Winterthur will take 5 week winter break
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
By: Stephanie Aldrich
saldrich@whyy.org
A Delaware destination that boasts nearly 170,000 visitors per year will shut down it's main attractions for five weeks this winter.
Winterthur's museum, galleries, visitors center, retail stores and cafeteria will all shut down from February 1 until March 8.
Winterthur spokesperson Victoria Saltzman says the winter shutdown is a way to streamline costs and hunker down on maintenance projects all at once, so areas don't have to periodically shut down while people are visiting.
"All cultural institutions these days are being tasked with the economy and the difficulties juggling the various considerations that go with keeping your doors open all the time," Victoria Saltzman, Winterthur's senior communications manager, said.
"We are really trying to look at Winterthur's programming in a different way. This allows us to focus on a seasonal approach while we are able to maximize those few weeks that we're closed to do a lot of work that's normally done throughout the course of the year."
Saltzman emphasized no employees would be laid off during the break. The savings come with cutting down on the costs of keeping a 175 room mansion open in the winter, at a time when the number of visitors drops sharply.
During it's busiest month in December with it's "Yuletide at Winterthur" event, 1,200 to 1,300 guests visit each day. In February it's more like 1,200 per month.
Members can still walk the grounds from dawn until dusk as usual. The library will also continue to service researchers by appointment.