The American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame re-opens on June 22, 2020, although visitors will notice some differences. The hall, located in Pickerington, Ohio, is re-opening under the guidelines of the Responsible RestartOhio plan, which means the staff are taking measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The AMA Hall of Fame closed on March 20, 2020, as part of the state’s public safety initiatives aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Disrupts Riding Season Plans:
At the start of the pandemic, AMA prez/CEO Rob Dingman said “I’m going to ride when I can. If I can’t ride, I’m going to plan riding trips, talk about riding with friends and think about riding … In short, I’m going to continue to be an active member of the motorcycle community because as a membership organization, community is, after all, how we do what we do.”
He sounded hopeful, but in the weeks that followed, the coronavirus pandemic hit the motorcyclist advocacy group hard. In April, the AMA had to lay off staff and make other personnel changes, due to lack of funds. In June, the AMA had to postpone the 2020 Vintage Motorcycle Days rally. Those were tough decisions, but back in March, Dingman told AMA members to “Stay safe, plan for the future.”
That’s what the AMA is doing now—working on keeping its Hall of Fame safe. According to the AMA’s statement, the hall is practicing social distancing for employees and visits, with “frequent cleaning of high-touch items and surfaces, directional signage, limited capacity and no groups larger than 10.” The AMA is asking groups of 5-10 visitors to call ahead, or email to schedule visits. The Hall of Fame also has daily symptom assessments for employees, and is restricting the first hour of operation (9-10 a.m.) to older visitors, and visitors who are in at-risk populations.
If you’re looking for up-to-date information on the facility, you can visit its Facebook page. Currently, the AMA’s Hall of Fame is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with admission free for AMA members. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $3 for students, and free for children 11 and younger if they visit with an adult.
Source: AMA