St Albans Museum + Gallery, its café, and gift shop will be able to open each day from 11am to 5pm.
Celebrating the city's Roman heritage, Verulamium Museum will be open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4.30pm, and 11am to 4.30pm on Saturdays.
Both sites have reopened with COVID-secure measures in place as per government guidelines.
This includes the need for all visitors to check-in on the NHS COVID-19 app when they arrive on site and to wear face coverings while indoors.
Councillor Anthony Rowlands, the council's portfolio holder for leisure, heritage and public realm, said: “I am so glad to see our museums reopening fully for visitors once again.
"It has been a difficult lockdown for so many and although there have been many digital outputs, there is nothing quite like experiencing heritage and culture in person.
“The team at St Albans Museums have worked hard to put together new exhibitions and to revamp much-loved displays across both sites.
"This is a moment of great joy and I hope everyone is as excited as I am to visit the museums once more.”
St Albans Museum + Gallery has reopened with some exciting new changes with three new exhibitions on display.
Behind the Mask, an exhibition in partnership with Trestle Theatre Company, is in the Keepers Galleries, celebrating 40 years of this innovative organisation.
Lockdown Life, displayed in the magnificent Assembly Room at St Albans Museum + Gallery until June 4, shares the creative, compassionate, and innovative ways the people of St Albans have responded to the challenges of living in lockdown.
And lastly, photographer Nic Madge’s Pandemic Portraits are displayed as a short film in the Timeline Gallery.
Presented as diptychs, this moving collection documents the impact of the pandemic on residents’ lives.
In the Weston Gallery, the interactive exhibition exploring the magical world of automata continues until June 27.
Perfect for a family day out, Cabaret Mechanical Marvels presents a collection of whimsical mechanical pieces, ready to delight the young and the young at heart.
To avoid disappointment, visitors for this exhibition are encouraged to book ahead via the museum website.
Those looking to visit Verulamium Museum are also encouraged to pre-book.
Visit www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/visit to plan a visit
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