Detroit Regional Chamber > Business Resources > COVID-19 > The Henry Ford: Committing to #MaskUpMichigan is ‘The Right Thing to Do’

The Henry Ford: Committing to #MaskUpMichigan is ‘The Right Thing to Do’

July 28, 2020
The Henry Ford is embarking on the reopening of its attractions with the health and safety of its staff and guests top of mind. As part of these efforts, they’ve signed the #MaskUpMichigan pledge to commit to the use of face coverings by all employees and visitors to keep their doors open. The team shared why this cause is so important to them.

Why did The Henry Ford take the #MaskUpMichigan pledge?

The Henry Ford is supporting #MaskUpMichigan because, quite frankly, it is the right thing to do. The health and safety of our visitors, staff, and volunteers is and will always be priority number one for us as a destination. We are committed to providing the safest environment possible right now for everyone as we reopen portions of our campus. Like so many cultural destinations, organizations, and businesses around the world, The Henry Ford is slowly getting back to work after having been closed due to COVID-19 for almost 16 weeks. Like so many, we are facing a crippling shortfall due to the closure and want all organizations across the country, and particularly in our state, to remain open and begin the process to build their businesses back from this pandemic. Wearing a mask simply reduces the risk of spreading this disease. We have an obligation to do our part, inform our guests, and keep everyone safe and healthy.

Is The Henry Ford doing anything unique or specific to encourage face covering (mask or shields) among employees and/or customers?

At The Henry Ford, all staff, members, and guests, age 2 and over, are required to wear a face mask in all indoor spaces of The Henry Ford, as well as during the ticketing and admission process.

We have signage throughout Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village alerting people to our “Mask On” policy and reminding our guests to wear their masks for themselves and for others. We have masked the Thomas Edison statue and Gog and Magog on top of Sir John Bennett in Greenfield Village as well as the Henry Ford statue outside of Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation as further reminders that everyone needs to wear a mask.

Since reopening, please share additional safety protocols/precautions that have been put in place to keep employees and customers safe.

It is important that our guests know that while our mission remains unchanged, The Henry Ford, for now, is a different institution in size, scope, and visitation. In this first phase, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village will be open and only operational Thursday through Sunday at only 25% capacity. We are taking every precaution to ensure a healthy and safe environment for all and therefore many of our hands-on activities are curbed and we have limited some of our immersive experiences like boarding the Rosa Parks bus in the museum or riding in an authentic Model T throughout Greenfield Village. In addition, we implemented timed tickets for quick, touch-free, and safe entry.

Some of our buildings within Greenfield Village need to remain closed due to the tight interiors of these historic structures, but we have allowed for interpretations to continue outside these structures to further engage our guests. We require all interactions between guests and staff to have a presence of six feet or more. In addition, we installed plexiglass barriers between each of the rows of train cars to ensure our Weiser Railroad could still transport our guests around Greenfield Village.

Our cleaning staff, identified as “The Clean Team,” are constantly present throughout Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village sanitizing surfaces for the further safety of guests and staff. During these times, it is so important for you to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO so we are asking all of our guests to please be sure to visit our website at THF.org/welcomeback for further details on how to secure a timeslot and for a list of our safety guidelines and modifications.

Anything you would like to add?

We want to thank all of our guests for their patience, their cooperation, and their continued support during this time as we Reactivate The Henry Ford and rebuild this magnificent institution.


Hear more on how The Henry Ford is approaching safety in reopening in a Town Hall session with its President and CEO Patricia Mooradian on Thursday, July 30 at 2 p.m.Register today.