Sensory-friendly hours introduced at County Museums – Welcome to San Bernardino County

At both the San Bernardino County Museum and Victor Valley Museum, a pilot program aimed at improving accessibility offers a Quiet Hour on select Wednesdays and Thursdays of each month. To create a calmer and quieter museum experience, during this hour, some exhibit features will be turned off to minimize audio and visual stimulation.

Quiet Hour is designed to make the museum’s exhibits more accessible to people with sensory processing differences, but it may also be beneficial to anyone who may get overwhelmed with the sounds of the museum or who are just in search of a quieter museum experience.

The program is among a slew of ways the San Bernardino County Museum has made its collections, buildings, programs and services more accessible to visitors. In the future, the museum will offer sensory bags that contain fidget toys and noise-dampening headphones available for check-out at the admissions desk.

“Our exhibits, programs, and events are developed with accessibility and our complete community in mind, so we are excited to launch this initiative, which will make visiting us easier for a large portion of our community,” said Curator of Education Eliana Zacarias.

Here’s the Quiet Hour schedule:

San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands

Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.

Victor Valley Museum, 11873 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley

Thursday, July 25, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Victor Valley Museum is located at 11873 Apple Valley Road, Apple Valley. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and museum members are admitted free. Parking is free. The museums are accessible to persons with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

Additional County Update News – July 11, 2024