Liberty Science Center In Jersey City To Reopen, With Distancing

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, the largest interactive science center in the New York metropolitan area, will reopen to the public over the three days of Labor Day weekend — but don't expect kids to be able to touch all of the exhibits.

The center will now include new coronavirus precautions such as mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, and "low-touch" and "no touch" activities.

The facility houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, and teacher-development programs.

The opening days will be Sept. 5 through Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., following an exclusive members-only preview day on Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

They have rotating exhibits, which in the past have included topics such as the human body and dinosaurs.

Here are some of the coronavirus precautions that will be in place:

• Increased daily disinfecting and sanitizing, with special attention paid to highly trafficked areas and high-touch surfaces throughout the building and exhibits.
• Visitors will need to wear face coverings.
• They will need to maintain social distancing practices of 6 feet or more from other individuals.
• A release noted: "Some exhibits will be altered, and others removed to comply with COVID-19 safety measures, and guests can expect some engaging new additions to the Science Center’s exhibits and programming."
• CEO and President Paul Hoffman said, “We’ll be offering terrific no-touch, low-touch, and minds-on science experiences. I can’t wait to reopen and personally greet members and visitors.”

LSC already has been offering live virtual programs throughout the summer, from planetarium shows to visits with some of the Center’s 110 species of animals. Find it at LSC.org/inthehouse.

“LSC’s mission—to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers—is more urgent than ever," said Hoffman. "We need to encourage kids who will grow up to cure diseases, discover distant planets, create life-changing technologies, and lead us to a brighter future."

Admission tickets are on sale via LSC.org and will be limited to less than 25 percent capacity to allow for appropriate physical distancing.

The facility will announce more about its upcoming features later this month, so watch Patch for an update.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center is a 300,000-square-foot not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty.

More than 250,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s off-site and online programs. It welcomes more than 750,000 visitors annually.

There is parking at the park, but it's also reachable from the Liberty State Park stop on the Hudson-Bergen light rail, which connects with PATH train stations in Jersey City and Hoboken.

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