CINCINNATI — After a 16-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Cincinnati Museum Center announced Saturday it plans to reopen the Children's Museum July 1.

Museum officials said recent consultation with health care professionals and new guidance from the CDC on masking and social distancing has paved the way for a safe reopening.

“We’ve been working closely with healthcare professionals and following CDC guidelines over the past several months to determine when we can responsibly reopen our Children’s Museum in a safe way that still delivers a premier learning-through-play experience,” said Museum Center president and CEO Elizabeth Pierce in a news release.

Guest capacity will be limited in the Children’s Museum to continue to allow social distancing, and the museum is implementing the same strict cleaning protocols it has been following in its other museums. Masks will be required in the museum to protect those who are not vaccinated, including children not yet eligible and those with underlying health conditions.

Updates on ticketing, member benefits and availability will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We know we’re not the only ones who will have this day circled on our calendars,” Pierce said. “Seeing kids climb through The Woods, splash through Waterworks and have those transformative moments of joy and epiphany are some of our most fulfilling moments as museum professionals.”

Along with the Children’s Museum, CMC anticipates reopening its STEM-in-action Science Interactives Gallery, presented by Procter & Gamble, this summer. The updated Ice Age Gallery, closed since the start of Union Terminal’s restoration in July 2016, will also reopen on July 1.