On Memorial Day, National World War II Museum Reopens After Laying Off Nearly A Third Of Staff

TOPLINE

The National World War II Museum reopened its doors to a limited crowd on Monday — Memorial Day — and with a limited staff, after announcing just days ago it was eliminating nearly a third of its workforce as it, like many museums, finds ways to deal with a significant loss of revenue because of coronavirus restrictions.

KEY FACTS

The Smithsonian-affiliated New Orleans museum opened its doors Monday, allowing for 25% of its normal capacity — just days after it laid off 82 of its staff of around 300, while eliminating around 40 vacant positions and asking some remaining staff to take pay cuts of up to 25%.

The World War II Museum is among many prominent museums that have already had to take the step of making layoffs, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and American Museum of Natural History among the names that have announced staffing cuts.

Visitation for the next fiscal year at the World War II Museum, which begins July 1, is now expected to be less than half of what was originally forecast, WWL-TV reported.

Museums have collectively been losing an estimated $33 million per day because of coronavirus shutdowns, according to the American Alliance of Museums, leading to some institutions considering taking draws from their endowments.

Some of the most well-known American museums will continue to remain closed for the foreseeable future, with Washington D.C. and New York City still under stay-at-home orders.

KEY BACKGROUND

While most museums are nonprofit organizations that receive some funding through grants and donations, the vast majority of revenue comes from entry fees, event rentals and retail sales. 

Memorial Day, for instance, typically draws huge crowds to the World War II Museum, with its event spaces being used throughout the day. The museum was able to open Monday for the first time since March 14, as New Orleans is now allowing museums to open at a limited capacity as part of its Phase 1 reopening. 

BIG NUMBER

About 300,000 — That’s how many U.S. World War II veterans are still living, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

TANGENT

As the physical doors to museums have been closed due to coronavirus, some decided to open up by offering virtual tours — with Google GOOGL searches for the term “virtual tour” rising almost eightfold from February into March. Notable museums offering virtual tours include the Louvre, the Guggenheim and London’s National Gallery. Virtual visitors now also have the option of taking a look at landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Great Wall of China, or even take a trip to Disney World.

FURTHER READING

World War II Museum lays off 82 employees days before reopening (WWL-TV)

Should museums and other arts groups draw on endowments to prevent layoffs? (Los Angeles Times)

Ranked: The World’s 15 Best Virtual Tours To Take During Coronavirus (Forbes)