Mahoning Valley Historical Society closing for safety through the holidays

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Historical Society announced the Tyler History Center will close to the public starting Friday, due to increased concern over the local spread of COVID-19.

The center will remain closed "until further notice," according to a Thursday afternoon release. The Arms Family Museum along Wick Avenue closed for the holiday season on Monday.

The release notes none of the society or center staff have contracted coronavirus.

"It's increasingly clear that we must minimize the risk of exposure at our facilities for visitors and staff, given the turn of the virus with a new wave of cases and deaths," said William Lawson, society executive director. "MVHS has been working hard to safely implement in-person shopping and displays for the holidays but we will now rethink those plans. Our online holiday programming will not change at this time."

A members-only preview scheduled for Saturday and Sunday has been canceled. All Tyler History Center rentals have also been canceled through next March.

For more information, visit MahoningHistory.org. Those with questions about the society's health policies, facility security or event scheduling can reach communications Manager Dave Ragan at 330-743-2589 ext. 122 or dragan@mahoninghistory.org.

Society facilities previously closed March 14 during the first surge of COVID-19.

Both the Tyler History Center and the Arms Family Museum reopened in the summer with limited hours of operation and new safety measures such as mandatory face coverings, social distancing and visitor wellness checks.

This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Mahoning Valley Historical Society closing for safety through the holidays."