Carnegie Museum offers controlled visits for people on autism spectrum
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland is launching a “Sensory Friendly Saturday Program,” to allow those on the autism spectrum to have a quieter experience inside the museum.
The museum announced in a news release that it will open its galleries 90 minutes before opening to the public on four days – April 27, July 13, Oct. 5 and Dec. 28.
Museum experts will give tours of the exhibitions and be on hand to answer questions. There will also be quiet zones.
“We wanted to get our sensory-friendly offerings right,” said Dr. Eric Dorfman, Daniel G. Carole L. Kamin director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. “To that end, our director of visitor services conducted focus groups and a sensory-friendly trial run throughout 2018. Feedback from the families was overwhelmingly positive but also constructive. One important goal that emerged was making sure we offered our programming on peak visitation days when our museum is most in demand.”
April is National Autism Awareness Month, the museum said.
Hours for the program are 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Advance registration is required.
Details: http://carnegiemnh.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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