America’s National Churchill Museum to Temporarily Close Effective March 15

To help protect the health and safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers, America’s National Churchill Museum (ANCM) will temporarily close to the public, effective Sunday, Mar. 15, 2020.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has signed Executive Order 20-02 declaring a state of emergency in Missouri in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and Westminster College has announced Friday that all students who have left campus for spring break will remain away from campus for an extended period.

In addition to Westminster’s recent announcement and ANCM’s temporary closure, a significant number of national museums across the country, including the Smithsonian and all presidential museums and libraries, are temporarily closing their doors to help support community health and well-being.

Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator of ANCM, said the health and safety of the public is of paramount importance.

“At this time, we are uncertain of how long the Museum will be closed and will closely monitor national, state and local advisories to determine when it is appropriate to reopen,” he said.

Riley added that all public programs and events scheduled during the closure will be cancelled or postponed. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, will also be closed, although visitors can still tour the exterior of the historic landmark. Visitors also will be able to visit Breakthrough, the monumental sculpture created from sections of the Berlin Wall, by artist, Churchill Fellow, and granddaughter of Clementine and Winston Churchill, Edwina Sandys.

“ANCM will continue to be an informative and inspiring institution for learning about Winston Churchill, whose leadership was marked by vision, resiliency and vigilance, which seems more important now than ever,” Riley said.

He said ANCM will continue to have a range of free online resources that will remain available during the temporary closure of the physical Museum. Riley also is referring visitors to the ANCM website, which he says remains a valuable resource for information about Winston Churchill.

In addition, he said programs and many of Westminster College’s Legendary Lectures are available on ANCM’s YouTube channel. ANCM will continue to add online content throughout the closure. Individuals also can sign-up to follow ANCM on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

“We greatly appreciate everyone’s flexibility and patience as we navigate this challenging circumstance together,” Riley said. “We thank you for your continued support of America’s National Churchill Museum.”

Founded in 1851, Westminster College is a private liberal arts college in Fulton, MO. Located on the Westminster campus, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, is part of America’s National Churchill Museum, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Church and Museum commemorate Winston’s Churchill’s famous “Iron Curtain” speech, delivered on campus in 1946. To learn more about Westminster College, visit the College’s site here.

For more information, contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038, sarah.backer@westminster-mo.edu, or Tom Pagano, 314-602-7549, tompagano@mostrata.com.